The cast of Young Sheldon have opened up about their thoughts on the show so far (Picture: CBS)

The Big Bang Theory and its spin-off show Young Sheldon is a big and intricately detailed world – but oddly, that’s more on screen than off.

Zoe Perry plays the young Mary Cooper, while her mum Laurie Metcalf plays the older version in Big Bang; Lance Barber, who plays George Sr, appeared in Big Bang before getting the role of Sheldon’s dad.

Then there’s the character of Sheldon himself. Played by Jim Parsons most famously, he’s passed the torch onto 10-year-old Iain Armitage – and even showed him the ropes ahead of his time on screen.

Speaking to Metro.co.uk, Iain told us: ‘He is my coach so he’s awesome! We get along very well. What I’ve learned from him, he kind of helps me get into the mind-set of Sheldon. I mean, a lot of the stuff he taught me was like a year/year and a half ago so my brain just absorbed it and now it’s easier to get into Sheldon so it’s not so much something to think about.’




While Jim might not appear on-screen, he still has a presence in Young Sheldon as the voiceover of the show. Now, Young Sheldon has taken on a life of its own, and unless you know better, is hardly recognisable next to the Bazinga sounding studio sitcom that preceded it.

However, the youngster freely admits that he’s not quite the genius his character is – and often doesn’t realise the meaning behind what he’s saying.

Annie Potts says she enjoys playing MeeMaw as ‘old cranky women are funny’ (Picture: CBS)

‘I just kind of make my mouth pronounce it, they tell me what it means, but I’m definitely not smart enough to understand,’ he laughed.

As he talks, he’s curled into the side of Annie Potts, who plays his Meemaw (grandma) Connie.

It appears the close bond of Sheldon and his Meemaw has transferred over into real life, as she strokes his hair and remembers the three boys she’s a mother to herself.

‘I was just so happy to have a little boy in my life again and to play with,’ she smiled. ‘He’s very fun to act with because he’s quite a good actor.’

In terms of their closeness, she said: ‘I think she makes no bones about the fact that he’s her favourite. I mean she likes the others but she hardly has the time of day for them. I mean, it’s a special person who would have a favourite, or claim a favourite. I mean, we don’t normally like those people.

‘I have three children of my own and I love them all equally. I would never…who would dare?! It would be horrible! But she cares not. She’s just like, “Yes, he’s my favourite. He’s special.”’

Sheldon’s needs are, naturally, front and centre of the show, and his family – completed by his mum, dad, twin sister Missy and older brother George Jr – are forced to revolve their lives around him.

Iain has praised older Sheldon Jim Parsons for helping him get into character (Picture: Getty)

It’s something that’s particularly annoying for the kids, and George Jr in particular, who is in the same grade as his super-smart little sibling.

‘He’s annoyed by him,’ said Montana Jordan, who plays young George. ‘If I had a brother like that, and I was in class and he’s a lot smarter than me at 10-years-old, and he embarrasses me in front of my friends and stuff…that would get old. And like he’s part of our family but like, Why? Why?



‘I think that’s what’s really running through his head. It’s like, “Really mum and dad? Why?’”

‘But you stick up for him! And that’s what I like,’ Lance told Montana. ‘Like when you taught him how to cheat. You’re still being a big brother looking out for him.’

‘That’s true,’ Montana responded. ‘In front of his friends he’s like,“Go away! I’m with my friends right now, I don’t want you being around me. But honestly, towards the end of the first season I’ve been noticing Georgey, his heart, it’s actually starting to come out.

The family dynamic ultimately always revolves around the mini-genius (Picture: CBS)

‘You can actually tell that Georgey has a heart and even if he’s giving advice to Sheldon about detention and things like that, just helping his little brother out. He’s like, “This is my life now, I’m going to have to do something more”.’

Reagan Revord, who plays Sheldon’s twin sister Missy, is hoping that her character is fleshed out in the future, and told us: ‘I think I’d like to learn more about the characters, like more about Missy. We’ve seen one side of her like Sunday school and at home. But yeah, like how is Missy in school and stuff? I want to know that.’

As for George Sr, Lance explained: ‘Sheldon’s an alien to George Jr and George Sr. He is someone who George Sr and probably Georgey too has admitted on the show that they would’ve picked on as a kid. And now he’s my son, and what an interesting and rich thing to explore.’


The family are constantly fighting the age old war of age vs science – especially Sheldon and mother, Mary.

‘Their outlook is very different,’ explained Zoe. ‘But what I enjoy about playing her is she’s just constantly met with the struggle of what’s going to win out – my own stubbornness, or the love of her children?’

She added: ‘It’s something she kind of takes day to day. And I think and I hope that that is universal in families.’

Young Sheldon is available on Blu-Ray and DVD from 3 September.

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