The Big Bang Theory is one of the biggest shows on television, and most of the key actors have been bringing the laughs from the very beginning. As it happens, however, Simon Helberg never would have played Howard on the comedy if his first dream had worked out. His original showbiz goal was much more musical. In response to a question about what sort of musical genre he would have joined if given the chance, Simon Helberg had this to say:
Boy band. I grew out a ducktail. I didn't know how to do anything, but I had a ducktail. So I was camera-ready.
As a big fan of 1990s boy bands, I can attest to the fact that the right look was instrumental in boy band triumph. What would NSync have been without Justin Timberlake's curls? What would the Backstreet Boys have been without Nick Carter's aggressively perfect middle part? Simon Helberg's confession on The View that he focused on the hair aspect of boy band success makes a certain degree of sense. Sure, 80s and 90s boy bands also needed songs so catchy that plenty of us can still bust out renditions of New Kids on the Block's "Cover Girl" and Backstreet Boys' "Quit Playing Games With My Heart" even decades later, but the hair was important. Kudos to Simon Helberg for embracing the hair, even if he fell short on singing and dancing. He could have cornered the ducktail market on the boy band circuit if only his dream had come true.
Luckily for Big Bang Theory fans everywhere, Simon Helberg never did become a hair-tastic member of a boy band, and he was free to join the cast of the CBS comedy in 2007 rather than hit the road for a third farewell tour. Big Bang wouldn't have been the same without Howard's journey from hopeless nerd with no romantic prospects to married man and expectant father.
Simon Helberg has apparently moved past the ducktail stage in his life, but he has gotten to flex his musical muscles on Big Bang over the years. Howard has written and performed songs for Bernadette over the years. Prepare to "Aww!" and check out one of his Big Bang performances:
The actor also got to show off his musical side with his new movie Florence Foster Jenkins, in which he plays a pianist. The film is set in the early 20th century, so a ducktail was unfortunately out of the question and Simon Helberg wasn't totally able to live out his dream of performing as a musician with killer boy band-esque hair. Still, it might come as some consolation to him that he earned the role with his acting chops instead of his hairdo. Secondary talents are still talents, right?
In all seriousness, Simon Helberg is a key member of the Big Bang Theory cast, and the show may not have lasted for as long as it has if he hadn't become an actor. You can catch him back as Howard when Season 10 kicks off on Monday, September 19 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Take a look at our fall TV premiere schedule to see what else you'll be able to watch on the small screen in the not-too-distant future.
