Simon Helberg

Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980) is an American actor and comedian. Helberg is best known for his role as Howard Wolowitz in the sitcom The Big Bang Theory. He was also a member of the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv for one season.

Helberg was born to a Jewish family in Los Angeles, California, the son of actor Sandy Helberg. He attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts where he trained at the Atlantic Theater Company.

Helberg is one half of the comedy duo Derek & Simon, with his comedy partner Derek Waters. The two most recently starred together in the web series Derek & Simon: The Show on the comedy website Super Deluxe, which they created with comedian Bob Odenkirk.

Helberg officially joined the cast of MADtv in 2002, as a feature performer, for the eighth season. Helberg’s tenure on MADtv was limited to only one season. At the end of season eight, his contract was not renewed.

Helberg appeared in the 2002 feature film National Lampoon’s 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 Quintuplets, episode 6, Get a Job; as a man called Neil working behind the counter at a shoe shop where Paige and Patton were working.

He also played a small role in the film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story as a Jewish record producer.

In 2004 he appeared in the film A Cinderella Story starring Hilary Duff and Chad Michael Murray, Helberg played the minor role of Terry.

From 2006 to 2007, he had a minor supporting role as Alex Dwyer in the drama Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

In 2006, Helberg appeared in a series of comical TV commercials for Richard Branson’s UK financial services company Virgin Money.

In 2005 he had a bit part on Arrested Development as Jeff, an employee of the film studio where Maeby works.

Beginning in 2007, Helberg played Howard Wolowitz, a geeky nerd in the comedy series The Big Bang Theory.

He also 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 2009, the Cohen brothers’ film A Serious Man, where he played junior Rabbi Scott Ginzler.