Mar 21, 2026 11:28am PT

Simon Helberg on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ Pilot – ‘The Audience Laughed for a Minute and a Half’ – and Avoiding Turtlenecks Since It Wrapped: ‘But I Still Hide My Neck. It’s Hideous Over There’

Marta Balaga

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Marta Balaga

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Simon Helberg at Series Mania Credit: Arnaud Loots/Series Mania

Simon Helberg almost missed out on “The Big Bang Theory.”

“I went: ‘Thank you, I don’t need to do another pilot. I played enough nerds and now I work with Aaron Sorkin’.’ Smart.”

At the time, he had a recurring role in “Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.” “I didn’t really care. They already had another pilot the previous year, very dark and without our characters. This time, it was clear it went very well – they wanted me to test and I said no. Chuck Lorre called, so I asked Aaron Sorkin for permission. He wrote me an email that I still have: ‘You ungrateful piece of… Just kidding’.”