The Tragic Death Of Jim Parsons' Father

Few people have left as big an impression on network TV audiences as Jim Parsons. After portraying Sheldon Cooper on CBS' mega-hit The Big Bang Theory, Parsons joined the TV legend ranks of Dick Van Dyke, Lucille Ball, Will Smith, Jerry Seinfeld, and the cast of Friends.

It took years of auditions and around 15 failed pilots before Parsons finally found success with Big Bang. "That's the way it goes," he once said (via The Things). "That's what's so rare about it. I tested for several that year, and I just didn't get them. That's why I had to prepare for this one because I felt this was probably the one that was going to fit, so you've got to be ready if doors open."

And get it, he did! Parsons won four Emmys, as well as a Golden Globe, two Critics Choice Awards, and more (via IMDb). He played the role so well, it's hard to remember he's an actor and not a scientist — but he's admitted it required a lot of work!  "I really just [run] rampant around my apartment saying these words, this dialogue over and over," he told Fresh Air in 2010. "I'd go outside and say it. I'd sit down and say it. I'd stand up and run while saying it. Because I thought 'I need to be able to trust myself to have these words come out.'"

Despite his on-screen success, Parsons experienced a major hardship in his personal life: losing his dad.

Prior to his huge success on CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, Jim Parsons went through some trying times. His father died in 2001 in a tragic car accident when Parsons was just 28 years old, per the Daily Mail. The actor speaks highly of his father, too.

In December 2015, he and his sister, Julie Pruski, were guests on the TLC reality show, Long Island Medium, starring Theresa Caputo. While on the show, Parsons was brought to tears as Caputo connected the actor and his sister to their dad. "Our father was very hardworking, very loyal. His family was the most important thing for him bar none," the star said (via Entertainment Tonight).

After shooting the segment, Parsons was interviewed by ET and said of the experience, "It was very intense and very moving. She's the right medium — I guess you would say — to get across some deep messages. I just love her. I was only sorry when we had to stop."

During the session, Caputo saw their dad hand their mom roses. "When Theresa talked about red roses and August I knew that's my parents' anniversary," Parsons' sister said. "Red roses. That's the flower he gave her." Although Parson's dad is no longer alive, his children clearly still keep his memory alive.