Big Bang Theory Fans Adored What Little They Got Of Howard And Amy's Friendship
After quite a sheltered upbringing, Amy Farrah Fowler (Mayim Bialik) is able to form some unlikely bonds throughout her nine-season tenure on "The Big Bang Theory." She finds a first boyfriend in Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) as well as a beautiful bestie in Penny (Kaley Cuoco) and becomes comfortable around the rest of the friend group, even taking Leonard Hofstadter (Johnny Galecki) to a wedding as her date. Yet there's one connection involving Amy that fans wish the writers had explored more deeply: her unexpected friendship with Howard Wolowitz (Simon Helberg).
For many years, these two are pretty much just acquaintances thanks to their significant others. That changes in Season 7, Episode 3 ("The Scavenger Vortex"), when they're paired up for Raj Koothrappali's (Kunal Nayyar) scavenger hunt, discover a mutual love for Neil Diamond, and enjoy a day that's chock-full of car karaoke. Their friendship is revisited in Season 11, Episode 5 ("The Collaboration Contamination"), when they work in the lab together. Still, fans wanted more.
On Reddit, u/Mrs_Pink25 said, "I wish they would've let Amy and Howard's friendship blossom more." Redditor u/Sleepy_Oboist enjoyed how they balance each other: "Howard was much more likeable [sic] the way he behaved with her and Amy clearly had a good time and to me it felt, there was a bubbly side to her that she does not show very often." These fans might be happy to know that Bialik and Helberg's friendship is much stronger off-screen.
Mayim Bialik wrote As They Made Us with Simon Helberg in mind
In summer 2021, Mayim Bialik decided to step behind the camera and make her directorial debut with "As They Made Us," a story of a dysfunctional family that's loosely based on her own. While penning the screenplay, Bialik wrote the character of Nathan, the son of Eugene (Dustin Hoffman) and Barbara (Candice Bergen), with one person in mind: Simon Helberg, even though she thought he would read the script and reject it. However, that wasn't the case, and he flew to New Jersey in the middle of a global pandemic to take part in this low-budget indie film.
Bialik revealed that Helberg was a huge acting inspiration for her while filming "The Big Bang Theory," which in turn, made this new dynamic a little weird for her. "It was hard directing my friend because I always look up to him," she told ET. "I always want to be like, 'How would Simon do this line reading?' And here I was where he's asking me questions."
During an episode of "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown," Helberg said of the film, "I thought it was just bold and brave and beautiful and messy in the way that I love those things to be." More details about their friendship also popped up, including how they'd have deep, emotional conversations. In fact, Bialik recommended Helberg's therapist to him, which he claimed saved his life. "I don't think I could have survived in the fetal position too much longer," he said.