Jim Parsons, who found fame playing Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory and is now appearing on Broadway in Titanique, has spoken candidly about struggling with stress and unhappiness during the height of the sitcom's success. In an interview on the YouTube podcast All Out with Jon Dean, the 53-year-old actor said he now recognises that some of the best moments of his career coincided with periods of genuine misery, shedding light on the toll fame and overwork can take even amid outward professional triumph.

Parsons described himself as a workaholic during his years on Big Bang Theory, attributing his success to relentless discipline that he now views as closer to obsessive behaviour than a healthy work ethic. He said he would not return to that lifestyle "for any amount of money," though he also acknowledged that period shaped who he is today. Seven years after the show ended, he said his relationship with the Sheldon Cooper character continues to "evolve" and that he now feels healthier and better than before.