Parsons will reprise his role as Sheldon Cooper in the ‘Young Sheldon’ series finale, airing May 16
CBS(L-R) Iain Armitage and Jim Parsons in behind-the-scenes clip of ‘Young Sheldon’
Young Sheldon Cooper is seeing his future self up close on Broadway!
On the May 16 episode of Live with Kelly and Mark, Iain Armitage spoke about meeting up with his Big Bang Theory counterpart Jim Parsons during the latter’s stint on Broadway’s Mother Play – A Play in Five Evictions. Parsons’ starring role in the dramatic stage production as Carl, opposite Jessica Lange and Celia Keenan-Bolger, earned him a nod for best featured actor in a play at the upcoming Tony Awards — a nomination that Armitage, 15, said he “deserves.”
The Young Sheldon star was full of praise for Parsons’ “incredible” and “wonderful” performance. He was particularly impressed by the Emmy winner’s ability to distance himself from his iconic portrayal of Sheldon Cooper.
“He also has managed to also be in so many other weird, interesting and different things, making a name for himself in that way too,” Armitage explained to Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. “When I watch him on stage, I’m not watching Sheldon, I’m seeing him as his character, which is so impressive. Some people can’t do that and he really can.”
Armitage posted the actors’ post-show meetup on Instagram. In the caption, he penned a glowing endorsement of the 51-year-old Hollywood star and reflected on his role as Sheldon.
“First stop in NYC was to see Mother Play because I needed to see @therealjimparsons in this part that earned him a Tony nomination! He was excellent and so was everyone. Please take my advice and go see it!” the Big Little Lies actor wrote.
Amid the “chilly NY evening,” Armitage bought a jacket that he “immediately realized” he and Parsons had both worn on-screen.
“To recap, this is the last week new episodes are airing and I go out and purchase clothes that Sheldon would wear AND go to see the OG Sheldon himself,” he continued in the caption. “I guess this might mean that on some level – or, every level – I’m going to miss Sheldon and the unique way he views the world.”
The child star concluded, “I’ve learned a lot from him, he’s changed my life, and I love him. Even though we have completed filming, it feels pretty good to slip on his jacket every once in a while.”
Parsons, who narrates the prequel, will make an on-screen cameo in the May 16 series finale of Young Sheldon alongside Mayim Bialik as Sheldon’s wife Amy. In PEOPLE’s exclusive sneak peek of their joint appearance, Sheldon and Amy bicker like an old married couple as the physicist attempts to write a memoir.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
A behind-the-scenes exclusive video shared with PEOPLE featured Armitage and Parsons reuniting ahead of taping the finale.
“It’s pretty crazy to watch old episodes of my voice sound so high and I’m so little,” Armitage reminisced in a side-by-side interview with Parsons.
The Golden Globe winner chimed in, “He was so arrestingly charming — immediately [you] just couldn’t take your eyes off.”
In a joint interview with Bialik, Parsons called the guest appearance “the most beautiful coda” to cap off more than a decade as Sheldon.
“Like a grace note to the whole experience,” he said. “It’s very meaningful.”
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The two-part series finale of Young Sheldon airs Thursday, May 16, at 8 p.m. ET on CBS.
