Like young Sheldon, as portrayed on his post-"Big Bang Theory" sitcom, Parsons grew up in Texas. His dislike for sports set him apart from other kids, and so did his interest in theatre. But was he also a genius? That would be a "no" from Parsons. "I was not an overly bright child," he told Channel 4. "I was mediocre ... I didn't befuddle my parents."
While he wasn't a professional actor as a child, Parsons wasn't a wallflower either. He always enjoyed performing, from the time he started playing piano as a kindergartener (via Biography). In high school, his drama teacher spotted his talent right away and cast Parsons in school shows (per KHOU). By the time he graduated, his life goals were set. He imagined a future as a meteorologist, and his statement in the yearbook read like a premonition. "You'll see me on television or hear me on the radio doing the news," he promised.
After high school, Parsons studied theatre at the University of Houston. He appeared in 17 plays over the course of three years, with a packed performance schedule that sometimes had him running from one show to rehearsal to another show, all in the same day. "There's no learning like the doing. When you're doing that many different types of things on that many types of stages, you don't know the effect it has while you're doing it," he told the Houston Chronicle. "On one level, it made it hard to throw me."
