The Big Bang Theory: No, Sheldon Cooper wasn’t Spock from Star Trek
By Chad Porto
Some fans believe Sheldon Cooper of The Big Bang Theory was Spock from Star Trek.
We’re going Star Trek-adjacent with the show, The Big Bang Theory. It was one of the most-watched television shows ever. The series featured four roommates (and eventually their significant others) who were too nerdy for anyone to take them seriously, despite being extremely intelligent, whose worlds were turned upside down by an attractive, yet ordinary girl from Nebraska. The three characters that most defined the series were the aforementioned Nebraskan, Penny, her eventual boyfriend/husband Leonard Hofstadter, and his roommate and best friend, Sheldon Cooper.
While some maligned the show and saw no redeeming qualities, the series was wildly popular for a reason. It had a massive audience, was cleverly written (most of the time), and helped bring “nerd-culture” into the mainstream zeitgeist in a way that wasn’t really seen before.
Yet, the core of the show, and when it worked best, was when Sheldon, Leonard, and Penny were dealing with the unusual behaviors of Sheldon. Sometimes they were played for laughs, other times you got to see the heart the show had.
Yet, due to the show’s heavy involvement with all things nerd, that ended up including Star Trek too.
One theory states Sheldon of the Big Bang Theory is Spock from Star Trek
CBR dug this theory up from 2017, but it was actually presented as a short for the Late-Late Show. In the clip, Sheldon Cooper’s actor Jim Parsons debunks the theory that he is indeed playing Spock and states profoundly “I’m not playing that.”
CBR really drove into the idea that it’s possible but it’s really not. The theory is utterly ridiculous.
That said, the amount of love The Big Bang Theory gave to Star Trek was profound. They celebrated Leonardy Nimoy in life and in death, they brought on William Shatner, Wil Wheaton, Brent Spiner, LeVar Burton and so many other Trek legends for cameo roles. So while the theory is utter nonsense, it shouldn’t go without saying that The Big Bang Theory did a wonderful job keeping the spirit of Star Trek alive.