Things have a funny way of working out, and had actor Jim Parsons nabbed the role he initially wanted to get, then he would not have had the opportunity to star as Dr. Sheldon Cooper in the widely popular TV series The Big Bang Theory.
Glamour Magazine asked Parsons in an interview if he ever had any TV or movie role he wanted to play but did not get, and the actor was very honest with his answer.
"There was a show that was on for one season called Out of Practice that producer Christopher Lloyd of Modern Family did, and I wanted that very, very badly. I got called back and stuff and went far enough in the process for it to be disappointing when it didn't happen," he shared.
However, Parsons agreed that "it all worked out for the best - for all of us" because had he gotten the role, the creators of The Big Bang Theory might have gotten someone else to play the part of the offbeat genius Sheldon, since acting for both shows would have been difficult for Parsons to commit to.
The comedy series Out of Practice ran on CBS from 2005 to 2006, just a year before The Big Bang Theory premiered. The cast included Christopher Gorham as Benjamin Barnes, Paula Marshall as Dr. Regina Barnes, Ty Burrell as Dr. Oliver Barnes, Henry Winkler as Dr. Stewart Barnes, and Stockard Channing as Dr. Lydia Barnes. Even the late Carol Ann Susi, who voiced Howard's mother in The Big Bang Theory appeared in two episodes as Susy.
Just like The Big Bang Theory, Out of Practice features very smart characters who are all doctors, save for the lead character Benjamin Barnes, who is actually a therapist. Although Benjamin is a really smart guy, he lives under the shadow of his family of doctors, who are all successful in their careers.
