Why Jim Parsons Was "Miserable" at Height of Big Bang Theory Fame

Jim Parsons Reveals if There's a 'The Big Bang Theory' Sequel Coming

Jim Parsons is looking back at his big breakout role.

Despite The Big Bang Theory star's success in playing physicist Sheldon Cooper in the sitcom's 12 seasons, he detailed why he felt unhappy at the height of his fame on the series.

"I look back now and realize that there were many ways, at some of the best moments of my life, I was miserable," Parsons shared on the July 13 episode of the All Out with Jon Dean podcast. "I was not happy. I was stressed.”

"I felt that there was so many plates I was supposed to be keeping in the air and that the success and the good things of life that were happening were only due to this overworking discipline," he continued. "Maybe to a degree that was true. I don't know. I can’t say because that’s how I was."

Although the 53-year-old actor's role on The Big Bang Theory catapulted him to superstardom and earned him critical acclaim and awards, including four Emmys, he was struggling on the inside.

And if Parsons—who starred on The Big Bang Theory from 2007 to 2019—was given the opportunity now, he said he "wouldn't do that again" and not "for any amount of money."

"It was stressful and miserable at times," he admitted. "I made myself miserable."

While the Hollywood star noted that his behavior partially "translated" into a dedicated work ethic, there was a larger inner battle at play.

"It was really just obsessive behavior basically," Parsons told podcast host Jon Dean. "Yes, I was disciplined. Yes, I had a good work ethic, but a lot of it was because it was kind of OCD in nature.”

As he recalled, "I had a list of things basically in my head that I had to get done in order to be comfortable and know that I could do my job right, which I don’t think was true."

And Parsons admitted his behavior negatively impacted his personal life, sharing, "I missed tons of life."

Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images

While the Golden Globe winner—who has been married to Todd Spiewak since 2017—noted that he's unsure how a young actor would be able to find balance in their career and personal life, his own struggles ultimately made him who he is today.

"I can't go back," Parsons explained. "I wouldn’t be where I am right now if I hadn’t had that time of life and that somewhat self-tortured nature of it was part of it."

And although the Titaníque actor described his experience with fame as a "very odd psychological thing," he's "changing my relationship to it," including how he feels about people only knowing him for a role he hasn't played "for seven years now."

"It’s evolving, and it gets better all the time," Parsons noted. "What I feel is better, what I feel is healthier. It's not something that probably anybody, but I was certainly not equipped to, looking back."

For more candid celebrity confessions, keep reading...

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