Series fans obviously know Jim Parsons as Sheldon Cooper in ‘The Big Bang Theory’. But before his breakthrough and starring role, the now 50-year-old applied for a new sitcom hit: “How I met your mother“!
And there too he would have played an absolute cult figure: Parsons auditioned for Barney Stinson, which was later famously played by Neil Patrick Harris – and could hardly be further from the role that made Parsons famous. While Sheldon Cooper has clear asexual traits as a socially awkward physics genius, Stinson is a womanizer who sleeps with 31 different women in about a month. Parsons was accordingly skeptical about whether the role was right for him.
Jim Parsons on the casting of “How I Met Your Mother”: “What are they thinking?!”
In Jessica Radloff’s behind-the-scenes book “The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story Of The Epic Hit Series,” the actor recalls how he once almost ended up on “How I Met Your Mother” (through ). “I have […] “I auditioned for the role of Barney in ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and got a few callbacks,” said Parsons. “But I actually didn’t want the role because she was described in the casting as a ‘big bastard’.
And I just thought, ‘What are they thinking?! I’m not a big ass!’ When Neil Patrick Harris finally got the part, I thought, “Oh, what a lesson!” We don’t really look alike, but he’s not a big guy either. I said to myself: ‘Stop reading that nonsense in the character description. Just forget it all. Go in and do what you want to do with the material. ”
In the end, Parsons probably still had the right instincts: both he and Harris shaped their respective roles so decisively that it’s hard to imagine how things could have been different – especially since the success of both sitcoms was directly linked to the casting of Parsons and Harris are related respectively.
To learn more about why Jim Parsons turned his back on his most famous role, you can read more here: