Jim Parsons has revealed that he was "miserable" during the peak popularity of "The Big Bang Theory", despite the CBS sitcom bringing him huge success and multiple awards. Speaking on the "All Out with Jon Dean" podcast, the actor said that behind some of the best moments of his career he felt stressed and unhappy, believing he had to constantly overwork to sustain the show's success, and said he wouldn't relive that period "for any amount of money".

Parsons played socially awkward physicist Sheldon Cooper across all 279 episodes of "The Big Bang Theory", which ran from 2007 to 2019 alongside co-stars including Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco and Mayim Bialik. The role earned him four Emmy wins for lead actor in a comedy, with the show collecting ten Emmys in total. Since the series ended, Parsons said his relationship with the character has "evolved" and now feels "healthier", though he acknowledged the role will always remain part of his identity.