Germany. A Tornado. An engagement. CBS’s hit comedy Young Sheldon had a seriously epic hour-long Season 6 finale that left the show’s loyal fans on the edge of their seats. Due to the WGA writer’s strike, coupled with the SAG-AFTRA actor’s strike, the show will have been off the air for almost a year by the time it returns on February 15, 2024. While Sheldon was initially the focus, Young Sheldon has expanded its storytelling over the years to include the entire Cooper family.
Developed by The Big Bang Theory creator Chuck Lorre alongside longtime The Big Bang Theory writer Steven Molaro, Young Sheldon tells the story of, well, a young Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon’s initial introduction to the world came through all 13 seasons of the mega-popular CBS comedy The Big Bang Theory, where Sheldon was played by Jim Parsons. Young Sheldon turns back the clock on genius Sheldon, who, at the start of Season 1, is just nine years old and already entering high school. As we move toward the seventh and final season of the show, Sheldon will be turning fourteen alongside his twin sister Missy. With so much changing in the Cooper family, below is a cast and character guide to your favorite quirky family.
When we first met Sheldon at nine years old, he had entered his teen years and was on his way to study at a university in Germany. True to his older self from The Big Bang Theory, Sheldon’s main obstacles continue to revolve around social interactions and fitting in with kids his age. Due to his incredibly high intelligence and his no-nonsense attitude, the boy genius has a hard time relating to the world around him and often unintentionally rubs people the wrong way. While Sheldon has come more into his own over the last six seasons, we are still treated to an occasional blunder that reminds us of the Sheldon we know and love. Things were a bit messy for our titular character at the end of Season 6, as he’d just ratted out his twin sister, Missy (Reagan Revord), for sneaking out of the house to drink and smoke cigarettes. However, with his focus always on academics first, Sheldon continues with his plans to go to Germany alongside his mother, Mary (Zoe Perry). Given the hurricane that strikes in the Season 6 finale, it’s unclear if Sheldon will remain overseas or return home to help his family. Depending on the time jump the show decides to take in Season 7, we may or may not get to see Sheldon’s Germany shenanigans.
There is no better actor to take on the challenging role of young Sheldon Cooper than Iain Armitage, whose performance so perfectly matches Parsons’s that audiences are treated to a masterclass each episode. Armitage first came into the public eye when he began posting YouTube videos titled “Iain Loves Theater,” where he would review musicals. After a couple of guest starring roles, Armitage got a breakout television role in the HBO series Big Little Lies, where he played Ziggy, the son of Jane Chapman (Shailene Woodley). Since Armitage landed his role in Young Sheldon in 2017, he’s been a voice actor in the hit PAW Patrol: The Movie, as well as Young Shaggy in the 2020 animated film, SCOOB! He has been nominated for a Critic’s Choice Award for his role in Young Sheldon, winning a Young Actor’s Award in 2018 for his portrayal of Cooper.
