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George Cooper Sr.’s death remains one of the most heartbreaking moments of Young Sheldon. Though fans already knew what was coming for the character considering The Big Bang Theory’s lore, the moment was able to make the audience cry as everyone felt connected to Sheldon’s father after years of character development.
George died of a heart attack in Young Sheldon Season 7. When the final season premiered in February 2024, actor Lance Barber, who portrayed the character for seven years, sat for an interview with TV Insider, where he revealed he was already prepared for his character’s tragic fate:
“The history that Big Bang had established is that George dies when Sheldon is 14. And now, he’s 14. I have nothing but gratitude [to this show]. I did have the luxury of knowing from the beginning to be emotionally prepared.”
Lance Barber once revealed he was prepared for George Cooper Sr.’s death in Young Sheldon Season 7
In his interview, Lance Barber highlighted how George Cooper Sr. suffered a heart attack in Young Sheldon Season 1 as well. However, at the time, he knew that the character would survive as The Big Bang Theory had established that Sheldon’s father died when the latter was 14 years old:
“I knew I wasn’t dying in that episode [in season 1]. I knew I had a long[er] life.”
The plot finally arrived in the 12th episode of the final season, when Coach Wilkins and Principal Peterson reached the Coopers’ home and told them about George having passed away from a massive heart attack.
The penultimate episode of the series then showcased the aftermath of the death, depicting how the family members dealt with the grief, marking one of the most emotional episodes in the sitcom.
Lance Barber debuted in the role of George Cooper Sr. in the first season of the CBS show. Though he did not quite understand Sheldon’s genius at the beginning, the character earned praise for his relatability and the lengths he went to for his family.
Barber also talked about how he got to portray various sides of his character as an older Sheldon narrates his life’s events:
“Sheldon, as an adult, didn’t always remember his father as he was. He was remembering from the perspective of a child. And yet, his memories weren’t totally fabricated. For us to explore something more, we had to lean into what is real, gaining the perspective of our parents as adults.”
“At some point in our lives, we start seeing them not as parents but as people. The narrator on our show is not the younger Sheldon from Big Bang. He’s an older Sheldon as a parent himself. That allowed for us to see [different sides of George].”
Young Sheldon aired seven seasons on CBS from 2017 to 2024. The show marked the first spin-off of The Big Bang Theory and paved the way for its sequel series, Georgie and Mandy’s First Marriage.
Apart from Barber, the show starred Iain Armitage as Sheldon, Zoe Perry as Mary Cooper, Montana Jordan as Georgie Cooper Jr., Annie Potts as Connie Tucker, Raegan Revord as Melissa "Missy" Cooper, Emily Osment as Mandy, Wyatt McClure as Billy Sparks, and Matt Hobby as Pastor Jeff Difford.
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