'Too many jafas': US sitcom star takes cheeky jab at Auckland during trip

Author: Natasha Gordon,
Publish Date: Tue, 28 Jul 2026, 3:51pm

Iain Armitage, 18, who played Sheldon Cooper in the seven-season sitcom Young Sheldon, shared images of himself in New Zealand on social media.

A hit US television star who has been spotted enjoying several Auckland hotspots took a playful swipe at the locals.

Iain Armitage, 18, who played Sheldon Cooper in the seven-season sitcom Young Sheldon, shared images of his time on Kiwi soil on social media.

The actor from The Big Bang Theory spinoff prequel, which ran until 2017, captioned the images: “Yeah, Auckland’s cool but too many jafas”.

His pictures showed his adventures at multiple volcanoes, including Mt Eden and Mt Victoria.

Another image was taken from the top of Auckland’s Sky Tower, and another showed him holding two woven flax flowers.

Armitage is also known for playing Ziggy Chapman in Big Little Lies and voicing Chase in PAW Patrol: The Movie.

The young actor was also spotted after he visited Te Papa yesterday alongside The Lord of the Rings and X-Men star Sir Ian McKellen.

“From Middle-earth to Te Papa, thank you both for making our day! Our cafe team won’t be forgetting this visit anytime soon,” Te Papa wrote on Facebook.

This comes just days after Sydney Sweeney and Scooter Braun shared a glimpse into their New Zealand getaway.

In a series of clips shared to Instagram at the weekend, the famous pair can be seen strapped together for a tandem bungy jump in Queenstown.

The couple’s holiday appeared to be adrenaline-fuelled, with helicopter rides, high-speed jetboat thrills and claybird shooting.

According to Page Six, the Euphoria star has been filming a Netflix project in Australia.

In recent months, other Hollywood luminaries have flocked to New Zealand, including James Bond star Pierce Brosnan.

Jack Black, Kirsten Dunst, Jennifer Coolidge and Jason Momoa were also spotted in May.

Jack Black was seen waving to a crowd of onlookers from the main street of Thames.

Many of the celebrities were thought to be in town for the sequel Minecraft Movie (2025), which had begun filming in Huntly and various other locations across New Zealand.

Production officially began at the end of April and is expected to take several months, with the film’s theatre release slated for July 23 next year.