Sheldon meets Sheldon! Jim Parsons smiled for a selfie alongside Iain Armitage, who plays the classic role of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory spinoff series Young Sheldon, on Monday, October 17. Jim, 49, of course, plays Sheldon in the classic sitcom. Iain, 14, posted the photo with the actor, who originally played the part, on his Instagram, revealing that they met at Jim’s latest theatrical production. Both Jim and Iain had huge smiles on as they stood in the theater.
Iain had shared tons of photos from his time in the Big Apple on his Instagram. The young star is clearly a major fan of Broadway, he posted tons of shots with his playbills for shows like Into The Woods, Kimberly Akimbo, and more. He revealed that he and Jim met at a production of Jim’s latest show A Man of No Importance. “here is the whole reason I went to NYC! It’s one of my favorite places to go in the autumn, so I’m always looking for an excuse to get there. When I heard that [Jim Parsons] was appearing on stage in [Classic Stage’s] production of Man of No Importance, I knew I had to get there,” he wrote in his caption.
Iain clearly had a lot of fun and enjoyed the show. He said that he was in the front row of one of the previews. “Jim is astonishing and he’s surrounded by an incredible cast. Honestly, I want to go back and see it all again!” he wrote. “I feel so lucky and happy that I got to go!”
The Big Bang Theory came to an end in 2019, so most viewers haven’t seen Jim as Sheldon in a few years. The Emmy-winner first appeared in the sitcom in 2007, and he continued to star as Sheldon for 12 seasons and 280 episodes. Before the final season, the spinoff, starring Iain, kicked off in 2017. While it may not be the same as his Big Bang Theory role, Jim still narrates Young Sheldon, and he’s also an executive producer on the show.
While Iain has played Young Sheldon for some time now, Jim has celebrated his performance as the adolescent version of his classic character, like in a duo interview the two did with Entertainment Tonight in 2017. “It’s been really inspirational to watch. There’s just a way in which he’s tackling all of this that is such fun and such joy of the process,” he said of the young star. “You’re a reminder to—I think—anybody who’s been doing it a while to just remember how much fun it is.”