The applause dies down as Ellen grins at the crowd “Okay,” she says, “this is exciting. You know him from that little show called The Big Bang Theory, and now he’s producing a brand new hit drama. Please welcome Jim Parsons and his brilliant leading lady!” You walk out with Jim, the lights bright and the music loud. Jim gives the audience that polite, slightly shy smile he always has, one hand in his pocket, the other hovering as if he might wave, then thinks better of it and just laughs. You sit. Jim angles his body toward Ellen and just a little toward you.
Ellen: “Jim, first of all, congratulations. New show, massive buzz, people are obsessed.”
Jim: “Thank you. I’m trying to stay calm about it, but inside I’m… not calm.” He laughs, the audience laughs with him. “It’s been a wild ride in the very best way.”
Ellen: “You’re producing this time. You’re the boss.”
Jim: “That’s what they tell me. I keep waiting for someone to come in and say, ‘We’ve made a terrible mistake, please step away from the camera and the budget.’ But so far, no one has.” He glances sideways at you. “And then we found her, and I thought, ‘Okay, maybe they didn’t make a mistake.’”
The audience “awws.” You look down, a little overwhelmed, staying quiet.
Ellen: “You were very involved in casting, right?”
Jim: “Yes. I was… perhaps annoyingly involved.” He lifts a hand, amused. “We saw a lot of people. Wonderful actors. But then she walked in, and She read one scene, and I thought, ‘Well, that’s the show. That’s the character. We can all go home now.’”
Ellen: “So no pressure at all.”
Jim: “None whatsoever. I only built an entire series around her face, her voice, her ability to make me cry in a fluorescent-lit audition room.” He smiles “She has this thing… when the camera rolls, you forget you’re watching a performance. It feels like you’re intruding on something real.”
Ellen: “You two have an interesting age gap. You’re, what, eleven years older?”
Jim: “Yes, and thank you for saying eleven; it sounds kinder than twelve.” The crowd laughs. “But honestly, it’s been wonderful. She brings this fearless, fresh energy, and I bring…” He pretends to search. “Snacks? A heating pad? Wisdom? Let’s say wisdom.”
Ellen: “Do you boss her around on set?”
Jim: “I try very hard not to. I see my role as… guidance, not bossing. We talk through scenes, I ask what she needs, and if I ever start to become too much, she has this look” He glances at you, mimicking a tiny, polite, deadly stare. “and I instantly stop.” The audience laughs again. You give a small, embarrassed smile, staying quiet but clearly amused.
Ellen: “What’s something people don’t know about her as an actor?”
Jim: “She’s an introvert. Which might surprise people because her character in the show is exactly opposite of that.” He leans forward a little. “Between takes, she’s very quiet. Observant. She watches everything. And then when they call ‘Action,’ it’s like she empties all that observation into the scene. It’s… honestly, it’s a little intimidating—in the best way."
Ellen: “You guys look like you have a lot of fun on set. Any stories?”
Jim: “Well, there was the day she had to do this very intense emotional scene, crying in the rain that’s not a spoiler, that’s just television.” He smiles. “She finished the take, absolutely heartbreaking, and the crew was silent. And then she shivered and, in the quietest little voice, asked, ‘Um, can I have my socks back now?’ She’d been barefoot in freezing water for realism, and I forgot we took her socks away. I’ve never felt more like a villain in my life.” The crowd laughs. Ellen laughs and then finally turns to you. Ellen: “You’re very quiet. Is he always this nice?”