Here's How Much The Cast Of Young Sheldon Is Really Worth

As a spin-off to The Big Bang Theory — the geek-filled CBS sitcom that ran 12 seasons, exceeding Cheers in number of episodes — Young Sheldon had big shoes to fill. The prequel series follows socially inept genius Sheldon Cooper, a role originated by Jim Parsons, as he navigates high school in Texas as a boy prodigy. Co-creators Chuck Lorre and Steven Molaro, and the adult Sheldon himself returned for the series, with Parson serving as both executive producer and narrator. Iain Armitage, who won the lead role at 9 years old, portrays Sheldon's younger self alongside an ensemble cast of Zoe Perry and Lance Barber as his parents, Montana Jordan and Raegan Revord as his siblings, and TV legend Annie Potts as his grandmother, "Meemaw."

The spinoff has been a success, out-lasting its parent series which called it quits in 2019 and earning a fourth season order from CBS. Perhaps the key to its success is its originality. Parsons told CBS News that Armitage's character is more than just a mini-me. "It really is its own character," he said. "It is its own show, its own memory play, origin show." But just how successful is the prequel compared to its predecessor, which was scoring its four leads a hefty $1 million per episode in 2017? Here's how the Young Sheldon cast adds up.

It's easy to understand why Jim Parsons had a hard time completely letting go of a character that earned him four Emmys — not to mention, made him TV's highest-paid actor from 2015 to 2018, according to Forbes. During the last season, he reportedly took home nearly $1 million an episode, netting him more than his co-stars at $26.5 million in total. In fact, the lead cast of The Big Bang Theory was making so much by the eleventh and twelfth seasons, they reportedly took a voluntary $100,000 pay cut to raise the salaries of series regulars Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch (via Variety). Entertainment Weekly also reports Parsons walked away from more than $50 million by not signing on for an additional two more years of the show. "It was a complicated road, as you could imagine," he told fellow actor David Tennant during a podcast interview in 2020 (via ET Canada), citing some personal turmoil he was also facing at the time, and his desire to slow down and explore other interests. 

With a reported net worth of $160 million between TV, ads for Intel, and films like 2018 Oscar nominee Hidden Figures, Parsons lives a comfortable life with husband Todd Spiewak. He reportedly sold his Los Angeles hillside home for $6.95 million in 2019 after purchasing the 1.5-acre estate from Twilight's Robert Pattinson four years earlier. Parsons continues to expand his behind-the-scenes power, executive producing Carla, a new sitcom for Fox starring his screen wife Bialik.

Before earning a Critic's Choice Award nod in 2019 for her portrayal of Sheldon's patient and nurturing "Meemaw" Constance Tucker, Annie Potts had an extensive career on television shows like Designing Women, Love and War, and The Fosters. Her small screen legacy is equally matched by iconic characters in Ghostbusters, Pretty in Pink, and as the voice of Bo Peep in Toy Story. With such a comprehensive career, it's no surprise that the actress has a reported net worth of $8 million. That doesn't mean that the mother of three wasn't hustling, though. In 2017, she told Closer Weekly that it's "different" now for actors. "Thirty years ago, you either did TV or you didn't," she added. "I needed to pay the mortgage, so I did whatever I needed to do."

Potts has been married to producer James Hayman since 1990, and after a successful career, she's been able to give back with an "artist residency program" of her own, allowing young people who need emotional or financial support to stay in her home. As for those supportive residences? They're not too shabby. In 2016, she sold her "Spanish hacienda-style house," as the Los Angeles Times described it, with a private "tennis court and two swimming pools," for $3.875 million, before purchasing fellow star Kirsten Dunst's two-story lakefront L.A. residence for a cool $4.55 million in 2019.

Michigan born-actor Lance Barber has enjoyed a steady career of guest spots and recurring roles on shows including The Comeback, Black-ish, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, since his television debut on ER in 2001. He played Jimmy Speckerman, a high school bully from Leonard's past, on The Big Bang Theory in 2011 before booking the role of Sheldon's father George Cooper Sr. on Young Sheldon. While the patriarch is deceased in the parent series and portrayed as a bad father, Barber wanted to bring sympathy to the role, telling CarterMatt that "he is a man who is trying his hardest with what he's got."

Although Barber's career as a "character guy" may seem modest, he enjoys a decent lifestyle, living in Los Angeles with his family; his wife Aliza, who is a chef, and their two children. "We only ever hear about the top 1 percent ... you never hear about the regular people," Barber's mother told Battle Creek Enquirer. "Most of them are ... living their dreams but they live regular lives." Unconfirmed sources estimate Barber's net worth at about $1 million, but he doesn't sweat his bank account. "As an actor we all want more work, and more quality work. But I have zero complaints," Barber told the same outlet, jokingly adding that if he ever moved from Hollywood, he would "remain somehow in some aspect of show business because I love it. And because I have no other skills."

You probably recognize recurring guest star Wallace Michael Shawn, who plays college professor Dr. John Sturgis and Meemaw's sometimes sweetheart. The storied actor is also a playwright and essayist with notable roles in The Princess Bride, Clueless, and Gossip Girl, as well as a lengthy stint as the voice of Rex in the Toy Story series. He reportedly lives in Chelsea, New York with his partner of 40 years, award-winning writing professor Deborah Eisenberg. The two seem to mutually enjoy the benefits of their established careers although they remain unmarried, with Eisenberg calling Shawn her "boyfriend" and "sweetheart" in a 2018 interview with The New York Times interview. "I'm not a good cook, but I like to keep Wally fed," she also cheekily confessed to the outlet. 

Thanks to his esteemed career in film, television, and theater — his play Aunt Dan and Lemon won an OBIE Award in 1991 (via Playbill) — Shawn is worth $8 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. Looking to book the quirky actor for a speaking gig? His fees will reportedly cost you between $15,000 to $25,000.

By the time Craig T. Nelson joined the cast of Young Sheldon as baseball coach Dale Ballard in season three, he was already an esteemed Hollywood name. While he's had a handful of notable roles between Parenthood, My Name is Earl, Disney's The Incredibles, and the sitcom Coach, which won him an Emmy, his success was hard-earned. According to Nelson's archived entry for Biography, Nelson dropped out of college in 1969 to try his luck in Hollywood. While he encountered mild success, it wasn't enough to support his family at the time. He was on "food stamps and welfare" before scoring his big break in 1982's Poltergeist, as he told Fox News correspondent Glenn Beck and his humble upbringing seemed to underscore his politically conservative viewpoints. During the same interview in 2009, he advocated not paying taxes as he believed the government mishandled funds.

Nelson has been married to former actress Doria Cook-Nelson since 1987 and has three children with his former wife. Between his TV and film gigs, the actor is reportedly worth $50 million, with his speaking fees allegedly running in the ballpark of $25,000 to $40,000. According to a 2020 Los Angeles Times report, Nelson listed his five-acre Hawaii hideaway home on the market for $14 million, which indicated a nice long-term profit potential. He reportedly purchased the idyllic beachfront property from Beach Boys star Brian Wilson for $1.3 million in 1995.