Simon Helberg on the absurdity of ‘The Audacity’

Simon Helberg on the absurdity of ‘The Audacity’

May 8, 2026 · 24 min

About this episode

Simon Helberg discusses his role in 'The Audacity' and the complexities of portraying intelligent characters.

Actor Simon Helberg is no stranger to playing highly intelligent characters with a few social shortcomings. He’s best known for his comedic turn as the brilliant, but awkward engineer Howard Wolowitz on the CBS sitcom 'The Big Bang Theory,' which ran for 12 seasons. He’s also appeared in films including 'Old School,' 'A Serious Man,' and 'Florence Foster Jenkins,' for which he received a Golden Globe nomination.    His latest role is as Martin Phister in the AMC series 'The Audacity.' Phister is a tech genius who can’t connect with his own family. Helberg talks about getting into the psyche of someone highly intelligent and neurodivergent, why some tech titans believe they are actually saving the world, and he reveals what he thinks when he catches himself on 'The Big Bang Theory.'  

People in this episode

Guest: Simon Helberg

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Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Audacity, The Big Bang Theory, Old School, A Serious Man, Florence Foster Jenkins

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