The BTS stories that have come out about The Big Bang Theory over the years include character changes, alternate actors and much more. One of the most interesting details involves the character of Howard Wolowitz. Before Kevin Sussman landed the role of Stuart Bloom and got his own show on the 2026 TV schedule, he nearly played Howard. Eventual Wolowitz actor Simon Helberg shared his side of the story on that casting and, now, Sussman is sharing his take.
Simon Helberg Almost Lost Out On Howard
Helberg portrayed astronaut Howard Wolowitz for all 12 seasons of the hit CBS sitcom and it’s hard to imagine anyone else playing him. That being said, he revealed during an interview that the incredible Big Bang salary almost wasn’t his, as Sussman auditioned for the role as well. Helberg didn't know that for a while and was only aware that Sussman had read for Leonard and was actually well-liked by producers.
While he didn’t know what happened when it came to Sussman nearly landing Howard and how the news was broken to him, Helberg revealed he didn’t really have any strong feelings about it. In the Audacity star's view, the curiosity is “part of this formative experience.”
It's hard not to wonder how different the show would have been had Howard been played by Sussman. Of course, Sussman eventually landed another role on Big Bang, but the road to get there wasn't so straightforward.
Kevin Sussman Lost Howard Because Of Another Job
During his recent interview on The Big Bang Theory Podcast, Sussman got real about what really happened with his Howard audition. Host Jessica Radloff, who wrote The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, mentioned that Sussman had actually won the role of Howard.
Unfortunately, at the time, Sussman was working on Ugly Betty, and ABC wouldn’t let him out of his contract. So CBS had to go with someone else, Helberg. Sussman recalled getting the heartbreaking news, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time:
When I found out that that role went away, was during the celebration with my manager. [I] got a call from my agent that, whatever, ABC contract blah blah blah, that’s not gonna happen.
It was unfortunate that Sussman couldn’t play Howard because of a contractual obligation, and what was even worse was that he was celebrating the role when he found out he got it. That’s apparently not even the worst of it, as he also added this about his ABC gig:
I knew I wasn’t going back [to Ugly Betty], which made it so much more egregious.
Of course, it all worked out in the end. Helberg portrayed Howard in a way no one else could and Sussman ended up appearing in the second season of The Big Bang Theory as comic book store owner Stuart. And, from there, Sussman would go on to appear throughout the rest of the show’s run. Now, fast forward over a decade later, and he’s getting his own spinoff series, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. It was definitely fate, maybe not in the way Sussman planned, but it was fate regardless.
Fans can catch Stuart Fails to Save the Universe with an HBO Max subscription, as it premieres on Thursday, July 23. And, with that same streamer, you can stream The Big Bang Theory in its entirety.
