The show's main man admits he felt awful for most of its 12-year run. He made this evident after stepping away in the late 2010s for good. Parsons collected major paychecks each season but labeled the job emotionally costly. Being recognized wore him down, he said, and playing the character hurt too. He kept noticing his own flaws in the character on a daily basis. For this reason, he will never try sitcom work again.