Iain Armitage Had To Follow One Rule For Young Sheldon's George Death Reveal

Television Sitcoms

Everyone dreaded George Cooper Sr.'s (Lance Barber) death on "Young Sheldon," but it was an emotional experience for the cast members. Iain Armitage, who played the titular son of the beloved Cooper family patriarch for seven seasons, was tasked with making the storyline an impactful one for viewers — and this required him to give a certain type of performance.

While speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Armitage revealed that everyone cried during the scene where the family finds out about George's unexpected passing. However, the show's creators instructed him to do the opposite. "It was interesting because, for one of the takes, I tried to sink down the chair and not quite cry, but start to get emotional, and ["Young Sheldon" co-creator] Steve Molaro very quickly was like, 'No, don't. Not even second. It's almost more heartbreaking if we don't see any emotion on your face. You're completely lost.'"

This story lines up with more behind-the-scenes anecdotes about how the cast and crew handled George's death. For example, two major scenes were cut from George's funeral on "Young Sheldon," as the creators didn't want to make light of the dramatic storyline. Furthermore, Armitage felt the impact of saying goodbye to the character and the actor who played him.

Iain Armitage loved working with Lance Barber on Young Sheldon

While George Cooper's death was emotionally taxing for viewers, Iain Armitage was more upset about bidding farewell to his co-star. During the aforementioned interview, the actor spoke about Lance Barber's impact behind the scenes, noting that he brought lots of laughs and warmth to the set.

"[For] me, it's less about George and more about Lance. Lance is such a wonderful guy. It was more hard having him not be on set for the finale for certain scenes. We had that dinner scene without him. He brings such a light to the set ... and he's got such a big personality."

Armitage isn't the only person who feels this way about Barber. Doc Farrow said that George Sr.'s death was the toughest moment of his career, as he had to accept that he'll be spending less time with his former co-star moving forward. Barber clearly made a positive impression on his colleagues, and the show's emotional storyline was felt by actors and fans alike.