“Young Sheldon” aired its final episode in May 2024, and now, just over two years later, the cast of the CBS sitcom is getting candid about their experience filming the Sheldon Cooper-focused “Big Bang Theory” prequel and working with star Iain Armitage, who was just eight years old when the series began.
In a recently released excerpt of Jessica Radloff’s oral history, “Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy” (via US Weekly), cast members reflected on the challenges that came with working with a child star, as well as their thoughts on the experience and the pressure on Armitage in hindsight.
“It was a complete privilege to be on this show and play this character, but yes, it was a big undertaking for an 8-year-old,” contributed Armitage, who played the titular character for all seven seasons. “I always did the best that I could, and sometimes kids are not perfect. I was grateful to the people who understood that and gave me grace.”
The actor also recalled working with Raegan Revord, who played Missy Cooper. “Raegan was so much fun to have as a sibling. It definitely did feel like a sibling relationship, and Rae was kind of the only other person on set who understood exactly what we went through, from being on set to going to school,” he wrote.
Revord agreed that it was “nice to have someone who understood that process.” “But like siblings, you bicker and stuff happens,” she admitted. “If you spend 12 hours, five days a week on a set, there’s going to be arguments, and people are going to have clashing opinions.”
Annie Potts, who played Meemaw Connie, acknowledged that because the show revolved around Amitage, “that is a lot for a little person to manage psychologically.” She continued: “He was asked to work and carry the weight of something that would be difficult for an adult, and we know that a lot of behavior comes out in situations like that. Yes, sometimes he was difficult. But I’ve worked with grown-ups who were a lot worse. Sometimes I think he was tired, and sometimes I think he pushed people, and people were kissing his ass! It’s a very challenging situation to be 9 years old and be expected to work, behave, and think like a grown-up. And I say that with absolute love and respect.”
“Young Sheldon” was so successful that the prequel inspired it’s own spinoff, “Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage,” which premiered in 2024.
Radloff’s book is due out Oct. 20.