Simon Helberg facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Simon Helberg
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Helberg at PaleyFest in 2013 for The Big Bang Theory
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| Born |
Simon Maxwell Helberg
December 9, 1980 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
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| Education | New York University (BFA) |
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| Years active | 1999–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Jocelyn Towne
(m. 2007) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is most famous for playing the funny and brilliant aerospace engineer Howard Wolowitz on the popular TV show The Big Bang Theory from 2007 to 2019.
For his role as Howard, Helberg won a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He also earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role as the pianist Cosmé McMoon in the 2016 movie Florence Foster Jenkins. Besides acting, Helberg is a talented pianist and has appeared in many other movies and TV shows.
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Early Life and Education
Simon Helberg was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Sandy Helberg, is an actor, and his mother, Harriet Helberg, is a casting director, which means she helps choose actors for roles. He was raised in a Jewish family.
For middle and high school, Helberg went to the Crossroads School in Santa Monica. One of his classmates was Jason Ritter, who would later become his college roommate. After high school, Helberg moved to New York City to study at New York University's famous Tisch School of the Arts. There, he trained in acting at the Atlantic Theater Company.
Acting Career
Early Work and Comedy
In the early 2000s, Helberg started his career by performing sketch comedy with his friend Derek Waters. They were known as the comedy duo "Derek & Simon." They even created their own web series called Derek and Simon: The Show in 2007 with the help of comedian Bob Odenkirk.
Helberg's first TV job was as a cast member on the sketch comedy show MADtv for one season in 2002. He also had small parts in movies like Van Wilder (2002) and Old School (2003). He appeared in several TV shows, including Reno 911! and Arrested Development.
Breakthrough with The Big Bang Theory
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In 2007, Helberg got the role that would make him a star: Howard Wolowitz in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He played the character for all 12 seasons of the show. Howard was known for his colorful turtlenecks, funny jokes, and his journey from a quirky engineer living with his mom to an astronaut, husband, and father.
The show was a huge success, and in 2018, Forbes magazine listed Helberg as one of the world's highest-paid TV actors.
Movie Roles and Other Projects
While working on The Big Bang Theory, Helberg also appeared in several films. He played a junior rabbi in the Coen brothers' movie A Serious Man (2009).
One of his most praised roles was in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins. He starred alongside famous actors Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant. Helberg played the pianist Cosmé McMoon. To prepare for the role, he practiced piano for months. His performance was so good that he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award.
More recently, he starred in the musical film Annette (2021) with Adam Driver.
Personal Life
Helberg married actress Jocelyn Towne on July 7, 2007. Her uncle is the famous screenwriter Robert Towne. Simon and Jocelyn have two children, a daughter and a son.
Helberg is good friends with actor Jason Ritter, whom he has known since he was 12. They attended college together and still enjoy working on projects together.
To get his role in the French-directed film Annette, Helberg became a French citizen. His wife, Jocelyn, already had French citizenship because her mother is from France. This allowed him to work on the movie, which opened the famous 2021 Cannes Film Festival.
Selected Filmography
Helberg has acted in many movies and television shows. Here are some of his most well-known roles.
Film
- Van Wilder (2002) - as Vernon
- Old School (2003) - as Jerry
- A Cinderella Story (2004) - as Terry
- Good Night, and Good Luck (2005) - as a CBS page
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) - as Dreidel L'Chaim
- A Serious Man (2009) - as Rabbi Scott Ginsler
- We'll Never Have Paris (2014) - as Quinn Berman (He also directed and wrote this film)
- Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - as Cosmé McMoon
- Annette (2021) - as The Accompanist
- As They Made Us (2022) - as Nathan
Television
- MADtv (2002–2003) - as various characters
- Joey (2004–2006) - as Seth Tobin
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006–2007) - as Alex Dwyer
- The Big Bang Theory (2007–2019) - as Howard Wolowitz
- Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) - as Moist
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011–2016) - as Bian Zao (voice)
- The Tom and Jerry Show (2014) - as Napoleon (voice)
- Young Sheldon (2021) - as Howard Wolowitz (voice)
- Poker Face (2023–2025) - as FBI Agent Luca Clark
See also
In Spanish: Simon Helberg para niños
