Jim Parsons on the sitcom role that got away

Well who wouldn’t want to star in a sitcom with a cast that included Henry Winkler, Stockard Channing, and Ty Burrell?

Jim Parsons certainly did but not landing the lead role in the 2005-06 CBS series Out of Practice was most certainly a good thing since it was the very next year that he landed The Big Bang Theory.

The near-miss was brought up during an interview Parsons had with Glamour Magazine and he was asked: What show or movie role did you want more than anything but didn’t get?

Parsons said: “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. It all worked out for the best—for all of us.”

The role instead went to Christopher Gorham who played a therapist who lives his life in the shadows of his brother (Burrell), sister (Paula Marshall), mother (Channing), and father (Winkler), all of whom are doctors.

The show ran a full season but was not renewed. Channing earned an Emmy nomination for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.

It also featured the late Carol Ann Susi, who went on to voice Ms. Wolowitz on Big Bang.