With 12 seasons and more than 270 episodes, The Big Bang Theory became CBS’s most popular and longest-running sitcom of all time. Week to week, viewers would sit down to get a glimpse into the life of four socially awkward friends (Leonard, Sheldon, Howard, and Raj), an aspiring actress Penny. The show was so successful that it even spawned a spin-off series titled Young Sheldon that’s already become a fan favorite.
On more than one occasion, TBBT took inspiration from real life. For example, one of the series’ most iconic characters, Sheldon Cooper, was based on a real-life person who one of the show’s co-creators met back in the 80s. But that’s not the only connection of TBBT with real life. In fact, Simon Helberg revealed that he lived on his character’s storylines in real-life at the same time it was happening on the show!
Simon Helberg Almost Didn’t Appear in The Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory wasn’t Simon Helberg’s first professional acting gig. Before starring in this popular sitcom, the actor had appeared on the sketch comedy series MADtv, and in films such as A Cinderella Story (2004), George Clooney’s Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007).
Even though playing Howard Wolowitz on TBBT is Helberg’s most iconic role to date, the actor almost didn’t appear on this show! During an appearance on the "Plot Twist" podcast, Helberg revealed that he initially turned down the role of Howard when he was first offered it! All because he was working on another show at the time.
"'Big Bang' came around, and I was like, 'I'm on the show, it's an amazing group of people, and I'm not going to audition,'" the actor explained. "I don't want to lose the thing I have, and I've done enough pilots that haven't gone anywhere and played enough nerdy characters."
Although it's unclear exactly which series Helberg is referring to in this interview, there are two possible options. Around this time, Helberg was starring in Aaron Sorkin's Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip as well as portraying Simon in Derek and Simon, a web series he co-created with actor and comedian Derek Waters.
Luckily for TBBT fans, Helberg decided to take a chance with this new character, and it paid off.
"I was convinced by my agent to go in for The Big Bang Theory, and it was ... the first thing I'd ever been a part of that actually aired!"
Helberg would go on to play Howard Wolowitz for over a decade throughout TBBT’s 12 seasons, quickly becoming a fan favorite. Plus, in 2013, he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in this popular series.
Simon Helberg Revealed That His Circumstances Were Very Similar On And Off Camera At One Point
The character of Howard Wolowitz played an important role in Simon Helberg’s life. After all, he played this character from 2007 to 2019, and he went through many life and career changes during this time. So, it’s no wonder that, at one point in his character’s storylines, Simon was going through the same thing in real life that Howard was experiencing in the show.
In a 2014 interview for Daman, Helberg talked about what he thought was the secret to The Big Bang Theory’s success and longevity.
“We have some fantastic writers on the show that we are very grateful for and who definitely know our strengths as actors,” the actor explained. “There is also a chicken-and-egg thing going on. For example, when Howard was getting married to Bernadette on the show, my actual wife Jocelyn was pregnant, so there have been a few things like that, which just seemed to fit.”
So, in a sense, Helberg got to grow and mature in a very similar way as his TBBT character did. Which could explain why Helberg’s performance in the show’s last seasons was so phenomenal and heartfelt.
This Is What Simon Helberg Has Been Up to Since The Big Bang Theory Came To An End
The end of The Big Bang Theory was a huge shock for the fans, but also for the cast and crew. Despite this, Simon Helberg thought that it was a good decision to end the show after 12 seasons.
“It was time to say goodbye. I think that’s a healthy thing. I don’t think that means that you’re going to have an easy go of it. But it feels like we’ve said all we could say. And I think that’s something we can all be proud of," Helberg told TV Line.
Following the abrupt end of TBBT, Helberg took a break from Hollywood for a while but reentered the acting world with the musical drama Annette (2021), in which he starred opposite Adam Driver. Since then, he’s made small appearances as a narrator on Young Sheldon and appeared in the movie Space Oddity (2022) and the TV series Poker Face.
