Jim Parsons' Audition for HIMYM's Barney Went About As Well As You'd Expect

The bright and diverse ensemble cast of The Big Band Theory was one of the reasons why the CBS sitcom became such a huge hit, but there's no denying that Jim Parsons' Sheldon Cooper was the true heart of the popular show.

But did you know that the actor could have become the star of a very different, but no less iconic sitcom on the same network?

Yes, it turns out that Jim Parsons once auditioned for the role of legen—wait for it—dary philanderer Barney Stinson from How I Met Your Mother. However, there was one detail about the character description that really confused the actor, making him reluctant to even audition for the role.

Here's what Parsons said about trying for the role of HIMYM's Barney, according to Jesicca Radloff's book The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series.

'I also auditioned — and got called back a couple times — for the role of Barney on How I Met Your Mother,' he said. 'But I didn't want to audition for it because they described him in the casting breakdown as a "big lug of a guy." I was like, "What are they f---ing thinking?! I'm not a big lug of a guy!'

Apparently, Parsons was baffled by the description and thought he wasn't suitable for the role but decided to audition anyway. In a 2008 interview, HIMYM creator Carter Bays also noted that Barney was meant to be a 'large John Belushi-type character,' but when Neil Patrick Harris came in, the series' team was convinced that he was the perfect Barney, so they reinvented the character to better suit the actor.

'And then when Neil Patrick Harris got it, I was like, "Oh, talk about a lesson! Not that we're the same at all, but he's not a big lug of a guy, let me say that,' Jim Parsons added.

Speaking of the 'lesson,' the future TBBT star realized that breakdowns aren't that important when auditioning for roles, and things can change if you prove you can handle the character brilliantly, albeit in a different way.

'I thought, "Don't read that crap in the breakdown anymore. Just forget all of that. Go in and do what you want to do with the material",' Parsons concluded.

The actor took that experience to heart and went full steam ahead when he auditioned for the role of Sheldon. The character was originally intended to be more like Barney than the Sheldon we know today, as he was supposed to be a womanizer. However, that didn't stop Parsons from offering his own unique take on the character and landing the role, turning The Big Bang Theory into a beloved television marvel.

Source: The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, The Futon Critic.