Iain Armitage, the star of Young Sheldon, has shared a photo of himself posing with The Big Bang Theory's famous painting of Amy and Penny. As a prequel spinoff of the original series, Young Sheldon frequently makes direct reference to The Big Bang Theory. In addition to showing younger versions of many of the same characters, actors from the parent show, including Kaley Cuoco and Mayim Bialik, have provided voiceover cameos. Additionally, Young Sheldon has teased events that occurred on The Big Bang Theory, such as Sheldon winning the Nobel Prize.
Of course, there hasn't been time for Young Sheldon to reference everything that happened throughout The Big Bang Theory's twelve seasons. For example, the spinoff hasn't mentioned one of the original show's most well-known gags: the painting of Amy and Penny. In The Big Bang Theory episode "The Rothman Disintegration," Amy commissions the large painting to commemorate her friendship with Penny. However, Penny dislikes the painting, which Amy eventually figures out. To save their friendship, Penny winds up displaying it in a location unseen by the audience. The painting shows up again in a later episode, "The Property Division Collision," when Penny and Leonard move in together.
Armitage recently shared a photo of himself posing with the painting, presumably while at work on Young Sheldon. In the image, he stands between Amy and Penny with his character's signature slicked-back hair and snappy wardrobe. Check out Armitage's post below:
It's fun to see a star of The Big Bang Theory's spinoff posing with such an iconic piece of the show's history. Though it's interesting to imagine how the painting would be able to logically appear on Young Sheldon, it's more likely the art is on display near the spinoff series' set, allowing Armitage and others working there to go see it. It makes sense the painting is still around considering it's one of The Big Bang Theory's most popular gags.
Armitage is currently in the midst of filming Young Sheldon season 5, which is set to premiere on October 7. CBS has also renewed the series for an additional two seasons, so there will be plenty of time for the show to feature more direct nods to The Big Bang Theory. While the painting itself may not appear in the spinoff, it's clear Armitage enjoyed seeing it behind the scenes.
Source: Iain Armitage