Simon Helberg
| Simon Helberg | |
|---|---|
 Helberg at PaleyFest 2013 for The Big Bang Theory | |
| Born |
Simon Maxwell Helberg December 9, 1980 Los Angeles, United States |
| Alma mater | Tisch School of Arts |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, musician[1][2] |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Television | The Big Bang Theory |
| Religion | Judaism (Conservative, and Reform later in life) |
| Spouse(s) | Jocelyn Towne (m. 2007) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
Sandy Helberg (father) Harriet B. Helberg (mother) |
| Relatives | Mason Helberg (brother) |
Simon Maxwell Helberg[3] (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor, comedian, and musician, best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory.
He has appeared on the sketch comedy series MADtv and is also known for his role as Moist in Joss Whedon's web miniseries Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog.
Early life
Helberg was born on December 9, 1980, in Los Angeles.[3] He is the son of actor Sandy Helberg and casting director[4] Harriet Helberg.[3] He was raised in Judaism, "Conservative to Reform but more Reform as time went on."[5]
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.[6] He attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts,[7] where he trained at the Atlantic Theater Company.[4]
Career
Since the early 2000s, Helberg performed with comedian Derek Waters as the sketch comedy duo Derek & Simon.[8] In 2007, the two starred together in Derek & Simon: The Show, a web series they created with comedian Bob Odenkirk for the comedy website Super Deluxe. They also 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 2006–07, 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,[5][9] in the CBS comedy series The Big Bang Theory.
He appeared as the character Moist in Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, and had a small role in the pilot 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.[10]
Personal life
Helberg married actress Jocelyn Towne on July 15, 2007.[11] Towne's uncle is screenwriter Robert Towne.[12] Their first child, daughter Adeline, was born on May 8, 2012.[13] A son, Wilder Towne Helberg, was born on April 23, 2014.[14]
On May 12, 2016, Helberg revealed on The Late Late Show with James Corden that he has a black belt in karate.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Mumford | College Roommate | |
| 2002 | Van Wilder | Vernon | |
| 2003 | Old School | Jerry | |
| 2004 | A Cinderella Story | Terry Andersons | |
| 2005 | Good Night, and Good Luck. | CBS page | |
| 2006 | Derek & Simon: A Bee and a Cigarette | Simon | Short film; also writer and producer |
| 2006 | The Pity Card | Simon | Short film; also writer and producer |
| 2006 | Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas | Al | |
| 2006 | The TV Set | TJ Goldman | |
| 2006 | For Your Consideration | Junior Agent | |
| 2007 | Careless | Stewart | |
| 2007 | Evan Almighty | Staffer | |
| 2007 | Mama's Boy | Rathkon | |
| 2007 | Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | Dreidel L'Chaim | |
| 2009 | A Serious Man | Rabbi Scott Ginsler | |
| 2011 | The Selling | Young Husband | |
| 2011 | Let Go | Frank | |
| 2013 | I Am I | Seth | Also executive producer |
| 2014 | We'll Never Have Paris | Quinn | Also director, writer and producer |
| 2015 | Hollywood Adventures | Translator | |
| 2016 | Florence Foster Jenkins | Cosmé McMoon |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Popular | Gus Latrine | Episode: "Coup" |
| 2001 | Cursed | Andy Tinker | Episode: "And then Jack Became the Voice of Cougars" |
| 2001 | Ruling Class | Fred Foster | Pilot |
| 2001 | Son of the Beach | Billy | Episode: "It's Showtime at the Apollo 13!" |
| 2001 | Undeclared | Jack | Episode: "Prototype" |
| 2002 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | The Spokesman | Episode: "Time After Time" |
| 2002 | The Funkhousers | Donnie Funkhouser | Pilot |
| 2002–2003 | MADtv | Various | 5 episodes |
| 2003 | Less than Perfect | Arthur | Episode: "It Takes a Pillage" |
| 2003 | Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales | Adam | Television special |
| 2004 | Quintuplets | Neil | Episode: "Get a Job" |
| 2004 | Reno 911! | Various | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Unscripted | Various | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Life on a Stick | Stan / Vinnie | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Arrested Development | Jeff | Episode: "Meat the Veals" |
| 2004–2006 | Joey | Seth Tobin | 4 episodes |
| 2006 | The Jake Effect | Bill Skidelsky | Episode: "Flight School" |
| 2006–2007 | Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Alex Dwyer | 14 episodes |
| 2007 | Derek and Simon | Simon | 13 Episodes; also co-creator, writer and producer |
| 2007 | The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman | Matt Menard | Episode: "Bad Luck Brad" |
| 2007–present | The Big Bang Theory | Howard Wolowitz | Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series (2013) Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series (2012–2015) Nominated—Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Male Scene Stealer (2010) |
| 2008 | Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog | Moist | 3 episodes |
| 2010 | The Guild | Kevinator- Official Game Master | Episode: "Guild Hall" |
| 2010–2012 | Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil | Ronaldo (voice) | |
| 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) | 3 episodes |
| 2015 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Simon Helberg Wears a Sky Blue Button Down and Jeans" |
References
- ↑ "Simon Helberg". Twitter. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- ↑ Goldberg, Lesley. "'Big Bang Theory's' Kate Micucci on Howard's 'Song for Bernadette': Simon Helberg 'Nailed It' in One Take (Video)". Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Simon Helberg". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
- 1 2 "The Big Bang Theory Cast: Simon Helberg". CBS. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- 1 2 Miller, Gerri (September 4, 2007). "Fall TV Preview: Simon Helberg". American Jewish Life. Archived from the original on October 2, 2013. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ↑ Lindhome, Riki. "Making It #1: Jason Ritter". Nerdist. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
- ↑ "Eight Tisch Alumni Nominated for 18th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Tisch School of the Arts. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ↑ Fox, Jesse David (September 1, 2015). "Bob Odenkirk Talks to Derek Waters About Drunk History, Drinking With David Simon, and the State of Sitcoms". Vulture.
- ↑ Quillard, Bobby (August 16, 2010). "Talk Nerdy to Me: Simon Helberg of The Big Bang Theory". Venus Zine. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
- ↑ "Florence Foster Jenkins". August 12, 2016 – via IMDb.
- ↑ Raz, Gali (March 12, 2014). "Simon Helberg Gets Together With His Real Life Wife Jocelyn Towne To Direct A Movie – On Their Romance". Jewish Business News. Archived from the original on July 12, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2015. Note: Webber, Us Weekly (below), gives marriage year as 2012.
- ↑ Bowerman, Jeanne Veillette (August 18, 2011). "Balls of Steel: I Am I ... and Then Some – Script Magazine". Scriptmag.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-09.
- ↑ Michaud, Sarah; Rizzo, Monica (January 27, 2012). "Baby on the Way for Simon Helberg". People. Retrieved January 27, 2012.
- ↑ Webber, Stephanie (June 24, 2014). "Simon Helberg and Wife Jocelyn Towne Welcome Second Child, Baby Boy Wilder Towne Helberg". Us Weekly. Retrieved January 4, 2015.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Simon Helberg. |