BIGBANG TRAGEDY!
MILLIONS came to know him, love him and cringe for him as the socially awkward intellectual Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, yet it seems JIM PARSONS is done with the part. And sadly the actor’s desire to quit has led to the show itself being canned. Late last month US television network CBS announced that the long-running TV series will conclude with its 12th season in May 2019. According to reports, the network was desperately trying to negotiate two more seasons – talks that ended when Jim decided to walk away. Insiders say that the 45-year-old actor’s success on Broadway led him to quit. Jim, who won four Emmys and a Golden Globe for his portrayal of the brilliant but gauche theoretical physicist, recently spent time treading the boards in Glee creator Ryan Murphy’s stage production of the 1970 film The Boys in the Band. And rumours are rife that his Big Bang co-stars – who are netting between $500 000 (R7,2 million) and $1 million (R14,5 million) each per episode – are gutted about his new career path.
KALEY CUOCO (32) – who plays Penny – told her 3,8 million Instagram followers that she’s “drowning in tears”. MAYIM BIALIK (42) – who plays Sheldon’s wife, Dr Amy Farrah Fowler – posted an open letter on her website, telling fans, “Am I happy? Of course not. This is hard. I love coming to work and pretending to be Amy.”
Earlier this year KUNAL NAYYAR (37) – Dr Rajesh Koothrappali, aka Raj – told People magazine he couldn’t really picture his life after the show. “I grew up on this show – I was a kid out of grad school. I don’t even know how to comprehend that.”
Let’s hope things aren’t too awkward on set.