TV - Movies
How Jim Parsons
Felt Watching
Iain Armitage's
Young Sheldon
Audition
By DEEPAYAN SENGUPTA
“The Big Bang Theory” spinoff series "Young Sheldon" features Jim Parsons as the narrator and Iain Armitage in the role of Sheldon at age nine. Armitage had to audition for the titular role and Jim Parsons had quite the reaction to the young actor's tryout.
Parsons said he had an unexpectedly emotional reaction to seeing Armitage's audition tape, adding that it was impressive to see the character performed by such a young actor. He said, "I don't think I've forgotten how much fun everything is, but maybe a little bit, because it feels like a reminder of something when I watch [Iain] work on all this stuff."
Parsons said Armitage jumped off the screen immediately as the right choice to play the character. "He handles the language well, and he memorizes easily," Parsons said, adding that Armitage was a better actor than he was at the same age.
Parsons and Armitage have bonded off-screen, further solidifying the connection between the two versions of Sheldon. Parsons said that he gets along better with Armitage than with most children, noting, "I didn't think I was very good with kids but I'm fine with him."