‘Young Sheldon’ told the origin story of Sheldon Cooper, the beloved character from ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Young Sheldon instantly stole viewers’ hearts when it premiered in 2017.
The series, which was a prequel to The Big Bang Theory, told the origin story of Sheldon Cooper as he grew up as a child in the late 1980s and early 1990s in a small fictional Texas town. Iain Armitage began starring as Sheldon, who was originally played by Jim Parsons, when he was just 8 years old.
After the series premiered, it became an instant hit and aired for seven seasons before it came to an end on May 16, 2024. Even though the show stopped airing, the franchise continued giving viewers a look inside the Cooper family with the spinoff Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage. The sequel follows Sheldon’s older brother, Georgie Cooper (Montana Jordan) as he has a child with and gets married to Mandy McAllister (Emily Osment).
In addition to Armitage, Jordan and Osment, the Young Sheldon cast included Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Lance Barber as George Cooper Sr., Raegan Revord as Melissa “Missy” Cooper, Annie Potts as Constance “Connie” Tucker, Matt Hobby as Pastor Jeff Difford and Wyatt McClure as William “Billy” Sparks.
From Jim Parsons’ involvement in the spinoff to actors from The Big Bang Theory making cameos in the sequel, here are 17 behind-the-scenes facts you may not have known about Young Sheldon.
01
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Jim Parsons, who helped create the spinoff, said Iain Armitage’s audition was “jaw-dropping”
Actors Jim Parsons (L) and Iain Armitage speak onstage during the 69th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California.
Jim Parsons and Iain Armitage at the Emmy Awards in 2017.
Lester Cohen/WireImage
Jim Parsons, who made the role of Sheldon iconic, also helped cast the star of the prequel show.
Shortly after the series premiered, Parsons recounted the casting process at a PaleyFest panel, per Entertainment Tonight. He said that when the casting crew saw a video audition from Armitage, they almost immediately knew he got the part.
“We saw his audition on tape, and I don’t know how to put this other than to say it was kind of jaw-dropping,” Parsons said in 2018.
The actor explained that they purposely made the audition difficult and asked the children to memorize a three-page monologue and nail a William Shatner impression.
“It was just trial by fire: if you can’t do this, you can’t trust him,” Parsons joked. “I was nervous to meet him, which is stupid. I act like he was this 30-year-old. I was overly protective of his audition, which he didn’t need me to be. I don’t know how to describe it — the audition was just phenomenal.”
02
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Laurie Metcalf, who played Mary Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, is the real-life mother of Zoe Perry, who plays the same character in Young Sheldon
YOUNG SHELDON, Zoe Perry; THE BIG BANG THEORY, Laurie Metcalf
Zoe Perry acting in “Young Sheldon” and Laurie Metcalf in “The Big Bang Theory.”.
Darren Michaels/CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection; Michael Yarish/CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection
In The Big Bang Theory, Laurie Metcalf played Mary Cooper, Sheldon’s mom. When it came to who would play the younger version in Young Sheldon, Metcalf’s daughter Zoe Perry auditioned and got the role.
The actress told The Hollywood Reporter in 2017 that after her mom found out about the new role, she encouraged her daughter to try out.
“I remember it became a bit more concrete when I heard that they had cast Iain Armitage,” Perry said. “My mom said, ‘You better go in for this.’ It was an exciting and surreal turn of events.”
Despite having the connection, Perry told Entertainment Weekly that she still had to go through the “typical” audition process.
Perry added to The Hollywood Reporter that she and her mother have “lots of similarities when it comes to our voices and mannerisms,” so she had that going for her.
“She’s been really supportive through the whole thing and I feel lucky that I get to share this with her in that way. At the end of the day, she’s a parent and she’s happy to see that her kids are okay,” she shared.
03
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Parsons helped Armitage learn the role of Sheldon, and they’ve stayed close
“An Academic Crime and a More Romantic Taco Bell” – Pictured: Sheldon (Iain Armitage). Dr. Sturgis is furious when Sheldon accuses him of plagiarism. Also, Mary sets out to find a “girl trophy” for Missy’s end-of-season baseball ceremony, and Georgie has an awkward run-in with Veronica (Isabel May) while on a date with his new girlfriend, Jana (Ava Allan), on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, March 5 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Louie Anderson guest stars as Ralph, an employee at the trophy store.
Iain Armitage acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
Parsons helped create, produce and cast Young Sheldon, including taking it upon himself to mentor Armitage to become the best version of his younger character.
The young actor raved about working with Parsons and said in a 2017 appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, “He is incredible, and he is awesome, and I love him so much, and he’s such an incredible Sheldon coach, which is sort of a given.”
Parsons repaid the compliment by telling Armitage, “You don’t need much coaching.”
After the show ended, the two remained friends and have frequently supported each other. In May 2024, Armitage attended Parsons’ Broadway play, Mother Play – A Play in Five Evictions. He later appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark, where he praised Parsons for his “incredible” and “wonderful” performance.
“He also has managed to also be in so many other weird, interesting and different things, making a name for himself in that way too,” Armitage shared. “When I watch him onstage, I’m not watching Sheldon, I’m seeing him as his character, which is so impressive. Some people can’t do that and he really can.”
04
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Jon Favreau directed the show’s pilot episode
Jon Favreau attends the Ahsoka panel at Start Wars Celebration 2023 in London at ExCel on April 08, 2023 in London, England.
Jon Favreau at the Star Wars Celebration panel in London in 2023.
Jeff Spicer/Getty
Jon Favreau, who has directed dozens of successful films and TV shows throughout his career, was tapped to direct the pilot episode of Young Sheldon.
Favreau also served as an executive producer on the first episode. As the show progressed, a myriad of directors helped with the rest of the seven seasons.
05
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Melissa Joan Hart directed a handful of Young Sheldon episodes
Melissa Joan Hart visits the SiriusXM Studios on April 3, 2019 in New York City.
Melissa Joan Hart at the SiriusXM Studios in April 2019.
Taylor Hill/Getty
Melissa Joan Hart was another celebrity to work on Young Sheldon.
Hart, who became famous for starring as the titular character in the sitcom Sabrina the Teenage Witch, directed five episodes in seasons 3 through 5 — “An Academic Crime and a More Romantic Taco Bell,” “Cowboy Aerobics and 473 Grease-Free Bolts,” “The Geezer Bus and a New Model for Education,” “A Second Prodigy and the Hottest Tips for Pouty Lips” and “An Expensive Glitch and a Goof-Off Room.”
06
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Armitage didn’t know how to use an old phone on set
Sheldon (Iain Armitage). Meemaw meets Dale’s ex-wife, June (Reba McEntire). Also, Sheldon is forced to work on a group project with reluctant college students, on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Feb. 13 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Iain Armitage acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
Since the spinoff took place in the ’80s, many of the child actors were unfamiliar with the technology that was used back then and had to learn how to use it.
“There have been lots of funny moments — trying to explain how the phone works. There was a great scene where Iain had to dial the phone, and he would dial and then pick up the phone, and we were like, ‘No, it’s not quite like that,’ ” Perry said in a resurfaced video posted on TikTok.
Barber, who played Sheldon’s dad, chimed in to say, “He had it on backwards. Another thing that aged me, made me feel very old.”
Revord, who played Sheldon’s sister, also admitted that when she first saw the phone, she “thought it was a storage unit, like, a safe or something.”
07
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Kaley Cuoco and other actors from The Big Bang Theory made cameos on Young Sheldon
BIG BANG THEORY – Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco
Kaley Cuoco and Jim Parsons acting in “The Big Bang Theory.”.
Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty
Kaley Cuoco, who played the beloved role of Penny in The Big Bang Theory, made a brief cameo on Young Sheldon.
During the season 3 episode titled “Teenager Soup and a Little Ball of Fib,” Sheldon had a nightmare about an upcoming swim test in gym and was taunted by a cartoon pool. The show’s co-creator Steve Molaro later confirmed to TVLine that Cuoco did the voiceover in the off-camera role.
“I needed someone to do the voice. I knew I wanted it to be female and kinda sexy, and I said, ‘Well, duh! Kaley is perfect for this,’ ” he told the outlet in 2020, while adding that Cuoco found the idea funny and “absolutely” agreed.
She was the first of many actors who appeared in both The Big Bang Theory and Young Sheldon.
In fact, when the cast of the prequel was initially announced, many die-hard fans were confused about Barber playing Sheldon’s dad because he had previously played a high school bully in the original sitcom.
Barber later cleared up the speculation and told Entertainment Tonight in 2022, “There’s been some weird stuff like is this a multi dimensional universe? It’s nonsense. It’s an actor playing a different part.”
08
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One of the main Batman actors played the iconic part in a small role
YOUNG SHELDON – Iain Armitage as Sheldon
Iain Armitage acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Robert Voets/CBS via Getty
In the same episode that Cuoco voice-acted in, Diedrich Bader also reprised his role as Batman.
Bader, who is known for his voice work in several Batman cartoons, appeared as the animated superhero in a daydream that Sheldon was having.
09
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The actors who played the Cooper siblings developed a sibling-like relationship
A Crisis of Faith and Octopus Aliens” – Pictured: Meemaw (Annie Potts), Georgie (Montana Jordan), Missy (Raegan Revord) and Sheldon (Iain Armitage). When Mary’s faith is shaken by a tragedy in the community, Sheldon becomes an unlikely ally, on YOUNG SHELDON
Annie Potts, Montana Jordan, Raegan Revord and Iain Armitage acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty
The three Cooper siblings — Sheldon (Armitage), Melissa (Revord) and Georgie (Jordan) — are close in real life, as well.
All three stars have spoken about growing up together and remaining close friends even after the show ended in 2024.
“It is kind of crazy how quickly you develop those sibling bonds,” Armitage reflected to TVLine at the end of the series in May 2024.
Revord later joked to PEOPLE in August 2024 that she was still acting like the “annoying little sister” after the series had ended.
“I feel like Montana is kind of annoyed with me at this point because I’m asking to see him so much,” she said. “I’m truly like the annoying little sister of the family. I’m like, ‘Hey, guys, how you doing? Does anyone want to hang out?’ ”
Both Revord and Armitage visited Jordan after he and his fiancée, Jenna Weeks, welcomed their first daughter together, Emma Rae Jordan, in May 2024. In July 2024, Armitage posted a video of him cradling the newborn while singing the same song, “Soft Kitty,” his on-screen mom sang to him on the TV series.
“I finally got to meet my brand new niece!” he captioned the video. “I spent time with Montana and Jenna’s sweet baby and she’s beautiful! I’m not at all biased but she’s the smartest, sweetest, most adorable human and I’m proud to be her Uncle Iain. Montana is getting ready to start filming his new show and I couldn’t be happier for him and his beautiful family.”
Revord also shared photos of her meeting the baby in June 2024 and captioned the pictures, “Auntie Rae 🤝 Emma Rae 🎀.”
Revord, Jordan and Perry have stayed especially close since the three of them continued working together on the spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, which began filming its second season in April 2025.
10
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Armitage considers himself an “honorary” grandson of his on-screen grandma
“A Patch, a Modem, and a Zantac” – Pictured: Missy (Raegan Revord), Meemaw (Annie Potts) and Sheldon (Iain Armitage). When a NASA representative visits Sheldon’s school and dismisses his science, Sheldon is set on a mission to prove him wrong, on YOUNG SHELDON
Raegan Revord, Annie Potts and Iain Armitage acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
In addition to staying close with his on-screen siblings, Armitage also developed a close relationship with his on-screen grandmother played by Annie Potts.
“Ms. Annie Potts is one of the coolest people I’ve ever gotten to work with or know,” Armitage told Entertainment Tonight in 2024. “I’m always going to be her ‘Moon Pie.’ ”
In November 2023, Armitage shared a lengthy Instagram post about their sweet bond and even wrote about how he considers himself to be her “honorary” grandchild.
“I love her love her love her love her love her,” he captioned a selfie of them. “On set I used to snuggle up next to her – she said it recharged my batteries, and she was right … Now she has real grandchildren, but I’m very honored to have been one of her first practice grandchildren. She’s one of my very favorite people! ❤️It’s all been a dream, MeeMaw!”
11
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The show creators started a real-life Young Sheldon STEM Initiative
“A House for Sale and Serious Woman Stuff” – Pictured: Mr. Lundy (Jason Alexander) and Sheldon (Iain Armitage). When Sheldon learns the house next door is for sale, he takes it upon himself to find the perfect neighbors. Also, Missy is torn when she\’s forced to pitch against her boyfriend at the baseball game, on YOUNG SHELDON
Jason Alexander and Iain Armitage acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
In 2019, Young Sheldon co-creator Chuck Lorre spread the message of the show by helping create an initiative dedicated to supporting public school STEM (science, technology, engineering and Math) programs.
“On behalf of all of us at Young Sheldon, we are honored to continue our support of public school STEM education and teachers by partnering with DonorsChoose.org,” Lorre said at the time, per Deadline. “Our public school teachers are truly unsung heroes, and it’s shocking that, on average, they spend about $479 of their own money for classroom projects. We hope this matching gift will, in some small way, help teachers and students bring their classroom dreams to life.”
As of 2019, the Young Sheldon STEM Initiative paid for two grants and helped fund 20 public schools in Southern California and East Texas.
12
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The Cooper’s home phone number is a real number that goes to their answering machine
YOUNG SHELDON, Iain Armitage
Iain Armitage in “Young Sheldon.”.
CBS / Courtesy Everett Collection
In the show, the Cooper family’s landline phone number is 409-356-6049. Even one year after the series came to an end, fans can still call the phone number, and it’ll immediately get connected to an answering machine.
All the family members read different lines for a split machine that says, “It’s the Coopers! We’re not home right now, but you can leave a message, and we’ll call you back! I will not be calling you back!”
13
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Annie Potts used Dolly Parton as inspiration for her character
“Vanilla Ice Cream, Gentlemen Callers, and a Dinette Set” – Pictured: Meemaw (Annie Potts). When Meemaw is pursued by two gentlemen callers (guest stars Richard Kind and Wallace Shawn), Sheldon interferes, forcing her to set some ground rules, on the season finale of YOUNG SHELDON
Annie Potts acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
After Potts accepted her role as Connie “Meemaw” Tucker, she looked to Dolly Parton’s character in Steel Magnolias for her inspiration.
“I have to say it was sort of an inspiration from Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias, which also happened in 1989. I thought, ‘Yeah, she looks a little bit like that!’ ” Potts told Gold Derby in 2018.
She echoed the sentiment in an interview with USA Today and said, “I think that Meemaw probably admired Dolly. Who doesn’t?”
14
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One of the set homes was also used in The Middle and The Partridge Family
LOS ANGELES – OCTOBER 13: “Spock, Kirk, and Testicular Hernia” — Pictured: Meemaw (Annie Potts) and Sheldon (Iain Armitage). George Sr. strikes a deal with Sheldon to tutor Georgie when poor grades threaten to keep him from playing football, on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Dec. 21 (8:31-9:01 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Annie Potts and Iain Armitage in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
Since Young Sheldon was a Warner Bros. production, the company utilized some of the homes from past TV shows for the prequel.
MeeMaw Tucker’s home may have looked familiar to viewers because it was also the same house used as The Partridge Family house (with the addition of a front porch), according to the former Columbia Ranch’s Facebook page.
Unfortunately, fans won’t be able to get a look at the home since the Columbia Ranch lot was demolished as part of a redevelopment in 2023, per Remind Magazine.
15
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Steve Burns from Blue’s Clues wrote the theme song and appeared in four episodes
BLUE’S CLUES, Steve Burns
Steve Burns from “Blue’s Clues” wrote the show’s opening theme song.
Nickelodeon Network/Courtesy Everett Collection
Steve Burns, who rose to fame for playing a fictional version of himself on the hit children’s show Blue’s Clues, wrote the opening theme song, titled “Mighty Little Man.”
Burns went on to call the song “life-changing” for him.
“That was a song about personal empowerment, convincing myself that I am strong and amazing and powerful, which is the kind of song you write when you don’t feel it,” he told The Dickinsonian in 2024.
Burns later became a recurring character on the sitcom and played Sheldon’s friend Nathan in four episodes.
16
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Several actors appeared in Sheldon’s favorite film franchise Star Trek
“A Pineapple and the Bosom of Male Friendship” — Pictured: Dr. Sturgis (Wallace Shawn) and Sheldon (Iain Armitage). After being released from the mental hospital, Dr. Sturgis unexpectedly breaks up with Meemaw, on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Oct. 24 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Wallace Shawn and Iain Armitage in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
Throughout both Young Sheldon and The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon doesn’t shy away from showing his love for the Star Trek franchise. At certain points in the series, he dresses up as Mr. Spock and other characters.
Coincidentally, two of the actors who worked on Young Sheldon also had roles on Star Trek. Both Wallace Shawn (who played Dr. John Sturgis) and Ed Begley Jr. (who played Dr. Grant Linkletter) appeared in the beloved sci-fi series.
17
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One of the on-screen couples is married in real life
“A Live Chicken, a Fried Chicken and Holy Matrimony” – Pictured: Officer Robin (Mary Grill) and Pastor Jeff (Matt Hobby). George Sr. and Meemaw struggle to manage the Cooper household while Mary plans Pastor Jeff’s (Matt Hobby) wedding, on YOUNG SHELDON, Thursday, Jan. 9 (8:00-8:31 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
Mary Grill and Matt Hobby acting in “Young Sheldon.”.
Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
Two of the stars from Young Sheldon are married in real life!
Matt Hobby played Pastor Jeff Difford in the franchise and was married to his second wife, Officer Robin, played by Mary Grill.
Off-screen, Hobby and Grill are husband and wife and tied the knot in 2011. Nine years later, he reflected on their real-life wedding ahead of their characters getting married on the show.
