Big Bang Theory star, Jim Parsons, has pink things in store. The actor sat down with The Hollywood Reporter and reflected on his career, ending the interview with a surprise! Parsons will be voicing the iconic Snagglepuss in an upcoming Hanna-Barbera animated series! Parsons commented on the character having an impact on his life as “probably the first gay totem” of his life.

Snagglepuss is one of many in the famous Hanna-Barbera lineup of colorful characters. Voiced by Daws Butler, the pink mountain lion made his first appearance in a short in The Quick Draw McGraw Show in 1959. From there, he would make several other appearances in other shows, slowly climbing up the ladder until he earned the name Snagglepuss and began starring in his own shorts. His big break was as a regular segment in the 1961 series The Yogi Bear Show.

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Like most of the Hanna-Barbera characters, Snagglepuss had several unique quirks and mannerisms. He was a fan of the theater (and the spotlight that came with it). The character’s voice was heavily inspired by actor Bert Lahr, particularly his performance as The Cowardly Lion in the silver screen classic The Wizard of Oz. Though when Snagglepuss began to make himself the face of Kellogg’s, Lahr had something to say. Lahr took legal action against the commercials, stating that he didn’t want audiences to think he endorsed the product due to the voice. The commercials then put a disclaimer at the end of every commercial, crediting Daws Butler as the voice of Snagglepuss.

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As iconic as the Hanna-Barbera gang are, the years haven’t been as kind to them compared to competitors such as Mickey Mouse and his friends. Though the characters have had their fair share of revisions. One reboot in particular shined a spotlight on the old fan theory that Snagglepuss was gay. This was in the comic miniseries Exit, Stage Left!: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, which was part of DC Comics’s Hanna-Barbera Beyond initiative. The series followed Snagglepuss, a gay playwright in the 1950s who is accused of being a communist. The gritty, political story was praised by critics, and won a GLAAD Award for Outstanding Comic Book in 2019.

It hasn’t been all drama for the lovable pink cat. Snagglepuss soon joined the rest of the gang in the 2021 cartoon series Jellystone!. Voiced by Dana Snyder, Snagglepuss makes frequent appearances, both as a member of city hall and at Jellystone News Studio. The series was released its second season in March 2022 and has since been renewed for an additional 40 episodes.

While there are currently no details on what this new series is about, Jim Parsons voicing the role could mean anything! Parsons has a long history in comedy, particularly with The Big Bang Theory. But the actor has also been stepping into more serious roles and scripts such as 2019’s The Boys in the Band, 2019’s Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, and the upcoming Spoiler Alert.