Parting will be sweet sorrow for Jim Parsons, but a guy can only play Dr. Sheldon Cooper for so long on The Big Bang Theory
CBS and Warner Bros. TV made the decision to end The Big Bang Theory in 2019 because star Parsons was ready to walk away
Since there is no show without Sheldon, this spring’s 12th season finale of TBBT will mark the end of the longest-running multi-camera series in TV history
For EW’s latest cover story, we asked Parsons why he was ready to bid farewell to the show that made him a household name
“It’s both as complex and as simple as just feeling innately that it was time
It speaks to a lot of things, none of them bad. There is no negative reason to stop doing Big Bang
It felt like we have been able to do this for so many years now, it doesn’t feel like there is anything left on the table
Not that we couldn’t keep doing it, but it feels like we’ve chewed all the meat off this bone
I guess at a personal level, it feels like the right time in my life. I don’t know what’s next for me
It’s not like there is something specific I am aiming for. I’m firmly in my middle age now
I don’t know how much longer I can wear [the T-shirts] without looking really long in the tooth
In a way, it’s exciting. What is this next chapter of life? What is this next chapter for all of us? It will be very, very sad when it does end, even knowing [I am] okay with it
People are okay when they graduate but there are frequently tears at graduation. It’s hard to say goodbye to people that you have worked with for so long
” Justin Stephens for EW For more on The Big Bang Theory, pick up the new issue of Entertainment Weekly on stands Friday, or buy it here now
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Bazinga! type TV Show seasons 12 Genre Sitcom run date 09/24/07 Cast Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar Network CBS Available For Streaming On Complete Coverage The Big Bang Theory