'The Big Bang Theory' star Jim Parsons expresses 'intense gratitude' in heartfelt noteAug 24 (AZINS) Actor Jim Parsons has written a heartfelt letter to the cast and crew of his comedy show "The Big Bang Theory" and expressed "intense gratitude" to viewers for making it popular.

The show is set to bow out with its finale season in 2019, producers Warner Bros Television and channel CBS announced this week. Sharing a picture with his fellow cast members Kaley Cuoco, Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch, the 45-year-old actor wrote a lengthy post on Instagram. "It is hard (really impossible, actually) to really accept that this is a picture of the first of the final 24 episodes we will shoot for 'The Big Bang Theory'. I feel very fortunate that we have another 23 episodes to shoot this season because I am hopeful that with each and every one, my level of REALLY accepting this fact will sink in.

"Something else I feel grateful for and this gratitude needs no time to 'sink in' or become more 'realized'; this grateful-feeling is always with me but is multiplied in this moment of us announcing our final season but I feel such intense gratitude for our devoted viewers who are the ACTUAL reason we have been graced with the opportunity to explore these characters for 12 years of our lives," Parsons wrote.

The actor also thanked his "warm and kind" crew and to the show writers for putting in their efforts to make the show a success. "I am so terribly grateful for the cast in this picture and the cast members who aren't pictured here whether they were in one scene or many episodes along the way; you are all my playmates that I have fallen in love with and who have become a part of my life on set and off," Parson said.

Parsons' post comes after a report claimed that the actor is responsible for putting an end to the long-running show. An Entertainment Weekly report said that the producers were planning to order two additional seasons of the show but Parsons chose to walk away.