The document analyzes Jim Parsons' performances as Sheldon Cooper in the pilot episode and final episode of The Big Bang Theory. In the pilot episode, Sheldon is portrayed as arrogant and nervous when meeting his new neighbor Penny. In the final episode, Sheldon gives a heartfelt Nobel Prize acceptance speech that shows his character development into someone more caring and inclusive. Parsons immerses himself in both performances, but seems more confident in the final episode after playing the character for 12 years.

1. ANALYSIS: JIM PARSON’S
PERFORMANCE AS SHELDON
COOPER IN THE BIG BANG
THEORY
HARRY JAMES BORWELL

2. SYNOPSIS
The Big Bang Theory is a US sitcom about two brilliant, but socially awkward physicists (Sheldon Cooper
and Leonard Hofstadter) and their new neighbour Penny, a waitress at The Cheesecake Factory, who shows
them what life is like away from the world of science.

3. SHELDON’S CHARACTER IN THE FIRST EPISODE
In the first episode of the sitcom, Sheldon and
Leonard meet their new neighbour Penny for the
first time. This appears to be a challenge for the
two of them as they interact with someone who
isn’t in their field of work and isn’t at the same
intellectual level.
Sheldon and Leonard invite Penny over for lunch in
their apartment and they get to know one another.
The audience sees an arrogant and nervous side of
Sheldon. This comes across when Penny sits in
Sheldon’s spot on the couch. This shows the
audience that Sheldon finds the smallest changes
to his everyday life difficult to manage, as sitting in
that spot on the couch is something that he always
does when he eats, socialises and watches TV.

4. SEQUENCE OF THE SCENE

6. SHELDON’S CHARACTER IN
THE FINAL EPISODE
In the final episode of The Big Bang Theory, the audience see the progression in Sheldon’s
character, and that he does have a kind and caring side. The moment that the audience sees
this is when Sheldon and Amy accept their Nobel Prizes and he gives his speech.
In the scene, Sheldon begins to give his original speech which he had written. In this moment,
the audience see Sheldon sets his speech to one side, and they see he’s realised that what he
was about to say is too self centred.
As Sheldon continues giving his speech, the audience realises that what Sheldon is saying is
more from the heart, and they see that Sheldon has realised that the people he has in his life
have had a big impact on him, and that he wouldn’t be where he is stood at this moment if it
wasn’t for them. This shows the audience that Sheldon has come a long way from when The
Big Bang Theory started, and even since he was a child (Young Sheldon). Even though earlier in
the episode, the audience still see the very arrogant and self-centred side of him, it shows that
he can be very loyal, caring and inclusive towards the people that he has in his life.

7. SEQUENCE OF THE SCENE

9. SIMILARITIES IN EACH PERFORMANCE
In each of his performances, Jim Parsons puts himself into the situation that his character faces in each
scene which makes his performances very believable. This shows that he understands the character that he
is playing. It also makes the story very clear for the audience to understand as they can see more of Jim
Parsons as Sheldon Cooper rather than Jim Parsons as himself, keeping the audience drawn in and wanting
to watch more. Furthermore, it shows that Jim Parsons is very good at taking direction because each
performance is believable and comes across as natural and not forceful.

10. DIFFERENCES IN EACH PERFORMANCE
One of the differences in each performance is that Jim Parsons comes across as quite nervous in the pilot episode because his
voice sounds quite wooden and his upper body looks quite stiff, and he is using it in order to deliver his lines, making the
performance less authentic. This is because this is the first time that he is playing the character. This shows that he is trying to
get to know the character that he is playing. Whereas in the final episode he seems a lot more confident in the performance as
he looks very relaxed, making the delivery a lot clearer and authentic. This shows that the confidence in his performance has
grown over the twelve years that he has played the character of Sheldon Cooper. Furthermore, it shows that he now fully
understands the character that he has been playing and that he now knows him really well.
Another difference is that the scene in the final episode mostly focuses on Jim Parsons’ performance because it uses a lot of
close up shots, and it shows that he puts himself into the circumstances that Sheldon is facing at the time. This shows that Chuck
Lorre wanted to focus on Sheldon, to show how much he has grown and to show how much Jim Parsons has grown as an actor
while playing the role of Sheldon. This also helps to make the audience feel the emotion that is being conveyed within the scene.
Whereas the scene in the pilot episode focuses on three of the main characters of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ as they use a lot of
distance shots. This shows that Chuck Lorre wanted the audience to get to know all of the characters in order to understand the
plot of ‘The Big Bang Theory’, rather than just focus on one character and a certain actor’s performance. This also shows that the
audience won’t feel as much emotion because there is less emotion being conveyed.