Young Sheldon’s George Actor Spotted on the Set of the New Spinoff

Young Sheldon actor Lance Barber was on the set of the new spin-off series Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage, but not for the reason you think. Barber, who played family patriarch George Cooper Sr. in Young Sheldon, was recently featured in a picture posted by actress Raegan Revord on her Instagram. In the picture, Revord (who plays Georgie’s sister Missy Cooper) posed with Barber and actor Montana Jordan (who plays Georgie) on the set of Georgie & Mandy.

The spinoff, which premieres October 17 on CBS, is currently in production, and the image led many fans to believe Barber may be there to reprise his role as George Sr. in the series. That seemed a bit far-fetched, particularly since his character died in the final season, a death that had previously been mentioned in The Big Bang Theory, so the prequel series had to address it. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Barber could appear in the series in a flashback, but TVLine later confirmed that he was only there for a set visit.

Perhaps the biggest clue that Barber wasn’t on hand for a flashback was his appearance. His hair has gone white, and he grew a beard, which is gray and black. It’s a far different look from his Young Sheldon days, making it unlikely he was there for a cameo. As it turns out, he was just there as a TV dad visiting his TV kids on their new venture. Revord’s Instagram post is below, and you’ll have to swipe to the end of the pictures to see Barber.

The series, as the title suggests, follows Georgie (Jordan) and Mandy (Emily Osment) in the early days of their marriage, which is doomed for failure, as The Big Bang Theory has already established. Revord had previously predicted success for the third series in the “Sheldon TV Universe,” especially with the same creative team and many members of the Young Sheldon cast returning.

What We Know About Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage

Georgie & Mandy seemingly picks up immediately after the end of Young Sheldon, with the couple trying to navigate married life and a baby at their Texas home, with the help of their parents. The series initially only had Jordan and Osment reprising their roles, but producers later announced that Will Sasso and Rachel Bay Jones were returning to play Mandy’s parents, Jim and Audrey.

On the Cooper family side, Zoe Perry and Annie Potts will return as Mary and Connie Cooper, although it is not known if they will be guest stars or series regulars. With Sheldon at Caltech at this point in the story, it is not clear if Iain Armitage will appear at some point.

Barber may be best known for playing George Sr., but his acting career goes back as far as 2001, when he appeared in an episode of ER. He also appeared in the films For Your Consideration (2006), Leatherheads (2008), and Gangster Squad (2013). His television credits include Californication, Monk, Justified, The Comeback, and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. He appeared in The Big Bang Theory in two roles, as George Sr. in a 12th season 2018 episode, and in a fifth season episode in 2011, as Sheldon’s high school bully.