There are few shows on TV that are quite as massively popular as CBS' The Big Bang Theory. With the fall heralding in the whopping 11th season of the sitcom, it should come to no surprise that the network is hoping to cash in and expand the property with a spinoff. Enter Young Sheldon, which will follow a 9 year old Sheldon Cooper as he attends High School early. Child actor Iain Armitage will be playing Jim Parsons' iconic role in the upcoming series, and now he's revealed how Parsons help serve as a mentor.
Iain Armitage recently sat down to speak with People about his role in Young Sheldon. During this conversation, he revealed how Jim Parsons helped to coach the young actor on playing the role, saying:
He's like, 'I know you might think of it this way, but he [Sheldon] might think of it that way.' It can be from the smallest thing to the biggest change. It's very interesting, but he has a lot of great tips.
How sweet is that? Leading your own TV show is quite a bit of pressure to put on a 9 year old, so having a mentor in Jim Parsons is a very sweet way to make sure Iain Armitage manages to embody the beloved character.
And this type of mentorship should be able to continue into the show's run. Jim Parsons is extremely involved in Young Sheldon, serving as an executive producer on the spinoff. Additionally, Parson's adult version of Sheldon will be featured in a creative way; Parsons will be narrating the series when it arrives on the small screen. He also reportedly came up with the idea for the spinoff, and passed it onto the producers of The Big Bang Theory. So it's safe to say that Young Sheldon is in very adept hands.
The casting of Iain Armitage is a major win for CBS, and his performance as Sheldon (via the trailer) has already been applauded by audiences and critics alike. Armitage came onto the small screen in a big way this past February. He had a recurring role as Ziggy in HBO's Big Little Lies, playing the somewhat troubled son of Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley). His performance had peaks and valleys that made Ziggy a fully fleshed out young man, and now we'll be able to see Armitage stretch his comedic muscles in Young Sheldon.
Young Sheldon will arrive this coming fall season, so we have a few more months to wait before we can see how well Jim Parsons coached Iain Armitage. The series will have a special preview of its first episode on September 25th, before setting into a time slot after The Big Bang Theory on November 2nd. In the meantime, check out our summer premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
