Summary
- Jim Parsons turned down a $50 million offer to stay on The Big Bang Theory for two more seasons, ultimately leading to the show's cancellation.
- Jim Parsons was ready to move on from the show after 12 seasons, despite the network's attempts to convince him otherwise.
- The cast and crew agreed that continuing the show without Jim Parsons would not have been successful, as they considered him the show's biggest breakout star.
The series lasted 12 seasons. However, CBS had different plans for The Big Bang Theory. Early on during season 12, it became known that continuing on was in jeopardy because of Jim Parsons. The actor was ready to move on from the show, though the network tried to make a last minute save, in an attempt to extend the show for an extra two seasons.
The offer was a huge sum of cash, but one cast member in particular still turned it down. We're going to reveal why he said no, while also putting the spotlight on Parsons' thoughts about appearing in a potential season 13 on a part-time basis.
We're also going to reveal how the cast felt about potentially continuing on without Sheldon. One cast member in particular admitted his performance would've declined without Parsons.
CBS Made A Last Ditch Effort To Save The Big Bang Theory With A $50 Million Offer To Jim Parsons For Two Extra Seasons
It was time to say goodbye to The Big Bang Theory, at least for Jim Parsons. The likes of Kaley Cuoco struggled with the decision. However, Jim was ready to move on. $50 million reportedly wasn't enough for Jim Parsons to stay on Big Bang. According to Vanity Fair, a major pitch was made to the main cast for an extra two seasons, but Parsons wouldn't budge.
The publication writes, "One cast member was reportedly very ready to leave—so ready, in fact, that he turned down more than $50 million to stay for two more seasons, catalyzing the show’s cancellation. After all, what would Big Bang be without its biggest breakout star, Jim Parsons?"
"According to Entertainment Weekly, CBS tried to secure the sitcom’s original cast members—Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, and Simon Helberg—for two more years, with a deal that would have nabbed each actor $50 million including profits. CBS Entertainment President Kelly Kahl told reporters earlier this month that the network was trying to renew the show, saying, “We don’t believe it’s the final year.”
Although a pitch was made to save the show, for Jim, it was time to move on. "Parsons, however, was apparently ready to move on—an understandable desire for anyone who’s played the same character for 12 years. A representative for Parsons did not immediately respond to V.F.’s request for comment."
Parsons did have certain fears of other proposals being made by the network. One of them was partaking in an extra season, part-time.
Jim Parsons Feared He'd Be Asked To Appear In Sporadic Episodes Of The Big Bang Theory During A 13th Season
The cast and crew detailed the drama behind the scenes of the show coming to an end. Among the reveals made by Buzz Feed included one of Jim Parsons' fears during his exit announcement. The actor worried that the show would come back with another offer, potentially inking the actor on a part-time basis for season 13.
Buzz Feed writes, "Jim even thought about what would happen if Chuck Lorre and Steve Molaro asked him to be in only "six episodes or something" of a hypothetical Season 13, and Jim knew that was something he didn't want to do."
Parsons worried that he'd appear in a few season 13 episodes, but ultimately, that idea wasn't even pitched by the creators behind the scenes. Everyone was well aware that without a single main cast member, the show could not go on. Johnny Galecki himself was disappointed with how it all came about, but admitted the show would suffer without Parsons.
The Big Bang Theory Cast And Crew Agreed The Show Couldn't Go On Without Jim Parsons
Johnny Galecki wasn't exactly pleased with the way Jim Parsons went about his exit from the show. Parsons approached the creators behind the scenes, without advising any of his castmates. Galecki understood Parsons' decision, but wasn't pleased with how it came about.
"He hadn't had that conversation with his castmates first to prepare us. So yes, it could have been handled better. We're a family; have a conversation. And I don't even disagree with how Jim felt, because in many ways, I felt the same way. I just disagreed with how it was managed," Galecki recalls.
However, Galecki admitted his performance would have declined had he continued without Jim Parsons.
"I don't think I could have performed in the way I wanted to, or would want to, if we did continue," he said. "I was done myself, I think. I didn't really know how to serve the character or the great writing anymore. But none of us—the actors, writers—were comfortable with doing the show without one of us. And we absolutely would not continue on without Jim."
It was the right call to end the show. However, certain castmates wanted Parsons to let them know prior to making it official.
