Simon Helberg recently revealed he'd love to go back to The Big Bang Theory's pilot, if only so he could enjoy the ride. I'm surprised to hear what the star had to say about his time on the show, especially given the franchise's continued relevance.
The Big Bang Theory ultimately became one of the most successful modern television shows of all time, and has spurred a few spinoffs, two of which are coming to the 2026 TV schedule later this year. It's wild to think there was ever a time where TBBT wasn't considered a pop culture phenomenon, but as Helberg recently revealed on The Big Bang Theory Podcast, he was "living in a state of fear" throughout most of the run, and wished he could go back and enjoy it:
In many ways, I wish I could sort of do it all again because you're living constantly in a state of fear, really. I think just that it's not going to last, that it's not good, that maybe they wanted 'Kevin' instead of you. No, I mean, but but all of these things honestly, like feeling kind of impostery in some way and just also an inability to like to take it in, which is also I think part of the recipe for success... I would just like [to revisit] that night that pilot [shot]. What were we before we went out. I'm sure we got introduced before we did it, and you were running up and down the stairs and screaming probably the first curtain call. That was just a special, special night [where] we were all kind of like, whoa, you know?
It's funny to read, especially for those who know that Helberg almost passed on auditioning for a role because he was tired of playing a geek. He even had plans to start a boy band, but fortunately, fate had other plans. And now many people will forever remember him as Howard Wolowitz.
I'm shocked to see Simon Helberg say he was stressed about The Big Bang Theory ending throughout most of its run, but it's not something unique to him. Actor Mark Harmon recently confessed he was shocked to see NCIS still on the air after years of struggles with the ratings, and the show seemingly at the mercy of network heads wondering if it's worth renewing.
While television success is fleeting in nature, it's also possible actors are led to believe behind-the-scenes there is a chance the show, or their time on it, is in jeopardy. After all, studios have to negotiate contracts with actors and their agents, which doesn't really give them a ton of bargaining power to flat-out say "The show is a hit" if they want a favorable deal keeping their talent onboard.
He may not be able to actually travel back to the past, but maybe Simon Helberg can mimic that should Howard return in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. With the wild premise centered around Stuart traveling the multiverse and running into other versions of himself and his friends, it seems probable he'll eventually run into Howard.
I would love to see that happen, especially considering The Big Bang Theory featured a storyline in which Stuart dated Howard's mom. I'd love to see that touched on again in another context, and the unique way the series could tackle it.
For now, Howard Wolowitz lives on via streaming, with episodes of The Big Bang Theory available with an HBO Max subscription. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we'll see him again in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, but we'll have to wait and see!
