'Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons explains why he chose now to step away from the series

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'The Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons on why now is a good time to leave the popular sitcom

“The Big Bang Theory” star Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper on the popular sitcom spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the show’s final season and why he feels it’s the right time to leave the show.

With “The Big Bang Theory” about to take its final bow at CBS, one of the series’ principal stars is opening up about why he chose now as the perfect time to hang up his nerd cape and move on to new things.

Jim Parsons, who plays Sheldon Cooper, perhaps the most popular character on the long-running comedy, spoke with Entertainment Weekly for its upcoming cover story about the show’s final season, which debuts in the spring. It turns out, the actor had two good reasons for leaving. First, he feels there’s no more ground for the show to cover.

“It’s both as complex and as simple as just feeling innately that it was time. It speaks to a lot of things, none of them bad. There is no negative reason to stop doing ‘Big Bang,’” he told the outlet. “It felt like we have been able to do this for so many years now, it doesn’t feel like there is anything left on the table. Not that we couldn’t keep doing it, but it feels like we’ve chewed all the meat off this bone.”

The star continued noting that he’s excited for what the future holds, despite having no idea what’s next for him after “Big Bang Theory” wraps. However, he explained that the timing was right to try new things given that he worries he’s too old to continue playing Sheldon.

“I guess at a personal level, it feels like the right time in my life. I don’t know what’s next for me. It’s not like there is something specific I am aiming for. I’m firmly in my middle age now. I don’t know how much longer I can wear [the T-shirts] without looking really long in the tooth,” he said. “In a way, it’s exciting. What is this next chapter of life? What is this next chapter for all of us? It will be very, very sad when it does end, even knowing [I am] okay with it. People are okay when they graduate but there are frequently tears at graduation. It’s hard to say goodbye to people that you have worked with for so long.”

As previously reported, Parsons is rumored to be the main reason the show is pulling up stakes. He reportedly opted to not renew his role after 2019, leading producers to decide to call it quits rather than attempt to move forward without one of the series' main stars.