Young Sheldon cast now: See what the sitcom stars have been up to since the spinoff wrapped
The “Big Bang Theory” prequel series focused on Sheldon’s coming-of-age years.
Missy (Raegan Revord), Meemaw (Annie Potts), Sheldon (Iain Armitage), Georgie (Montana Jordan), George Sr. (Lance Barber) and Mary (Zoe Perry) on on YOUNG SHELDON
Thanksgiving dinner turns into a family fight when George Sr. is offered a job in Oklahoma, on ‘Young Sheldon’.
Credit: Bill Inoshita/CBS via Getty
The Big Bang Theory was one of the most popular sitcoms of the 2000s, so it’s no wonder fans were thrilled when a prequel series about its lead character debuted in 2017. Jim Parsons won four Emmys for his portrayal of quirky super-genius Sheldon Cooper before Iain Armitage carried the mantle as Sheldon’s younger counterpart.
Young Sheldon follows his formative years — small-town Texas, family of five — as he enters high school at just 9 years old. Naturally, he has difficulty fitting in, but gets by with the help of his family, even as they struggle to understand him.
The origin story brought the heart and humor of The Big Bang Theory into a family sitcom setting, utilizing a single-camera approach rather than its predecessor’s traditional multi-camera, live-audience format. Young Sheldon isn’t the only franchise expansion; its own spinoff, Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, debuted in 2024.
Here’s what the Young Sheldon cast has been up to eight years after the show’s debut.
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Iain Armitage (Sheldon Cooper)
Iain Armitage on YOUNG SHELDON; Iain Armitage arrives at the National Arts Advocacy Summit at Summerlin kick-off dinner at Harlo Steakhouse & Bar on February 12, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Iain Armitage in his ‘Young Sheldon’ bowtie; Iain Armitage in a scarf at the 2025 National Arts Advocacy Summit.
Robert Voets/CBS; Denise Truscello/Getty
Iain Armitage portrays the quirky, rule-following supergenius Sheldon Cooper as he struggles to fit in as a disproportionately young high school — and, eventually, college — student.
The young actor had to deliver a three-page monologue in front of Parsons and series co-creators Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro during his audition. Armitage said he didn’t try to imitate Parsons, which helped him land the part.
“No one’s really the same when they’re a grown up as they are when they’re a kid so I can sort of do my own thing,” Armitage told Entertainment Weekly in 2017. “Once you understand the character of Sheldon, then voila!”
Armitage first caught attention with his YouTube series, Iain Loves Theatre. As his channel gained notoriety, he got to be a Perez Hilton correspondent at the 2015 Tony Awards at just 6 years old. Not long afterward, the young theater fanatic landed a key role on Emmy-winning series Big Little Lies (2017–2019) as Ziggy, the son of single mother Jane (Shailene Woodley). He also appeared on a 2018 episode of The Big Bang Theory in a video Sheldon recorded when he was, well, young Sheldon.
While managing the workload of his full-time sitcom gig, Armitage has also taken voice acting jobs, including as a younger (but still perpetually hungry, goofy, and chill) Shaggy in Scoob! (2020), and as the protagonist in Paw Patrol: The Movie (2021).
The 16-year-old star hasn’t appeared in any projects since Young Sheldon wrapped, but it’s safe to say his future looks bright.
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Lance Barber (George Cooper Sr.)
Lance Barber as George, Sr. on YOUNG SHELDON; Lance Barber attends the PaleyFest LA 2024 screening of “Young Sheldon” at Dolby Theatre on April 14, 2024 in Hollywood, California
Lancer Barber in season 1 of ‘Young Sheldon’; Barber at a PaleyFest LA 2024 screening of the show.
Michael Yarish/CBS; Amanda Edwards/FilmMagic
Lance Barber plays Sheldon’s football coach father, George Sr., who is a complete contrast to his bookish son.
Barber’s breakthrough came in HBO’s acclaimed comedy, The Comeback (2015–2014) as the chief tormentor of Lisa Kudrow’s Valerie. He’s been a small-screen regular ever since, including a recurring gig as suicidal dirtbag Bill Ponderosa in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (2010–2018) and guest spots on Monk (2009), Grey’s Anatomy (2010), and Justified (2010).
Barber’s introduction to the Big Bang universe came in the original series, when he played Leonard’s (Johnny Galecki) high school bully. In a 2017 chat with EW, he said he hoped fans would forgive the slight canonical disruption: “I think that we’ll have to ask the fans of the show to suspend some disbelief. Based on social media, it’s going to be difficult for some of them and I hope that I can do a good enough job to take them away from that.”
In 2025, the actor reprised the role of George Sr. in an episode of Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
Barber’s wife, Aliza, is a chef. The couple shares two children.
