Young Sheldon Behind-The-Scenes Moments That Make Us Love The Show Even More
Who doesn't love "Young Sheldon"? The "Big Bang Theory" prequel series has delighted fans for six seasons and counting, building on the lore established by its predecessor while morphing into its own unique thing. And as was the case with the Emmy-winning hit that inspired it, audiences will keep tuning into the exploits of the Cooper family for as long as CBS keeps churning out new episodes.
Created by Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, the sitcom explores the origins of boy genius Sheldon Cooper (Iain Armitage) as he grows up in small-town Texas with his family: overly protective mom Mary (Zoe Perry), down-to-earth dad George (Lance Barber), doofus older brother Georgie (Montana Jordan), prissy twin sister Missy (Raegan Revord), and rambunctious grandmother Connie "Meemaw" Tucker (Annie Potts). The residents of the fictional town of Medford might not understand young Sheldon, but his family accepts him no matter what.
The onscreen familial bond translates to the cast offscreen as well, as evidenced by the affectionate way they behave in their various promotional appearances. They clearly have a good time making the series, and viewers have just as much fun watching it. For all of the hilarious and touching moments that make it into the show, there are just as many great backstage moments that fans might not even know about. For anyone who can't get enough "Young Sheldon," here are some behind-the-scenes moments that make us love the show even more.
Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord are basically twins both onscreen and off
Iain Armitage and Raegan Revord play twin brother and sister Sheldon and Mary Cooper on "Young Sheldon," and it doesn't take much method acting for the two to behave like siblings. Despite not actually being related (much less being the exact same age, since Revord was born a full seven months before Armitage), the two are so closely connected that they might as well be actual twins.
Revord spoke about the special bond she has with Armitage in an interview with NowThis Kids. "We have such a brother-sister relationship," she said. "We'll be in the middle of a scene, and all of a sudden, we just both glance at each other at the exact same moment, and just burst out laughing for no reason whatsoever. We just have such a good relationship."
The two also enjoy pulling pranks on the crew. In an interview with It GiRL, Revord revealed that she and Armitage love scaring one costume designer known as Miss Gina. "Me and Iain are always hiding in corners," she said. Whenever Miss Gina walks by, the two jump out and scare her, "and she screams like it's the end of the world. Like it's a zombie apocalypse. It's really weird. It's really funny." The two have truly bonded.
The kids were confused by various artifacts of the 1980s
If you were born after the year 2000 — as the child actors on "Young Sheldon" were — you might be confused by various props in the 1980s-set sitcom, such as wall phones, Walkmans, and cassette tapes. These items, which were all commonplace at the tail end of the 20th century, were as antiquated to Iain Armitage, Raegan Revord, and Montana Jordan as kerosene lamps and horse-drawn carriages. This led to many unintentionally hilarious on-set moments, as the actors needed to familiarize themselves with these props to accurately portray '80s kids.
During an interview with CTV Your Morning, Zoe Perry and Lance Barber revealed that they often have to teach their onscreen children how to use various devices from the era, most of which went out of fashion during their childhoods. That was especially true of relics like landline phones. "Iain didn't understand what a dial tone was," Perry said. During a scene where Sheldon has to make a call, Barber explained, "He was dialing first, and then picking up the phone" to speak into it. So even a genius like Sheldon needs to be taught a thing or two.
This education extended to the various press appearances the child stars made. During an appearance on The Steve Harvey Show, Harvey quizzed Armitage, Revord, and Jordan on their '80s knowledge by holding up pictures of various items from the era, including floppy discs, a Rolodex, and Cabbage Patch dolls. Thankfully, they were a little more familiar with these objects by the time they came on Harvey's talk show.
Raegan Revord isn't too fond of Missy's itchy '80s wardrobe
Creating the 1980s setting of "Young Sheldon" isn't just about props. Clothing is a crucial part of capturing the era's unique aesthetic as well, and although the wardrobe came naturally to every cast member who was alive during the period, it was certainly a shock to the child performers. Perhaps no one has had a more difficult time adjusting to the '80s style than Raegan Revord, who has been open about just how uncomfortable Missy's clothing can be.
In an interview with HeyUGuys promoting the show's first season, Revord and Montana Jordan were asked about their most shocking 1980s discoveries, and the fashion was at the top of their lists. Jordan called the clothes "different," while Revord referred to them as "interesting" and said they were uncomfortable. "A lot of Missy's pajamas, they're made out of wool," she explained, "so they're always itchy." This made any scene in which Missy had to go to bed a pain, which certainly isn't ideal.
Thankfully, the costumers have done all they can to make Revord's life easier. "They will give me little shirts and stuff to put under it so it's not itchy," she revealed. "They'll give me pants, and if the pants under the pajamas are too long, they'll cut the pant leg of the pants under the pajamas" in order to hide them better. "So they do stuff to make us comfortable, and they're very nice about that."
Lance Barber had to do more than 30 takes of a scene with a squeaky chair
Outtakes aren't a rarity in television production, and few things are as funny as watching a blooper reel from your favorite series. If anyone can ever track down the unused takes from one particular scene in the "Young Sheldon" episode "A Brisket, Voodoo, and Cannonball Run," they'd be in possession of a blooper reel holy grail. They'd also have a great birthday present for Montana Jordan, who declared it to be his favorite on-set moment in a behind-the-scenes video posted by TBS.
The set-up: George gets into a fight with Meemaw when she declines to share her famous brisket recipe with him, and he then gets mad at Mary for always taking her mother's side. With Mary at the church picnic with Sheldon, Missy, and Meemaw, Georgie tries to track down the recipe while his dad attempts to cook it through trial and error. The two are watching TV in the living room when the rest of the family returns, and George tells his eldest son to play it cool. But when he tries to adjust himself in his leather upholstered armchair, George starts making a noise that sounds an awful lot like farting.
The noises had the cast and crew laughing so hard that it required an ungodly amount of takes just to get a good one. "We had to retake that at least 30 times, and I'm not kidding," Jordan revealed, still chuckling from the experience.
Annie Potts entertained her onscreen grandchildren with Bo Peep impressions
Annie Potts portrayed many iconic characters before playing Sheldon's beloved Meemaw, including Mary Jo Shively in "Designing Women," Janine Melnitz in "Ghostbusters," and Iona in "Pretty in Pink." But more importantly to her young costars, she's the voice of Bo Peep, Woody the cowboy's love interest in the "Toy Story" franchise. Early on, Potts often entertained her onscreen grandchildren with offscreen impersonations of the cartoon toy — one of the many ways in which she functions as a surrogate grandmother to her young costars.
Potts joined Iain Armitage for an interview with Access Hollywood 2019, in which hosts Mario Lopez and Kit Hoover asked the child star whether he was familiar with his co-star's previous TV hit, "Designing Women." Considering that he was born 15 years after the show ended, he hadn't exactly had a chance to check it out. He was familiar with the "Toy Story" movies, though, and when Lopez and Hoover asked Potts if she'd ever done the Bo Peep voice for him, she replied, "Oh, he hears it all the time," before delivering a "C'mon, Woody" in the character's distinctive timbre.
In a 2018 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Potts spoke about the joys of playing a grandmother. "The children are so delicious," she joked. "They're very sweet and innocent. And they're in my lap and all over me, kissing me, hugging me, telling me they love me all day long. And I get paid for that."
A lot of young Sheldon's lines are way beyond Iain Armitage's understanding
If you often find yourself perplexed by the words that are coming out of young Sheldon Cooper's mouth, you're not alone. In an interview with HeyUGuys conducted during the show's first season, Iain Armitage was asked how he wrapped his mind around the character's scientific jargon in order to speak it during scenes. After perfectly reciting one of Sheldon's verbose monologues, the actor confessed, "I have no idea what I just said." Annie Potts, who was sitting next to him during the interview, replied in classic Meemaw fashion, "But you said it very well, and that's all that matters."
So if he doesn't know what he's saying, how does he manage to get it all out in a coherent sentence? "You just have to pretend you know what you're saying," Armitage explained, "and it makes it all better." Added Potts, "That's what we actors do: just pretend we know what we're saying."
In an interview with BUILD conducted ahead of the show's Season 3 premiere, Armitage was asked if it's become easier to understand what Sheldon is saying over time. He joked, "I somehow manage to get these crazy lines into my head and sometimes actually manage to get them out of my mouth," but that's about it. Considering the young actor is no rocket scientist, that's really commendable.
Iain Armitage has a nerdy hobby Sheldon wouldn't approve of
You couldn't ask for a better young counterpart to Jim Parsons than Iain Armitage. The two look so much alike that it's little wonder he was able to land the role originated by Parsons on "The Big Bang Theory," and throughout the years, he's perfected the character's mannerisms and peculiarities. Yet for all the ways Armitage is similar to Sheldon, there's one big way in which they diverge.
During a set visit from Young Hollywood, Armitage showed off Sheldon's bedroom, filled with various prop toys belonging to his character. That included a collection of stones, which is odd considering that on "The Big Bang Theory," Sheldon mocks geologists for not being real scientists. Armitage theorized that "maybe something happens to him" that causes him to abandon this hobby and turn his back on geology.
In real life, Armitage is a bit of a rock head in the best sense of the term, since he loves collecting stones. In a 2019 interview with Esquire Magazine, the then-10-year-old performer confessed that rock collecting was one of his major passions, along with theater and magic. "I am drowning in rocks," he said. "I love rocks... I have three bins full."
Lance Barber gets tongue-tied with Australian lingo
As far as goofy dads go, George Cooper has to be among the most lovable, despite what adult Sheldon might've said about him on "The Big Bang Theory." Although George can be absentminded and dim-witted at times, the actor who plays him is anything but, as witnessed in the various interviews Lance Barber has given throughout the years. Yet if there's one area in which he might have a little too much in common with his character, it's in his understanding of Australian slang.
In an interview with Channel 9, Barber was quizzed on his knowledge of Aussie lingo, and his answers were hilariously George-esque. Things started off well with phrases like "crikey" (obviously an exclamation) and "gidonya" (or "good on you"), but he got tripped up when it came to words like "hoon" (which means hooligan) and "tucker" (a term for shoveling food in your mouth). He bounced back by correctly guessing that "dunny" means bathroom (which one must use after a bit of tuckering) but was totally perplexed when asked to define a "budgie smuggler" (it's someone who wears a speedo... get it?). His answers eventually moved the interviewer to uncontrollable laughter, much the same as his performance in "Young Sheldon" does on a weekly basis.
Zoe Perry had to audition to play her own mother
On the surface, Zoe Perry would seem like the obvious choice to play the younger version of Mary Cooper, since the role was originated on "The Big Bang Theory" by none other than her own mother, Oscar nominee Laurie Metcalf. It certainly helped that Perry had already played a younger version of her mom on "Roseanne," which was written and produced by "Young Sheldon" and "Big Bang Theory" co-creator Chuck Lorre. Yet nepotism only got her so far, and she had to audition for the part just like anyone else would.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Perry talked about auditioning for Lorre and Steven Molaro, who were fully aware that she had followed in her Emmy and Tony-winning mother's footsteps. "I went in knowing that I had this odd connection on my side," she revealed. "Odd meaning that I am my mother's daughter and there was a character already established by her." During her audition, she wanted to "showcase what they were envisioning in this character in a different stage of life." Obviously, she tapped into exactly what the casting directors and producers were looking for and won the role.
Perry shot down any notion that her mother gave her audition advice, saying, "She's too good and empathetic an actor to give another actor any notes!" But that doesn't mean she isn't proud of her daughter. "She's been really supportive through the whole thing and I feel lucky I get to share this with her in that way," Perry added.
Iain Armitage especially loved playing video games with Annie Potts
Every TV actor has a favorite scene from the series they star in, and with "Young Sheldon," there are a lot to choose from. For Iain Armitage, it's a moment from the Season 2 episode "An 8-Bit Princess and a Flat Tire Genius," in which he and Meemaw become so addicted to video games that they can't tear themselves away from the television. In a TBS behind-the-scenes video, Armitage called the scene in which Sheldon and Meemaw are excitedly playing Nintendo his personal favorite of the entire series. "I think it's just hilarious and wonderful," he said, "and I love acting like a typical kid with my Meemaw. I think it's just a really fun episode."
His enthusiasm certainly shines through, and apparently, Armitage didn't have to go full method in order to play that scene. Considering the young actor spends most of his time either on set or promoting the show, it's little wonder he'd relish the opportunity to behave like what he is: a kid.
Raegan Revord loved letting Missy get tough
Every so often, a scene doesn't go exactly as written during filming, which can sometimes be an improvement. That's certainly the case in the "Young Sheldon" episode "Pongo Pygmaeus and a Culture That Encourages Spitting," which features one of the show's best set pieces. In this Season 3 installment, Missy breaks gender barriers by playing on the little league team coached by Meemaw's new boyfriend, Dale Ballard (Craig T. Nelson). She contemplates hanging up the catcher's mitt when other girls tease her, but her mom encourages her to stick with it. During a game, a pitcher from the opposing team tries to hit Missy with the ball while she's at the mat, and she takes her revenge by beating the boy up.
"It was so much fun to film," Revord revealed in a TBS behind-the-scenes video detailing the actors' favorite scenes from the series. "I think it was such a powerful moment. I love how Missy stood up for herself." The scene is made all the better by Meemaw and Dale encouraging her to keep going.