Jim Parsons doesn’t want his younger counterpart to care too much about other people.
The “Big Bang Theory” star told reporters at the Television Critics Association’s summer press tour on Tuesday that he has been giving pointers to “Young Sheldon” star Iain Armitage about the “peculiarities” of playing the new CBS sitcom’s title character, whom Parsons portrays in later years of life.
“One of the hardest things for someone like Iain playing the character is, Iain is so empathetic to other people and so in tune to other people’s needs, and as an actor, he brings that — he’s a very good responder to people,” Parsons said. “So those are great qualities to have, but in this particular character, you almost need to let them play under the surface.”
The Emmy winner said he would have to explain to 9-year-old Armitage: “‘You don’t understand what [other people] mean,’ or ‘You don’t understand what you said is rude.’”
“He’s very intuitive, and in some ways that can be a habit that needs to be broken with this character,” Parsons continued.
During the show’s panel, creator Chuck Lorre, who is known for multi-camera comedies like “Big Bang” and “Two and a Half Men,” told reporters that he is a “nervous wreck” about the fact that “Young Sheldon” is single-camera.
“Young Sheldon” airs its premiere on Sept. 25 on CBS.