Photography by Danielle Levitt
"I was very conscious in 2013 to try to enjoy every month, every week at a time, as much as I could," says Parsons, coming off his third Emmy win for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for The Big Bang Theory. You can't blame the Houston native for attempting to take a moment to stop and smell the roses -- he's been busy. Following the sixth season of the TV series, he filmed the Ryan Murphy-directed version of The Normal Heart for HBO.
"It's been a very different process than doing the play of it, but it's been similar in the camaraderie you immediately feel."
In a recent New York Times profile, it was rather casually mentioned that Parsons is gay. He describes the reaction as minor Internet-related chatter. "I didn't think it was still that much hoopla, and that was really kind of rewarding. That's progress -- progress I'm really happy to be a part of, making what was extraordinary ordinary without being boring, for God's sake."
As with many actors, becoming one was a childhood dream of Parsons's. But it wasn't an idle one -- he's been doing his homework forever. "I sat in front of the TV a decent amount, more than I probably should have, like a lot of children," he says. "In my case, it turns out I was learning something that I'm putting to use. When I said I don't need math, I meant it. Give me Three's Company."
Photographed at Milk Studios in Los Angeles on October 4, 2013
