Credit to Jim Parsons, who was tasked with memorizing all those intense lines as Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory for 12 seasons. The process itself was not an easy one, and Parsons had to be creative when it came to the memorization part.After his role as Sheldon came to an end, Parsons felt a bit of relief, with fans making their own interpretations as to what the future held for Sheldon Cooper.In the following, we'll take a look at an extra's experience during her shoot on The Big Bang Theory. She had lots of observations, including Parsons' intense process preparing for a scene. According to the extra, Jim wasn't pleased when reshoots had to take place.
Jim Parsons Had An Intense Approach With Flash Cards When It Came To Memorizing His Lines On The Big Bang Theory
We really can't picture anyone else in the role of Sheldon, aside from Jim Parsons. In fact, his audition for the role was so polished, that Chuck Lorre was convinced he couldn't duplicate that performance throughout the series. Clearly, Lorre was wrong, as Parsons thrived in the role for 12 seasons.
Although he succeeded, the process itself wasn't exactly ease. In order to make his life a little easier with the lines, the actor created flash cards.
He revealed, "During the week I make flash cards. Then I walk around my house and I drill them like a sort of ballet dance or learning moves because largely I don't understand what I'm talking about, and so I need the muscle memory in my mouth because when I do think about it, A) the right words won't occur to me and B) they will just be wrong."
"I walk around with my note cards for each scene and do one scene at a time. And I’ll go to my computer, and I’ll type the whole scene out on my word doc and then I’ll go back and I’ll do the second scene, and I’ll type the whole scene out on a word doc. It’s maddening."
Not the easiest process and according to a Big Bang Theory extra, Parsons can get frustrated with the process on set.
An Extra On The Big Bang Theory Revealed That Jim Parsons Grew Frustrated Having To Constantly Reset While Filming A Casino Episode
Credit to Jenny Chen for revealing her experience alongside Medium. The extra had quit the day on the set of The Big Bang Theory, lasting ten hours total.
According to Chen and her experience, there is a lot that goes into the production of the show, including changing the roles of the extras on the fly, in accordance to their look and wardrobe.
Chen would also observe Parsons' process, admitting that getting the lines right for the actor was not an easy process, especially when he had to start over.
"I felt a lot of sympathy for Jim Parsons as we had to reset the entire scene numerous times when he messed up his lines. You could tell it was frustrating for him. But for me, each time he stumbled, it would just be a reminder of how difficult his lines were and how impressive it was that he could deliver them so naturally, so Sheldon-esque."
The extra also noted that Parsons wasn't exactly happy holding a certain prop during a scene, mentioning that it was contradicting what he was saying.
Making An Emotional Connection With His Lines For Sheldon Is What Jim Parsons Finds The Hardest
Not only is the process of remembering his lines difficult, but Jim Parsons also has to match his lines with a physical expression. This can be a task in itself.
According to Parsons alongside Closer Weekly, making an emotional connection is what truly is the hardest part to prepping for the role of Sheldon.
"That has been the most challenging,” he said.
“I don’t mean it’s been backbreaking, because I tend to enjoy memorizing lines. There are complications from topics I don’t understand at first glance, and trying to make emotional connections to the conversation in which Sheldon is throwing these terms around. To make an emotional point, he’ll use these… words," he told Closer Weekly.
Credit to Jim Parsons for making things work during his 12 season run on The Big Bang Theory.
