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Jim Parsons finally reveals why he quit the Big Bang Theory

Jim Parsons opened about the “intense summer” that made him realise it was time to step away from his starring role on The Big Bang Theory.

The 47-year-old actor played Sheldon Cooper for 12 seasons on the show before he decided it was time to say goodbye, a decision that ended the show in 2019.

Now he’s revealed why. Appearing on David Tennant Does A Podcast With … Parsons spoke about the reason for his departure.

It turns out that a particularly tough summer spent in New York City gave him a moment of “clarity”.

After finishing Season 11 in summer 2018, he moved to New York to appear in The Boys In The Band on Broadway. He also agreed to film a commercial for Intel. On his way to the commercial shoot, he noticed his dog had become “gravely ill”.

“He just looked so bad and I was so tired and I just started crying,” he told the host. “I was like, ‘This dog’s going to die while I’m off working and I feel so bad.’”

In the end, he and his husband, Todd Spiewak made the tough decision to put their dog down so he would no longer be in pain. He spent the next few days in a dark place, realising something needed to change in his life, but not being sure what.

To top it off, he slipped and broke his foot. He felt one bad thing was happening after the other, which is when Parsons had a moment of “clarity” that the change in his life was bidding farewell to Big Bang Theory.

“The bottom line was that it was a really intense summer,” he said. “The dog passing away, he was 14, and Todd and I had been together for 15 years at that point, so it just was the end of an era.

“I had this moment of clarity that I think you’re very fortunate to get in a lot of ways, of going, ‘Don’t keep speeding by.’ You know? ‘Use this time to take a look around.’ And I did,” he said. “I was like, ‘I gotta make a move.’”

His father died at the age of 52, and he came to a realisation that he would be 46 by the time Season 12 ended, which he was contractually obligated for. 

Parsons then spent some time thinking how he would want to spend the next six years.

“I’m not superstitious or anything like that. It was just a context thing,” he told Tennant.

When he returned to Los Angeles, he broke the news to Big Bang Theory writers Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro that he would not entertain the idea of a Season 13.

Lorre explained that he considered moving the show forward without Sheldon, but ultimately decided not to.

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Jim Parsons, TV, The Big Bang Theory, Hollywood