Jim Parsons was not sure if he could play a negatively influenced character like Paul Stafford in the biographical drama movie, Hidden Figures.
Jim Parsons is one of the most talented people in the entertainment industry. And playing Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory has only cemented his place in Hollywood. But other than TBBT, the actor has been part of many other successful projects, like The Normal Heart (2014), Hollywood (2020), The Boys in the Band (2020), etc.
The actor has also been nominated for multiple awards in his career so far. From multiple Emmys to Golden Globes, he has no shortage of accolades. And while most of his fame came from playing the neurodivergent character of Sheldon Cooper in the sitcom, he has a few other projects that have shown his mettle in his craft, including the Oscar-nominated movie, Hidden Figures (2016).
Jim Parsons Was Hesitant to Take on Hidden Figures
The biographical drama movie, Hidden Figures, starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae in the lead, is about three female African-American mathematicians during the Space Race. Jim Parsons played the role of the head engineer of the Space Task Group, Paul Stafford. While for Parsons, the story and the role were fascinating, there was one thing he did not like about his character. So much so, that he paused on deciding if he should do this movie.
Speaking to Today, Parsons said:
It took me a few reads to accept the part, of my part, that was a little difficult, which was, I am kind of a pain in the butt to Taraji, and that puts a kind spin on it. Paul Stafford represents a personification of the major hurdles and some attitudes of that time, but once I accepted that, it was a real joy to get to go there and fight with Taraji, and just be involved in it.
Parsons’ character, Paul Stafford does not get along with that of Henson’s Katherine Goble- the mathematician in charge of aiding the Space Task Group. Her being a woman of color during that time was not to her credit, and one of the people who did not like her being a part of the “inner circle” was Stafford. But we eventually see him learning to admire her ability and talent, as he comes out of the societal shell by the end of the story. A coffee cup would go on to be the start of a friendship we could all root for.
Jim Parsons Is Poles Apart From Sheldon Cooper
While Jim Parsons played the character of Sheldon Cooper to perfection, he is very different from the character in real life. And not just because of the scientific matter of things. But the biggest divergence comes From the fact that Parsons has not watched either Star Wars Or Doctor Who – the two franchises Sheldon cannot stop fanning over. In a conversation with Time, Parsons admitted:
I get asked a lot of, of course, science things. I’m like, ‘You’re kidding.’ And even the pop culture. … I’ve never seen Star Trek. I don’t know Doctor Who.
While this may come as a shock to fellow TBBT lovers, fans have to remember that Sheldon is only a character Jim Parsons plays, and they are not the same people. So, even though Sheldon loves Star Wars and Doctor Who and often banters about the same with his fellow nerds, Parsons is such a great actor, that people sometimes forget that they are two different entities.
