Jim Parsons jokes 'reincarnation' is the only way he'll play Sheldon Cooper again
Jim Parsons has joked he would only play Sheldon Cooper again in "another lifetime".
The 51-year-old actor and 'The Big Bang Theory' co-star Mayim Bialik reprised their roles as Sheldon and his wife Amy Farrah Fowler in the finale of prequel series 'Young Sheldon', but he has played down the idea of returning for another spin-off.
Asked by E! News what it would take to get him to play the character in a sequel, he quipped: "Reincarnation? Another lifetime?"
Jim admitted he could never totally rule out playing Sheldon again, but he suggested it's highly unlikely.
He added: "Look, never say never to anything! Life is long, God willing, but I don't think so!"
Still, he felt fortunate to get the chance to appear on screen as Sheldon again in the finale, having lent his voice as off-screen the narrator throughout the series.
Reflecting on filming the last episode, he said: "It was very, very special to do that. The feeling today [after it has aired] is kinda odd.
"It's the second time now because when we ended The Big Bang Theory it felt like this too - a little bit different, but you shoot that final episode and it's wrapped for you.
"Then, a couple of months later, it wraps for the rest of the world and it's a very weird feeling to float over you again."
Executive producer and co-showrunner Steve Holland has admitted it wasn't difficult to persuade Jim - who was also an executive producer on 'Young Sheldon' - and Mayim to be part of the finale.
He told People magazine: "I think they were both excited. Jim's obviously been a part of the show. He's an executive producer. He's been the narrator.
"I think Mayim literally said, ‘Anything you want me to do, I'll come there and do.’"
Producers had to navigate Jim's schedule, as he is currently starring in a Broadway production of 'Mother Play - A Play in Five Evictions' and ended up having to fly to Los Angeles on a day off from rehearsals before returning to New York for his commitments to the play the following day.
Their scenes were also shot earlier than the rest of the finale to accommodate the pair's busy schedules.
The show followed Sheldon Cooper as a nine-year-old prodigy with his family in Texas as he navigated high school and the wider world.