Born:
March 24, 1973
in
Houston, Texas
Best Known For:
Playing Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory.
Early-life:
Born James Joseph Parsons on March 24, 1973 in Houston, Texas. Jim was determined to become an actor from the age of six, after performing as the Kola-Kola bird in a school production of The Elephant's Child. After graduating from high school, he studied for a bachelor's degree at the University of Houston. He was accepted onto a two-year course in classical theatre at the University of San Diego in 1999 and, after graduating in 2001, he moved to New York.
Career:
Early in his career, Parsons worked on Off-Broadway productions and appeared on TV several times. He had a recurring role on Judging Amy, appeared on the TV series Ed and had minor roles in such films as Garden State (2004) and School for Scoundrels (2006). His big break came when he landed the role of Sheldon Cooper in The Big Bang Theory, a role that earned him four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical. He went on to appear in the films The Big Year (2011), The Muppets (2011), Home (2015) and Hidden Figures (2016).
Quote:
"Every time I think about writing, comedy doesn't interest me in the slightest. I can play comedy, but I don't think in terms of comic dialogue."
Trivia:
He took piano classes for 14 years.