The Big Bang Theory The Actor Who Almost Played Sheldon

The Big Bang Theory: The Actor Who Almost Played Sheldon

Jim Parsons brilliantly played the genius-but-socially-inept Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory, but one of his co-stars was originally up for the role.

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The Big Bang Theory The Actor Who Almost Played Sheldon

While it’s difficult to imagine any actor other than Jim Parsons playing The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper, one co-star was actually initially poised to play the role: Johnny Galecki, who portrayed Leonard Hofstadter in the CBS sitcom. Both actors were part of the show’s original cast, being the only characters who appeared in the scrapped pilot. As fans know, the intended premier episode was reshot, with the addition of Kaley Cuoco’s Penny, Simon Helberg’s Howard Wolowitz and Kunal Nayyar’s Rajesh Koothrappali. Had things gone differently, the Big Bang Theory may have had a very different core cast for that pilot episode.

Bowing out of the airwaves last May, The Big Bang Theory remained a hit ratings-wise for the network. This was why many were surprised when it was announced that season 12 would be BBT’s last, especially since not long before, there were reports that CBS was already looking to order season 13. As it turned out, the primary reason for the show’s cancelation was Parsons’ decision to exit the gig. As one of the show’s most popular characters, Sheldon was crucial to the show’s success; the creatives behind the sitcom knew that The Big Bang Theory just wasn’t going to be the same without Sheldon in it, hence, they decided to wrap up the series altogether. This was a testament to how significant the genius-but-socially-inept character was in The Big Bang Theory, and a big part of it was thanks to Parsons’ brilliant portrayal. However, at one point, he wasn’t even co-creator’s Chuck Lorre’s first choice.

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Known for his sitcom credits in Roseanne and one episode of Blossom (with Mayim Bialik), creatives behind The Big Bang Theory contacted Galecki when they were putting the show together, offering him the role of Sheldon. However, upon learning about the role, the actor actually requested to play Leonard instead, since he thought that between the best buds, he had the bigger chance to have a romantic partner. This decision was brought about by his frustration with being stuck in roles that had no romantic story arcs.

With Galecki opting to play Leonard instead, the hunt for the actor who would play Sheldon began — and that’s when The Big Bang Theory found Parsons. While Lorre admitted that Parsons’ audition impressed him, he didn’t think that the actor was perfect for the part. Obviously, he was wrong about his initial assumptions, and fortunately other producers immediately saw the potential in him. A decade of playing the character later, it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing Sheldon. While the characterization of the boy genius was already unique and interesting, a big part of his appeal was the actor’s performance, arguably making him the series’ true lead. In fact, Sheldon became so popular that his character is the focus of The Big Bang Theory’s first spin-off, the prequel Young Sheldon, in which the titular role is played by Iain Armitage.

Ultimately, everything worked out for the best. Parsons often got the praise for his work as Sheldon, but Galecki was also brilliant in his role as Leonard, and together, they had some of the most iconic moments in The Big Bang Theory because they had great chemistry. The pair’s dynamic was one of the most interesting ones in the show. Looking back at it now, it’s safe to say that fans wouldn’t have it any other way than how the casting for Sheldon and Leonard panned out.

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Link Source : https://screenrant.com/big-bang-theory-sheldon-almost-cast-johnny-galecki/

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