Simon Helberg

Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. From 2007 to 2019, he played Howard Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory and won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role. His performance as Cosmé McMoon in the film Florence Foster Jenkins received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Helberg has also appeared on the sketch comedy series MADtv as a cast member in season 8 (2002–2003), and his other film roles including Old School (2003), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), A Serious Man (2009), and Annette (2021).

Early life Simon Maxwell Helberg was born on December 9, 1980, in Los Angeles.

Helberg attended middle and high school at the Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, with Jason Ritter, who later became his roommate at New York University. He attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he trained at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Career Since the early 2000s, Helberg performed with comedian Derek Waters as the sketch comedy duo Derek & Simon. In 2007, the two starred together in Derek and Simon: The Show, a web series they created with comedian Bob Odenkirk for the comedy website Super Deluxe. They previously made two short films "Derek & Simon: The Pity Card" (co-starring Zach Galifianakis and Bill Hader) and "Derek & Simon: A Bee and a Cigarette" (co-starring Casey Wilson and Emily Rutherfurd) and had a pilot deal with HBO in 2005. One of Helberg's earliest jobs in television was briefly joining the cast of MADtv for one season in 2002.

Helberg appeared in the 2002 feature film Van Wilder as one of the geeky students for whom Van Wilder was throwing a party. He had a minor role in the 2003 movie Old School. In 2004, he was in two episodes of Reno 911!: Student Driver in "Raineesha X" and Hooker Buying Son in "Not Without My Mustache". He had a small role in the sixth episode of Quintuplets, "Get a Job", as a man called Neil working behind the counter at a shoe shop where Paige and Patton were working.

In 2004, he appeared in the film A Cinderella Story, starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray. Helberg played the minor role of Simon in George Clooney's 2005 film Good Night, and Good Luck, where he had one line. In 2005, he had a bit part on Arrested Development as Jeff, an employee of the film studio where Maeby worked. From 2006 to 2007, he had a minor supporting role as Alex Dwyer in the drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. In 2006, he appeared in a series of comical TV commercials for Richard Branson's UK financial services company Virgin Money. He played a small role in the 2007 film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as a Jewish record producer.

In 2007, Helberg was cast as Howard Wolowitz, in the CBS comedy series The Big Bang Theory. Forbes placed him third in its world's highest-paid TV actors list in 2018 with his revenues rising to $23.5 million in that year.

He appeared as the character Moist in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and had a small role in the pilot episode of the Judd Apatow-produced sitcom Undeclared. In the 2009 Coen brothers film A Serious Man, he played junior Rabbi Scott Ginsler. He had a minor role in the season 4 finale of The Guild as one of the Game Masters.

In 2016, Helberg starred alongside Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins, directed by Stephen Frears; he played pianist Cosmé McMoon and his performance was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Not only did Helberg act in the film, he also played the piano. Helberg next starred in Annette opposite Adam Driver.

Personal life Helberg married actress Jocelyn Towne, the niece of screenwriter Robert Towne, on July 7, 2007. They have a daughter and a son.

Helberg has been friends with Nathan Hamill, son of actor Mark Hamill, since he was 9 years old. Helberg has been friends with actor Jason Ritter since he was 12 years old. They went to college together and continue to work together when given the opportunity.

Through his wife Jocelyn, who is a French citizen through her French mother, Helberg himself became a French citizen to obtain the role of the Conductor in French director Leos Carax's English-language debut Annette, which opened the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.

Filmography Film

Television Year Title Role Note2001 Popular Gus Latrine Episode: "Coup" Cursed Andy Tinker Episode: "And then Jack Became the Voice of Cougars" Ruling Class Fred Foster Episode: "Pilot" Son of the Beach Billy Episode: "It's Showtime at the Apollo 13!" Undeclared Jack Episode: "Prototype"2002 Sabrina, the Teenage Witch The Spokesman Episode: "Time After Time" The Funkhousers Donnie Funkhouser Episode: "Pilot" 2002–2003 MADtv Various 5 episodes2003 Less than Perfect Arthur Episode: "It Takes a Pillage" Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales Adam Television special2004 Quintuplets Neil Episode: "Get a Job" Reno 911! Hooker Buying Son / Student Driver 2 episodes 2004–2006 Joey Seth Tobin 4 episodes2005 Unscripted Simon / Casting Assistant 2 episodes Life on a Stick Vinnie Episode: "Liking Things the Way They Aren't" Arrested Development Jeff Episode: "Meat the Veals" 2006 The Jake Effect Bill Skidelsky Episode: "Flight School" 2006–2007 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip Alex Dwyer 14 episodes2007 Derek and Simon: The Show Simon Main role, 13 episodes, also co-creator, writer and producer The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman Matt Menard Episode: "Bad Luck Brad" 2007–2019 The Big Bang Theory Howard Wolowitz Main role, 279 episodes 2008 Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog Moist 3 episodes 2010 The Guild Kevinator Episode: "Guild Hall" 2010–2011 Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil Ronaldo (voice) 3 episodes 2011–2016 Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness Bian Zao (voice) 8 episodes 2013 Drunk History Frank Mason Robinson Episode: "Atlanta" 2014 The Tom and Jerry Show Napoleon (voice) 9 episodes 2015 Comedy Bang! Bang! Himself Episode: "Simon Helberg Wears a Sky Blue Button Down and Jeans"2021 Dug Days Squirrel (voice) Episode: "Science" Young Sheldon Howard Wolowitz (voice) Episode: "An Introduction to Engineering and a Glob of Hair Gel" 2023 American Dad! Dr. Revanche / Creep (voice) 3 episodes 2023–2025 Poker Face FBI Agent Luca Clark 5 episodes 2025 Night Court Spencer Episode: "A Decent Proposal" 2026 The Audacity Martin Phister

Theatre Year Title RoleNotes2010 Doctor Cerberus Franklin Robertson L.A. Theatre Works, Los Angeles, United States How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Bud Frump Reprise Theatre Company, Los Angeles, United States 2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Demetrius L.A. Theatre Works, Los Angeles, United States 2016 God of Carnage Alan L.A. Theatre Works, Los Angeles, United States2018 Lenin's Embalmers Boris L.A. Theatre Works, Los Angeles, United States It's a Wonderful Life George Bailey Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, United States 2021 The Murder on the Links Captain Hastings L.A. Theatre Works, Los Angeles, United States

Awards and nominations Year Award Nominated work Category Result 2010 Teen Choice Awards The Big Bang Theory Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer 2012 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2013 Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series 2013 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2014 2015 2015 Teen Choice Awards Choice TV: Chemistry 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2017 Golden Globe Awards Florence Foster Jenkins Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture 2017 Santa Barbara International Film Festival Virtuosos Award 2017 Screen Actors Guild Awards The Big Bang Theory Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series 2024Astra TV AwardsPoker FaceBest Guest Actor in a Comedy Series