Although The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons was the man who made Sheldon Cooper a sitcom icon, he almost played a very different character in a major show that began two years earlier. By the time The Big Bang Theory’s finale aired, it was clear who the show’s true hero was.
Although the series initially focused on the romance between Johnny Galecki’s well-meaning nerd Leonard and his glamorous, sweet neighbor Penny, The Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper soon emerged as the show’s breakout star. Rewatching The Big Bang Theory’s pilot proves Sheldon wasn’t always originally as fastidious and obstinate as he became, but he was always hilarious.
The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons Auditioned For How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stinson
Parsons Admitted He Was Shocked When He Got The Audition
The scene-stealer was so consistently popular that The Big Bang Theory’s spinoff Young Sheldon went back in time to focus on a young version of Parsons’ character. While this proves that Sheldon was a TV legend for the ages, Parsons almost played another sitcom character from the 2000s, and one who was even more “Legendary” than The Big Bang Theory’s antihero.
Remarkably, Parsons unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Stinson, the suave lothario played by Neil Patrick Harris. Since the character breakdown referred to a “Big lug of a guy,” Parsons later admitted that he struggled to see himself in the role and couldn’t really see how he got the audition in the first place.
Per Yahoo Entertainment, Parsons told Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan of Live with Kelly and Michael that ”It was one of the stranger experiences of my life. Because you know how it is to audition for things. They come out with character breakdowns and stuff, and on this one, it specifically said: “Barney, a big lug of a guy.””
Parsons went on to outline his confusion, saying, “I remember thinking, I got it and was like, ‘Who the hell looked at me and thinks ‘big lug of a guy?'” And it wasn’t offensive, I thought, ‘This is silly.”” Parsons was clearly onto something, as he never got the role and the part instead went to Harris.
Parsons Playing How I Met Your Mother’s Barney Could Have Ruined The Big Bang Theory
The Star Seems Poorly Suited To The Legendary Sitcom Role
A former child star best known for Doogie Howser, MD, Harris parlayed the part into a major career comeback. However, as the best episodes of The Big Bang Theory prove, Parsons did not miss out by failing to secure this earlier role.
Harris’s version of Barney was the show’s breakout character, a viral hit whose quotable lines elevated How I Met Your Mother from a cult hit to a mainstream ratings success.
After all, if Parsons had gotten the part, he would have been busy with the role when The Big Bang Theory was cast a year later. This could have been disastrous for both shows. Harris’s version of Barney was the show’s breakout character, a viral hit whose quotable lines elevated How I Met Your Mother from a cult hit to a mainstream ratings success.
Meanwhile, Parsons’ Sheldon was the reason that The Big Bang Theory not only lasted for twelve seasons, but went on to spawn a trio of spinoffs. Thus, Parsons was truly meant to miss out on this role, as the failed audition allowed The Big Bang Theory star to meet his biggest success to date later on.
