Simon Helberg
Biography
Simon Helberg, born December 9, 1980 in Los Angeles, California, is an American actor, comedian and musician. He is best known for portraying Howard Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, which ran from 2007 to 2019 and earned him the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Helberg also played Cosmé McMoon in the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins, a performance that garnered a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. His film work includes roles in Old School (2003), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), A Serious Man (2009) and Annette (2021). He has appeared on the sketch‑comedy series MADtv.
Career overview
Simon Maxwell Helberg, born December 9 1980 in Los Angeles, California, is an American actor, comedian and musician. He began gaining recognition through guest appearances on the sketch‑comedy series MADtv before moving into feature films. Early film work includes supporting roles in Old School (2003), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007), and the Coen brothers’ drama A Serious Man (2009). He later returned to the screen in the musical drama Annette (2021).
Helberg’s most prominent television role is Howard Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, a part he inhabited from the series’ debut in 2007 through its final episode in 2019. His performance earned him the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. In cinema, he portrayed pianist Cosmé McMoon opposite Meryl Streep in Florence Foster Jenkins (2016), a role that brought a Golden Globe nomination for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture. Throughout his career, Helberg has worked across comedy and drama, establishing a versatile presence in both television and film. He is the son of actor Sandy Helberg and a mother who worked as a casting director, and he continues to be active in acting, writing and directing projects.
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Frequent co-stars
Career timeline
Full filmography
- The Audacity (2026) as Martin Phister
- For Worse (2026) as Mediator
- The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast (2026) as Self - Guest
- Guys Next Door (2025) as Les (voice)
- Poker Face (2023) as Luca Clark
- Space Oddity (2023) as Dimitry
- American Symphony (2023) as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
- As They Made Us (2022) as Nathan
- Dug Days (2021) as Squirrel (voice)
- Annette (2021) as The Accompanist
- Baby Annette, à l'impossible ils sont tenus (2021) as Self
- Elvis Goes There (2019) Executive Producer
- Unraveling the Mystery: A Big Bang Farewell (2019) as Self (archive footage)
- End of the Line (2018) as Little Man
- Young Sheldon (2017) as Howard Wolowitz (voice)
- Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) as Cosmé McMoon
- Paint It Black (2016) as Jeremy
- Must See TV: An All Star Tribute to James Burrows (2016) as Self
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015) as Self - Guest
- StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson (2015) as Self
- Hollywood Adventures (2015) as Translator
- The Tom and Jerry Show (2014) as Napoleon (voice)
- We'll Never Have Paris (2014) as Quinn
- We'll Never Have Paris (2014) Director
- We'll Never Have Paris (2014) Producer
- We'll Never Have Paris (2014) Writer
- Drunk History (2013) as Frank M. Robinson
- Norm Macdonald Live (2013) as Self
- I Am I (2013) as Seth
- Comedy Bang! Bang! (2012) as Self
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2011) as Bian Zao (voice)
- Let Go (2011) as Frank
- The Selling (2011) as Young Husband
- Conan (2010) as Self
- Conan (2010) as Self - Guest
- Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil (2010) as Ronaldo (voice)
- Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen (2009) as Self - Guest
- A Serious Man (2009) as Rabbi Scott
- Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) as Moist
- Commentary! The Musical (2008)
- The Big Bang Theory (2007) as Howard Wolowitz
- The Guild (2007) as Kevinator
- Evan Almighty (2007) as Staffer
- Mama's Boy (2007) as Rathkon
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007) as Dreidel L'Chaim
- Derek and Simon: The Show (2007)
- Derek and Simon: The Show (2007) Executive Producer
- Derek and Simon: The Show (2007) Screenplay
- Derek and Simon: The Show (2007) Creator
- Careless (2007) as Stewart
- Reporters (2007) as Shooter #5
- The TV Set (2007) as TJ Goldman
- The Making of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2007) as Self
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (2006) as Alex Dwyer
- The Jake Effect (2006) as Bill Skidelsky
- For Your Consideration (2006) as Junior Agent
- Bickford Shmeckler's Cool Ideas (2006) as Al
- The Pity Card (2006) as Simon
- The Pity Card (2006) Writer
- The Pity Card (2006) Producer
- Derek & Simon: A Bee and a Cigarette (2006) as Simon
- Derek & Simon: A Bee and a Cigarette (2006) Writer
- American Dad! (2005) as Dr. Revanche (voice)
- American Dad! (2005) as Creep (voice)
- The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (2005) as Self
- Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005) as CBS Page
- Life on a Stick (2005) as Vinnie
- Life on a Stick (2005) as Stan
- The Soup (2004) as Self
- Joey (2004) as Seth
- A Cinderella Story (2004) as Terry
- Quintuplets (2004) as Neil
- Arrested Development (2003) as Jeff
- Reno 911! (2003) as Student Driver
- Reno 911! (2003) as Hooker Buying Son
- Old School (2003) as Jerry
- Tracey Ullman in the Trailer Tales (2003) as Adam (DGA Trainee)
- Less than Perfect (2002) as Arthur
- National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002) as Vernon
- The Funkhousers (2002) as Donnie Funkhouser
- Undeclared (2001) as Jack
- Son of the Beach (2000) as Billy
- The Weber Show (2000) as Andy Tinker
- Popular (1999) as Gus Latrine
- Mumford (1999) as College Roommate
- Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996) as Spokesman
- Entertainment Tonight (1981) as Self
- Triumph of the Will