Young Sheldon: Paige's Absence In TBBT Has Fans Questioning Her Future
Seeing as it's a prequel to "The Big Bang Theory," "Young Sheldon" is all about explaining how Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) becomes the person he is by the time of the former sitcom. Additionally, it takes time to delve into some of his friends and family members, touching on their lives pre-"Big Bang Theory." Some ultimately appear on the beloved sitcom, while others are noticeably absent from the series. One such individual who falls into the latter camp is Paige Swanson (Mckenna Grace), whose lack of appearances on "The Big Bang Theory" has some fans concerned.
Redditor u/QuadrupleSlash raised the question of Paige's absence from "The Big Bang Theory," asking fans why she might not factor into Sheldon's adult life. While some wonder if something bad happens to her between the two shows — potentially even death — others think there are more logical explanations abound. For example, u/GrannyMine theorizes that she could go into a field of science Sheldon doesn't respect, effectively ending their friendship. Of course, many point out that the Paige character didn't exist in canon for much of the small screen tenure of "Big Bang Theory," so how could she have made an appearance anyway?
Even though Paige doesn't make an appearance on "The Big Bang Theory" before it ends, had the opportunity come to fruition, Mckenna Grace knows exactly who she would've liked to play her adult counterpart.
Mckenna Grace would've liked to see Reese Witherspoon as an adult Paige
To promote "Young Sheldon," Iain Armitage and Mckenna Grace stopped by Entertainment Tonight, but not to be interviewed simultaneously. Rather, they would interview one another, asking each other alternating questions about their characters, the show, and their personal lives. One of the questions presented to Grace by Armitage regarded who she would've liked to see play the adult version of Paige Swanson on "The Big Bang Theory" had the chance arisen. In no time at all, she voiced her interest in seeing Reese Witherspoon tackle the role.
"I think Reese Witherspoon, cause she's a lot like Paige in 'Legally Blonde,'" Grace told her co-star, comparing Paige to Witherspoon's "Legally Blonde" character Elle Woods. Armitage seemed supportive of the pick, having worked with Witherspoon before and had a blast doing so. Perhaps via the recently announced "Big Bang Theory" spinoff series Grace's dream casting could become a reality. If that were to happen, surely many "Young Sheldon" fans would be delighted to learn about Paige's adult life.
For the time being, however, the fate of Paige Swanson remains a mystery. Fingers crossed we'll learn what became of her between "Young Sheldon" and "The Big Bang Theory" someday.