Just a few days after it was announced that hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory would come to a close with its upcoming twelfth season, reports are emerging that the show’s star may be the reason for the show’s end.
The four-time Emmy winning actor apparently turned down a whopping $50 million to do another two seasons of The Big Bang Theory. That’s almost $1 million per episode. Parsons walking away from the offer prompted talks of ending the series instead of continuing without him.
A report from Entertainment Weekly states,
“Parsons was ready to say goodbye to the ensemble sitcom that made him a household name. Since there is no show without Dr. Sheldon Cooper, next spring’s 12th season finale of The Big Bang Theory will mark the end of the longest-running multi-camera series in TV history.”
Rumors originally surfaced that Warner Bros. and CBS failed to negotiate with stars Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco on staying for another two seasons. To keep all three actors would have cost near $150 million.
Since the announcement of the series’ finale, Jim Parsons took to Instagram to show love to everyone involved in The Big Bang Theory. In a six-slide post, Parsons stated,
It is hard (nearly impossible, actually) to really accept that this is a picture of the first of the final 24 episodes we will shoot for The Big Bang Theory… I feel very fortunate that we have another 23 episodes to shoot this season because I am hopeful that with each and every one, my level of REALLY accepting this fact will sink in.
The 45-year-old actor also commented on the show’s loving fans:
Something else I feel grateful for – and this gratitude needs no time to ‘sink in’ or become more ‘realized;’ this grateful-feeling is always with me but is multiplied in this moment of us announcing our final season – but I feel such intense gratitude for our devoted viewers who are the ACTUAL reason we have been graced with the opportunity to explore these characters for 12 years of our lives.
Parsons showed his appreciation for his crew as well:
I feel grateful to our crew – many, many of whom have been with us since day one – and who are the people who bring a sense of steadiness and dependability. Who are so warm and kind and always quick to say hello and smile at us every time we come to the set and who, even though you don’t see them on TV, are in many ways the real and steady heartbeat that keeps this body of work alive and breathing while we, like flailing arms and legs, act like jackasses and fools in attempt to make someone laugh.
The Hidden Figures star attributed a large amount of the series’ success to the writers, too:
I am grateful to all the writers of our show – those with us now and those that have come and gone – because, without them, there would literally be no Big Bang Theory at all, ever. The writers thought of this show, the writers created these characters, the writers are the ones who found ways to keep coming up with organic, entertaining ways to keep the life of this show going which a task much, much more challenging than anyone other than them will ever know or understand.
Parsons concluded his letter with reference to his cast:
While I know that they already know it, it bears repeating again and again: I am so terribly grateful for the cast members who aren’t pictured here – whether they were in one scene or many episodes along the way; you are all my playmates that I have fallen in love with and who have become a part of my life on set and off… You are my playmates when we don’t feel like playing but have to because it’s out job to get out there and communicate our job to get out there and communicate and pretend we’re these other fictional people and we look into each other’s eyes and say these words and end up creating this weird, other reality that has enriched my life more than I will fully ever understand… I will miss all of you and all of this more than I can say and more than I can know at this time.
The Big Bang Theory will conclude in its twelfth season, premiering on September 24th.
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