After Big Bang Theory alum Jim Parsons made an appearance on the Young Sheldon finale, is he ready to reprise his role of Sheldon Cooper for a sequel?
Jim Parsons won’t be returning to his spot anytime soon.
The actor—who played Sheldon Cooper on all 12 seasons of The Big Bang Theory and served as narrator on Young Sheldon—revealed that when it comes to reprising his beloved character again, it’ll only happen through “reincarnation” in the “next lifetime.”
“Look, never say never to anything,” Parsons exclusively told E! News at the Drama League Awards May 17. “Life is long, God willing. But I don’t think so.”
But clearly, Parsons is still game to play his quirky genius character on occasion, even appearing as adult Sheldon in the finale of the prequel series Young Sheldon on May 16 alongside Big Bang Theory costar Mayim Bialik.
“It was very, very special to do that,” Parsons told E! in his interview, airing May 20 at 11 p.m. “The feeling today is kind of odd, you know? It’s the second time now, because when we ended The Big Bang Theory, it felt like this, too. A little bit different.”
And since filming what is perhaps his last onscreen appearance as Sheldon, the 51-year-old admitted he’s spent the past several weeks processing the experience.
“You shoot that final episode and it’s wrapped for you,” he explained, “and then a couple of months later, it wraps for the rest of the world and it’s a very weird feeling to flood over you again like that.”
In addition to bringing back Parsons for the finale, Young Sheldon—which starred Iain Armitage as the title character from 2017 to 2024—delivered another big moment to fans in the penultimate episode by killing off Sheldon’s father George Cooper (played by Lance Barber) with a heart attack.
However, fans haven’t seen the last of Sheldon’s family, as another sequel series Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage (starring Montana Jordan and Emily Osment) is already in the works about his brother.
Catch more interviews from the Drama League Awards on E! News May 20.
And while the original Big Bang Theory cast won’t be returning to CalTech just yet, read on for when more of your favorite TV shows premiere.