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Each of The Big Bang Theory characters is iconic in their own right, but there's only one fans knew and loved for her voice alone. Mrs. Wolowitz (a.k.a. Howard's mom) was voiced by Carol Ann Susi, and appeared — audibly — on 40 episodes of the CBS series, which was the number-one sitcom on TV for close to eight years running. The character was most famous for her unbeatable brisket, for her domineering approach to parenting, for coddling her son and his friends, and for almost never appearing on screen. The show's creators deliberately kept Mrs. Wolowitz to just her booming, New Jersey-accented voice — though they occasionally teased audiences with tantalizing glimpses. On episode 24 of The Big Bang Theory season 5, Mrs. Wolowitz can be seen dressed in pink among the guests at Howard (Simon Helberg) and Bernadette's (Melissa Rauch) wedding, as the camera spans away from the rooftop. And on season 6, episode 15, when Raj (Kunal Nayyar) visits Mrs. Wolowitz for one of her famously huge dinners, viewers can briefly see her through the kitchen doorway, walking back and forth wearing a floral dress. However, outside these two flashes, Mrs. Wolowitz is mostly left a mystery. Here's why The Big Bang Theory never showed one of the show's fan favorites on screen.
The Big Bang Theory creator and executive producer Chuck Lorre intentionally placed Mrs. Wolowitz in a prestigious line of sitcom characters who are heard but never seen. Notably, he wanted to reference Carlton the Doorman from Rhoda, a spin-off of The Mary Tyler Show that ran from 1974 to 1978. In 2012, actress Carol Ann Susi told Cleveland.com's The Plain Dealer that she wasn't sure if Mrs. Wolowitz would be a recurring character until after her second episode, when Lorre told her, "Carlton the Doorman. That's the kind of thing we're going for here." She added, "He said, 'You don't mind not seeing the hair and makeup people for the next 10 years?' And I said, 'Not at all, as long as I get paid.'" Lorre never publicly expounded on his thought process behind keeping Mrs. Wolowitz a perpetual mystery. However, before The Big Bang Theory season 6 aired, executive producer Steve Molaro shared with The Hollywood Reporter that the shot of Mrs. Wolowitz at her son Howard's wedding was supposed to be the first and last time audiences ever saw her. "Isn't she better left to the imagination?" said Molaro. "There are no plans to actually see her on camera and I think it's probably better that way." As mentioned, though, Mrs. Wolowitz actually did appear on episode 15 of that season, but the surprise was worth the slight deception. From a story perspective, hiding a character builds them up in an audience's mind to a point where they can be far more comical than any real person. However, one theory posed by a fan suggests a different reason as to why The Big Bang Theory never showed Mrs. Wolowitz apart from those two tiny glimpses. The idea points to Howard and Mrs. Wolowitz's contentious relationship, which mostly involves the pair shouting to and at each other. This plays out more comedically when she's off screen and the yelling happens over the phone or out of sight — but if viewers actually saw Mrs. Wolowitz's face when her own son berating her and criticizing her appearance, it would be quite an uncomfortable experience — and might make Howard seem borderline abusive.
Given that we did glimpse Mrs. Wolowitz again after the wedding (despite Molaro's claims), there's a chance that she would have appeared on future episodes of The Big Bang Theory. But when actress Carol Ann Susi died of cancer on November 11, 2014, series producers said they couldn't imagine finding someone else to step into the role. Instead, they had Mrs. Wolowitz pass away on the show as well. However, in tribute to the actress and her character, The Big Bang Theory continued the trope of the heard-but-unseen figure that dominates Howard's life. On season 10, episode 11, Bernadette gives birth to baby Halley, whose cries sound eerily like her paternal grandmother's voice — and whom we never see onscreen, outside of enormous swaddles of blankets. Molaro told TVLine that this was partly a practical issue, helping the producers get around the logistical nightmare of having a baby on set. But first and foremost, it was a way to honor Mrs. Wolowitz: "[Halley] is a loving tribute to her grandmother — this is a nice way for us to keep [Mrs. Wolowitz] alive." The woman with the unmistakable voice and mouthwatering brisket may have been out of sight, but she was only ever a perfectly delivered line away from stealing a scene and the audience's hearts. Big Bang Theory: Did Mrs Wolowitz appear on-screen? Big Bang Theory: UNAIRED scene from pilot episodeThroughout the early seasons of Big Bang Theory, there was one relationship away from the romantic will-they-won’t-they between Leonard (played by Johnny Galecki) and Penny (Kaley Cuoco) that fans loved: Howard (Simon Helberg) and his mum Debbie (Carol Ann Susi). Normally yelling from upstairs to her son, the pair’s hilarious back-and-forth was a highlight of Big Bang, although the mystery surrounding her appearance often left fans guessing. That was until one scene many fans missed where Debbie appears on-screen for the first and only ever time. Quite simply the answer is yes, Mrs Wolowitz did make a very rare and brief appearance in an episode Big Bang Theory. After years of yelling down to her son, fans had to wait until season six to catch a glimpse at the enigmatic character. However, they would have had to have been paying close attention as she only appears on-screen briefly. DON'T MISS: The Big Bang Theory: What happened to Raj's arranged wife Lakshmi? – THEORY Big Bang Theory: The 4 real-life educations of Big Bang stars – LIST Big Bang Theory: Mrs Wolowitz behind Raj In the 15th episode of season six, Raj (Kunal Nayyar) pays her visit after she’s dumped by her dentist-turned-lover. Howard and Bernadette (Melissa Rauch) were on a trip to Vegas and he asked his best pal to check in on his mum. Midway through the episode, fans see Raj enjoying the food Mrs Wolowitz had become renowned for. As Raj struggles to digest the vast amount of food he’s eaten, fans hear Mrs Wolowitz shout from the kitchen. Yelling from the kitchen, Debbie said: “Are you ready for dessert?” It’s at this point Mrs Wolowitz appears for the very first time as she can be seen strolling through the kitchen through the ajar door. DON'T MISS: Big Bang Theory: The 5 real-life relationships away from Big Bang – LIST Big Bang Theory: The real inspiration behind Raj’s mutism revealed – REVEAL Big Bang Theory: Howard and Mrs Wolowitz had a hilarious relationship Dressed in a brightly-coloured floral dress, CBS and Channel 4 viewers only caught a glimpse at her body. A few seconds later, Debbie appears again, still in the kitchen. After Raj told her he was leaving, she strutted back across the kitchen. The move by the writers to actually show the character for the first time took many by surprise. So much so that when she appears for the first time, loud gasps and giggles can be heard from the live audience. DON'T MISS: Big Bang Theory: The 5 biggest mistakes on the series - did you spot? – LIST Big Bang Theory: 5 times Young Sheldon proved Big Bang Theory wrong – SPOILER Big Bang Theory: Howard ended up marrying Bernadette Unfortunately, this is the only time in all 12 seasons directors share a glimpse at Mrs Wolowitz. Sadly, in 2014, Big Bang actor Susi passed away aged 62. The cast paid tribute to her in a later episode as they raise a toast to Mrs Wolowitz. The Big Bang Theory is available to stream on Netflix now.
Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg) was a quintessential mama’s boy on The Big Bang Theory. And despite his numerous vocal interactions with her during the series’ run, his mother, Debbie, was never seen on camera. Mrs. Wolowitz’s voice was memorable, and it left a lot of fans wondering who played her. Simon Helberg | Cliff Lipson/CBS via Getty ImagesHoward’s mom was played by Carol Ann SusiLate American actor Carol Ann Susi was the iconic voice behind Mrs. Wolowitz. Prior to The Big Bang Theory, Susi was most known for her role as Monique Marmelstein on ABC’s The Night Stalker. The actor appeared in a number of other series, including Cheers, Doogie Howser, M.D., and Six Feet Under. On the Season 3 episode of Seinfeld, “The Boyfriend,” George (Jason Alexander) goes on a date with Susi’s character after her unemployment officer father busts him. RELATED: ‘The Office’: Who Voiced Michael Scott’s Mom? Susi died in 2014Susi died of cancer in Los Angeles in 2014 at the age of 62. The Big Bang Theory was heading into its eighth season when the tragic news hit. And the entire cast and crew shared their heartbreak over the loss. “Unseen by viewers, the Mrs. Wolowitz’s character became a bit of a mystery throughout the show’s eight seasons,” showrunners wrote in a statement at the time. “What was not a mystery, however, was Carol Ann’s immense talent and comedic timing, which were on display during each unforgettable appearance. In addition to her talent, Carol Ann was a constant source of joy and kindness to all.” Cast members like Melisssa Rauch and Mayim Bialik shared kind words for Susi on Twitter. “So grateful to have known Carol Ann Susi who brought laughter & light with her always,” Rauch tweeted. “She’ll forever be in my heart.” After Susi’s death, The Big Bang Theory writers paid tribute to her on the Nov. 13, 2014 episode, The Septum Deviation. ‘The Big Bang Theory’ star didn’t mind being unseenIn a 2013 interview with Cleveland, Susi revealed how showrunner Chuck Lorre described the role to her when she joined The Big Bang Theory as Mrs. Wolowitz in season 1. She said he told her it would be similar to the Carlton the Doorman character from Rhoda, where she would only be heard and not seen. “[Lorre] said, ‘You don’t mind not seeing the hair and makeup people for the next 10 years?’ And I said, ‘Not at all, as long as I get paid,’” Susi explained. All of her co-stars were in the spotlight, but Susi didn’t mind remaining unseen to the audience. “It didn’t bother me that they’d never show Howard’s mother,” Susi told the outlet. “I absolutely didn’t care. A job’s a job. You just go in wanting to get the job, so I read for the casting director. They called me back. I read for the producers, and that was it.” When she first took on the role of Howard’s mom, Susi wasn’t sure exactly how to play it. “It just hit me that they wanted someone who was screaming at him all the time, so that’s what I did,” she revealed. “It’s a great job. Are you kidding? I have a ball.” |