Jim Parsons Talks Reprising His Big Bang Theory Role As Sheldon Cooper

"The Big Bang Theory" came to an end in 2019 after Jim Parsons decided to leave the long-running CBS sitcom. His beloved character, the nerdy Sheldon Cooper, was considered an integral part of the show, and without Parsons on board, co-creator Chuck Lorre decided that Season 12 would be the last. That said, the end of "The Big Bang Theory" didn't mean that audiences could no longer get their fill of Sheldon Cooper.

A prequel series, "Young Sheldon," was released in 2017 — when "The Big Bang Theory" was still going strong — and it's currently in its sixth season. As the title indicates, the series chronicles Sheldon's formative years, with Iain Armitage portraying the titular mighty little man. Parsons is also an important part of the prequel series as he provides narration as adult Sheldon in most episodes.

Of course, many fans of "The Big Bang Theory" would love to see Parsons reprise the Sheldon role in a more substantial way. But what are the chances of that ever happening again?

Jim Parsons was a guest on a recent episode of "Life Is Short with Justin Long," which saw the actors discuss everything from Parsons' upbringing to his career on the screen. The topic of Sheldon Cooper came up once or twice, and Parsons shared some interesting insights about his current thoughts on playing him again.

During the conversation, Long asked Parsons about the possibility of portraying the socially awkward theoretical physicist in an "Old Sheldon" series at some point. Unfortunately for fans, the prospect doesn't appeal to Parsons at the moment, but he would consider it down the line. "At this point? Hell no," Parsons said. "In 30 years? Maybe. You'll have to ask me then, depending on how nice the beach is I'm living on."

Parsons went on to say that life is long and he doesn't always want to be associated with opinions he's expressed in the past. He's been known to change his mind, and his past quotes shouldn't be treated as gospel. "I said something recently, it's the reason I never reread interviews or anything like that because I'm like, 'I didn't want to be saddled to the opinion I had on some random September in 2002!'"