Jim Parsons

Biography

James Joseph Parsons was born on March 24, 1973 at St. Joseph Medical Center in Houston, Texas, and was raised in one of its northern suburbs, Spring. He is the son of Milton Joseph "Mickey/Jack" Parsons Jr. and teacher Judy Ann (née McKnight). His younger sister, Julie Ann Parsons, is also a teacher. After playing the role of the Kola-Kola bird in a school production of The Elephant's Child at age six, Parsons was determined to become an actor. He attended Klein Oak High School in Spring. Parsons points to a role in Noises Off during his junior year as the first time "I fully connected with the role I was playing and started to truly understand what it meant to be honest on stage." Parsons earned a BA degree in Theater from the University of Houston. He was prolific during this time, appearing in 17 plays in three years. He was a founding member of Infernal Bridegroom Productions and regularly appeared at the Stages Repertory Theatre. Parsons enrolled in graduate school at the University of San Diego in 1999. He was one of seven students accepted into a special two-year course in classical theater, taught in partnership with the Old Globe Theater. Parsons worked in Off-Broadway productions and made several television appearances. In 2007, he landed the role of Sheldon Cooper in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Parsons has estimated that he auditioned for between 15 and 30 television pilots, but on many of the occasions when he was cast, the show failed to find a television network willing to purchase it. After reading the pilot script, Parsons felt that the role of Sheldon Cooper would be a very good fit for him. Parsons won four Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and received a Golden Globe Award and a nomination for a Tony Award for his work on both stage and screen.