Even before he bid adieu to “The Big Bang Theory” in 2019, Jim Parsons agreed to carry on the role of Sheldon Cooper for the spin-off series “Young Sheldon.” Serving as the narrator of the show, Parsons is able to continue playing Cooper off-camera while detailing the adventures of his younger self, played by Iain Armitage. Yet even this voice role wasn’t consistent during “Young Sheldon,” with Parsons’ presence decreasing later in the series.
Some fans may theorize that “Young Sheldon” has been slowly abandoning the Parsons narration to separate the show from its predecessor. But it makes sense that Parsons’ voice fills in narrative moments in the show. After all, he helped cast Armitage as the younger version of his own character.
Parsons explained on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that part of the reason he and the show’s producers chose Armitage was because he seemed so mature for a kid (via Digital Spy). “They wrote the most trial-by-fire, two-page monologue [for the audition], and all these kids were coming in with it and they were all really good,” Parsons told Kimmel. “But Iain, when his tape came in, it was mind-blowing and I thought, ‘He looks really young but he must be 13 to be able to do this,’ but he was 8. He is such a man-child. He thinks like a man.”
