Curious no more: Simon Helberg tackles a major mystery from The Big Bang Theory
Simon Helberg finally tackles a lingering The Big Bang Theory mystery — and his take on Howard Wolowitz could change how you see the character.
Asked yet again on the official The Big Bang Theory YouTube channel, Simon Helberg said he never asked anyone in the writers’ room what, exactly, was in Howard’s father’s letter—and that the production never wrote a definitive version for him to play. As far as he’s concerned, the mystery works better unsolved.
"I wasn't going to ask because it doesn't exist in the in reality, and it's sort of, you know, I could play into that," Helberg said on The Big Bang Theory YouTube channel.
On the show, the letter from Howard’s estranged dad was a recurring thread that was referenced but never shown or read aloud. Helberg added that only writer Steven Molaro knows what he imagined it might say. Even whether Bernadette ever learned the contents is left fuzzy in the story, he noted, joking he could ask Molaro over dinner someday—if he ever really wants to know.
Who watched, and why
Helberg also shared how the sitcom hit people at unexpected moments. He recalled Billy Crystal pulling him aside at a party shortly after Robin Williams died. Crystal had been traveling when the news broke and, mid-flight, turned to the show; Helberg said watching an episode helped Crystal process the loss in a way little else could.
- Mark Hamill — Tuned in at first to support Helberg, then kept up so faithfully he’d plan treadmill sessions overseas around new episodes.
- Selena Gomez — Posted about her love for Sheldon Cooper with such enthusiasm that writers briefly floated bringing her onto the show.
All of it came up during a fan Q&A on The Big Bang Theory YouTube channel—where Helberg kept the letter closed but confirmed the room once even toyed with casting Gomez.