Is Sheldon Cooper smart in real life?

Sheldon Cooper might be one of the smartest characters in TV history — but is he smart in real life? Here’s what you need to know.

From the beginning of his childhood in Young Sheldon, Sheldon Cooper showed signs of being a genius, moving up to high school education at the age of nine.

From there, his love of learning took off, eventually leading him down the path to Caltech, somewhere we still see him revere in The Big Bang Theory.

It’s always tempting to confuse fiction and reality, but is Sheldon Cooper actually smart in real life? Here’s everything you need to know.

Is Sheldon Cooper smart in real life?

Sheldon Cooper isn’t a real person. The actor who plays him, Jim Parsons, said of his own intelligence: “I’m not stupid. But I’m no genius.”

The remark was made back in 2011 during an interview with The Early Show, but it’s unlikely that the answer has changed. According to Big Bang Theory lore, Sheldon has an IQ of 187, which is considerably higher than the considered average IQ of 100.

“Sheldon isn’t Sheldon off the TV, he’s Jim,” one fan commented online. “Jim does not have to be that genius because he is acting as that character. Sheldon isn’t real, on that show anyway, though there are people as brilliant and intelligent, less the quirky though.

“Jim has a Master’s degree in Classical Theater, so he studied theater, as an actor might, but a scientist wouldn’t. Sheldon has five degrees including two doctorates. Sheldon was a prodigy. And Jim’s intelligence is not comparable to Sheldon’s genius or education. Jim’s brilliance is easily seen playing a brilliant character on a popular TV show.”

Young Sheldon star Iain Armitage hasn’t publicly commented on the question, although fans have assumed a similar answer for him. However, according to eTalk, Armitage is fluent in Russian and got his start as a theater critic before moving over to the world of acting. He also has another similar trait to his character: he is also a twin.

While you wait for the next episode, you can catch up with our other Sheldon content, like our Season 7 theories, filming locations, how to watch Season 7 outside the US, and when Season 7 will be coming to Netflix.

You can also check out all the best new TV shows coming out this month.