Simon Maxwell Helberg (born December 9, 1980, Los Angeles, California 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 a member of the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv from 2002 to 2003, and had a supporting role in the sketch comedy based series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He has appeared in recurring roles in the series Reno 911!, Unscripted, Life on a Stick, and Joey.