The Big Bang Theory, wouldn’t be the same without the creepy-but-loveable character Howard Wolowitz. Simon Helberg played the comic book loving, vespa riding engineer throughout the series. What has he been up to since the show ended? Let’s see how Helberg has fared since hanging up his turtlenecks.
Background info
Born in Los Angeles on December 9th, 1980 to German actor Sandy Helberg and Harriet B. Helberg, a casting director, it seemed Simon Helberg was destined to be in the spotlight.
Just another middle and high school student at Crossroads School in Santa Monica, Simon was raised in the Jewish faith. His grandparents on his father’s side survived the Holocaust and made it to the United States after WWII.
Through his wife Jocelyn (through her French mother) Simon was able to obtain his French citizenship for a role in 2021.
Simon knew he wanted to be an actor from a young age, and like a lot of actors, attended the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University under the training of the Atlantic Theatre Company. His high school buddy turned college roommate was Jason Ritter.
Acting Career
For Simon, the love of acting all started in 1999 with his first roles in small guest spots here and there, perfecting his ability as a sketch comedian and character performer. His first acting credit was in the 1999 movie Mumford.
From 2000 to 2007 Simon worked nonstop, appearing in movies like National Lampoon’s Van Wilder alongside Ryan Reynolds in 2001 to Will Ferrell’s comedy hit Old School in 2003. In 2001 alone Helberg made guest appearances on five different TV shows including Popular and Undeclared.
His longer stints include five episodes on the comedy sketch show that wasn’t SNL, MADtv, from 2002 to 2003, four episodes on the Friends spinoff show Joey from 2004 to 2006, and a bigger 14-role episode stay on the Aaron Sorkin dramedy Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip from 2006 to 2007.
The Big Bang Theory
In 2007 Simon got the role that will undoubtedly be his most recognized. He played the not-a-doctor aerospace mechanical engineer Howard Wolowitz. His character was in all 279 of 279 episodes of the show across the 12 seasons that aired.
He technically wasn’t in one episode, if you count the fact that he was not in the original unaired pilot. He would starred in the show alongside Johnny Galecki, Kunal Nayyer, Kaley Cuoco, Melissa Rauch and Jim Parsons.
Wolowitz provided main character Sheldon with a moving target for his smarty-pants comments and a more loyal friend to characters Leonard and Raj.
Initially the creeper of the group, Howard calms down (just a little) when they introduced a partner to him in the form of adorable but loud Bernadette.
Money talks
Off screen, like on most mega-hit shows, the cast renegotiated their salary a few times as the series grew in popularity. Earning $100,000 per episode in the early 2010s, Helberg’s contract upped him to around a mid-six-figure number in 2014.
Though still not making what the other main characters were making, Simon, along with Nayyar (Raj), were able to renegotiate again to get on board with Parson, Galecki, and Cuoco’s one million per episode deal.
To allow room for the female co-stars who were helping to carry the show into seasons 10 and beyond, Helberg (and the rest of the main cast) took a ten percent pay cut to make room for Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch to increase their salaries.
What else he did do during his Big Bang Theory run?
Even during his Big Bang days, Simon was all over doing other projects. He put out a web-based series in 2007 called Derek and Simon with his friend Derek Waters. From 2011 until 2016 Simon voiced the character Bian Zao for the TV series based on the movies, Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness.
In 2014 Simon made his directorial debut while working with his wife Jocelyn on the movie We’ll Never Have Paris, where he also wrote and produced the film. Helberg then got to work with the one and only Meryl Streep in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins. Lucky guy.
What is Simon Helberg doing now?
(photo: Mayim Bialik)
Can you still see Helberg on the screen these days? Absolutely! Since wearing Wolowitz’s belt buckles and bowl cut for the last time in 2019, he’s been on screens big and small as well as adding theatre to his resume.
Since 2010 Helberg has been performing theatre at the L.A. Theatre Works in Los Angeles. From the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying in 2010 to A Midsummer Night’s Dream to It’s a Wonderful Life in 2021, Simon has been scratching his stage itch.
As far as movies go, Simon starred in the romantic musical with Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard, Annette.
His next movie was actually written, produced, and directed by his Big Bang costar Mayim Bialik. The 2022 drama As They Made Us put Helberg with amazing talents like Candice Bergen and Dustin Hoffman.
As if Simon wasn’t getting enough of the most fun opportunities with the best casts, in 2022 he was in Space Oddity, which was directed by Kyra Sedgwick and also starred her husband Kevin Bacon, putting Helberg only one degree away from greatness.
On the small screen, Simon got the chance to reprise the role that made fandoms fun – sort of. On the spinoff of The Big Bang, Young Sheldon, Helberg did a voice-over as Wolowitz for the episode “An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel.”
Where to see him next
Simon is in an upcoming series that we cannot wait to watch. With a completely amazing cast including Natasha Lyonne, Megan Suri, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, you can catch Helberg in Poker Face sometime soon in 2022.
Moving houses
If you were in the market for a slice of Hollywood real estate stardom, Simon put his Los Feliz Oaks Spanish Colonial estate up for sale earlier this year after purchasing an English Tudor Revival pad in Pasadena.
Personal Life
In July of 2007, Simon married Jocelyn Towne, a fellow actress who also happens to be the niece of award-winning screenwriter Robert Towne.
Jocelyn is a pretty big powerhouse in her own right, having written, directed, produced, and acted in various projects. Her latest time on screen was in two episodes of the hit dramedy The Kominski Method.
Simon and Jocelyn have two children, each born during Awards Season, proving to be lucky charms for Simon.
His daughter Adeline was born in May of 2012, and his son Wilder was born in 2014, both right around the time Simon and The Big Bang crew were nominated for SAG Awards.
With nothing but good things happening to and for Simon, we can’t wait to see what projects we’ll see him in next.
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