Jim Parsons Has A Hilarious Response To This 'Big Bang Theory' Spinoff Question

“Who knows, dude?!” That’s how I wish most actors and actresses responded to career questions they are asked. So many working performers are just trying to get by. They are worried about their next projects, but also their families, homes, and shopping centers built beneath their mansions. They’ve got stuff on their mind, but when they are attending events or leaving an airport, they’re peppered with questions about their next roles, something they often have little control over.

Some actors are “offer only.” They’ve amassed the kind of careers that allow them to pick and choose what they do next. Others are just trying to work. They’re rubbing elbows, making pitches, gathering teams, and doing everything in their power to make sure their career stays afloat. It’s a hustle and a grind and it can all be taken away in an instant. So, when asked questions about their careers, most actors will reply with a mix of optimism, openness, and uncertainty.

Until the pen is put to paper, little can be said about potential projects. So, the dance around answering is often complex and kind of silly. Recently, Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons was confronted with the fact that a spinoff to the hit show is being developed. Chris Wallace asked the star if he would be appearing on the show, and Parsons was blunt and honest. “As we sit here now, no, but I also I would I never say never to anything, because life just changes so much,” he told Wallace.

That feels like a fairly standard answer. It is noncommital while leaving the door open for possibility. It’s his follow-up that had me cracking up. “You know, one of the things is that it was so special as what it was as what it is. And they call it lightning in a bottle for a reason, and you can be certain it wouldn’t be that,” Parsons explained. “And so why would we be doing it? I don’t know that that’s how I feel on that right now. But like I say, God willing, life is very long.”

This is a masterclass of an answer. Whereas the first was down the middle, this has more of an, “I dunno, man” feel to it. “Life is very long” sounds hopeful while also acknowledging that a couple of years from now, Parsons could want a new house or boat or houseboat and he’s gotta pay for it somehow! Still, he also peppers in the most important question: why? Why would Sheldon Cooper come back? Why is his character returning? Why should Parsons roll out of bed? It’s a fair question!

Chris Wallace is no closer to knowing whether Parsons will return, nor should he be. Parsons doesn’t know either. But, he doesn’t stick strictly to a “you never know” answer. Instead, he’s acknowledging that, ideally, we’re all on this rock for a long time and sometimes we find ourselves doing the old same old s*** we swore we’d never do again. That’s life, man.