Howard Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory has gained cult status among audiences worldwide thanks to Simon Helberg’s unabashed and hilarious portrayal of the character. Over 12 seasons, Helberg along with his co-stars, became the most watched celebrities on television, with the sitcom becoming a sensational hit with viewers.
While Helberg knew that he had signed on for something special with The Big Bang Theory, the actor did not gauge the extent of his stardom or the show’s huge reach until he experienced the frenzy firsthand at the airport along with the cast during one of their promotional travels.
Simon Helberg And His Co-Stars Were Mobbed At The Airport
While The Big Bang Theory gave Jim Parsons one of his most memorable roles in television, it also cemented Simon Helberg’s place as a promising comedic actor to watch out for. Helberg who played Howard Wolowitz in the show, confessed that he could not predict the superstardom that the series would eventually give him and the other actors as well.
The celebrity appeared with his co-stars on Late Night with Stephen Colbert and spoke about one of the key moments when it finally dawned on him that the show and the actors were a global phenomenon. Recalling the incident, Helberg spoke of the cast’s journey to New Mexico for which they were provided with armed guards. What followed was beyond his wildest dreams.
“We landed, and we all got off the plane. And people were just running after us at the airport. And then we were on the cover of the paper the next day”
While Helberg jokingly referred to the papers calling him ‘el nerdo’, he confessed that seeing the love from people all over the world for his character was a humbling experience.
Simon Helberg Almost Did Not Do The Big Bang Theory
It is difficult to imagine anyone other than Simon Helberg for the role of Howard Wolowitz in the blockbuster sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. The actor who embodied every nuance of the character to perfection, almost made the biggest mistake of his life by initially refusing to sign on for the show. Speaking to the Plot Twist podcast, Helberg recalled the situations that led to him refusing the part, which included another acting commitment 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’. 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.”
But as fate and luck would have it, the stars aligned in favor of Helberg who eventually got on board, and the rest, as they say, is history. The Big Bang Theory remains the actor’s biggest gig to date.
