Iain Armitage is soaring to new heights now that his time playing Sheldon Cooper is behind him.
The former child star, who celebrated his 17th birthday on Tuesday, July 15, is best known for his starring role in Young Sheldon, the hit CBS sitcom spinoff of The Big Bang Theory. However, since the show wrapped on May 16, 2024, Armitage has found a surprising new passion.
In an interview with People, Armitage first revealed that he loves flying planes. “I just got my pilot’s license, or my student pilot’s license,” he told the outlet. “I hopefully will get my private [pilot’s license] when I’m 17. And I’ve been having a bunch of fun flying while I’m here in L.A.”
Now that he’s turned 17, the Big Little Lies alum is eligible for his private pilot’s license, though he hasn’t yet revealed if he’s taken the test. However, he has shared his pilot training journey with his social media followers in the past.
In July 2024, Armitage noted he’d taken his first solo flight in a plane. “I’m grateful to everyone who helped me make this a possibility. Thank you to Jean, Sergio, Mitch, Evan and especially to Ruby, Amelia and Larry! This was one of the very best days of my life!! Also thank you to Brian for pulling over to get the picture of me flying!” he wrote.
He also revealed he marked his 16th birthday by taking his grandmother on a flight with him in the pilot’s seat. “She was surprisingly completely calm and collected. I was very, very impressed,” told People, quipping that he “was flying such precious cargo.”
Armitage said his grandmother had just one hesitation, explaining, “Her biggest fear was having to climb up on the wing of the Piper [plane] to get in,” adding, “[After that] we had the best time. And then we had a wonderful dinner that evening as well with a bunch of friends and family, which was great.”
After playing Sheldon Cooper for seven seasons, Armitage said he’s been enjoying taking a break. However, he stated, “I would love to get back into [acting]. So, I’m definitely doing auditions and stuff… I’ve been having a bunch of fun flying while I’m here in L.A. I’m gonna be doing some more flying, which can be a lot of fun, hopefully some movies and TV soon, we’ll see.”