‘Big Bang Theory’ Star Jim Parsons Breaks Silence on Why He Wanted to Be Done With the Show

The Big Bang Theory is currently airing its twelfth and final season, with the show’s ending having been announced in August.

It was later revealed that the series ended because star Jim Parsons decided not to continue with the show and producers therefore decided not to continue without him, and Parsons has now opened up about why he felt it was time to say goodbye to the CBS sitcom.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, the actor explained that he simply felt the time was right to leave, and that he didn’t want the show to continue in a way that wasn’t satisfying.

“It’s both as complex and as simple as just feeling innately that it was time,” he said. “It speaks to a lot of things, none of them bad. There is no negative reason to stop doing Big Bang. It felt like we have been able to do this for so many years now, it doesn’t feel like there is anything left on the table. Not that we couldn’t keep doing it, but it feels like we’ve chewed all the meat off this bone.”

Parsons added that he also wanted to leave the show for personal reasons, noting that he’d like to explore other options, though he doesn’t yet know what they are.

“I guess at a personal level, it feels like the right time in my life,” he said. “I don’t know what’s next for me. It’s not like there is something specific I am aiming for. I’m firmly in my middle age now. I don’t know how much longer I can wear [the T-shirts] without looking really long in the tooth. In a way, it’s exciting. What is this next chapter of life? What is this next chapter for all of us?”

While the 45-year-old knew it was time to end things, he admitted that it will be difficult to say goodbye.

“It will be very, very sad when it does end, even knowing [I am] okay with it,” he shared. “People are okay when they graduate but there are frequently tears at graduation. It’s hard to say goodbye to people that you have worked with for so long.”

A source previously told E! News that Parsons’ run on Broadway last summer helped aid him in his decision to leave Big Bang, though the decision was reportedly not hastily made.

The Big Bang Theory will conclude the end of Season 12, which wraps up this spring.

Photo Credit: Getty / Nicholas Hunt