Summary

• The death of Mrs. Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory was a shock to viewers and the cast, and her absence was necessary due to the passing of actress Carol Ann Susi.
• Mrs. Wolowitz was a recurring and funny character on the show, known for her loud conversations with Howard and her close relationships with other characters.
• Despite never being seen on screen, Mrs. Wolowitz's presence was larger than life, and the show paid tribute to Carol Ann Susi after her death with a heartfelt message.

The death of Mrs. Wolowitz on The Big Bang Theory was one of its most tragic moments, and the reason Howard's Mom left the show is just as sad. Many of Howard's funniest moments in TBBT come from his yelled conversations with his overbearing mother Mrs. Wolowitz (voiced by Carol Ann Susi), who famously is never shown on screen. Mrs. Wolowitz is every bit of an aggressive helicopter mother stereotype: overly attached, overprotective, and ever-present, using food and guilt as weapons. Despite her challenging personality, Howard's Mom's death was an incredibly heavy blow to Howard, viewers, and The Big Bang Theory cast for a key reason — actress Carol Ann Susi passed away.

Mrs. Wolowitz's Big Bang Theory death was a shock. The odd relationship between Howard and Mrs. Wolowitz was a recurring gag since The Big Bang Theory season 1, with Howard's mom later sharing many hilarious scenes with other characters like Bernadette and Stuart (who, in her later years, became Mrs. Wolowtiz's caregiver). The death of Howard's mom wasn't planned in The Big Bang Theory, and it was a remarkably serious moment in a sitcom that's lighthearted even by the standards of the genre. The abrupt exit of Howard's Mom was necessary, however, because of the death of Big Bang Theory cast member Carol Ann Susi in 2014.

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Why The Howard Wolowitz Mom Death Shocked Fans

Mrs. Wolowitz Was One Of The Funniest Recurring Characters

Mrs. Wolowitz debuted in The Big Bang Theory season 1, episode 7, "The Dumpling Paradox," clashing with Howard's then-girlfriend Christy (Brooke D'Orsay). Howard lived with his mother for most of TBBT, and her memorable voice yelling from another room was the only way she appeared. Although she was never given the chance to fully appear on-screen, Mrs. Wolowitz had forged meaningful relationships with characters other than her son. In the season 7 finale, she even develops an unlikely kinship with Stuart (Kevin Sussman) who moves into her house after his comic book shop burns down.

Howard's mom was a constant source of jokes whenever Howard, Leonard, Raj, and Sheldon interacted too. For example, Howard's attempts to appear as a suave ladies' man are often put down by the others when he's reminded that he still lives with his mother. Aside from the odd closeness of Mrs. Wolowitz and her son, his friends also used to make fun of Mrs. Wolowitz's appearance and voice — even Bernadette (Melissa Rauch). Still, when she died, everyone grieved her passing, with each member of the Pasadena gang admitting she somehow played a mother figure to all of them.

In The Big Bang Theory season 8, episode 15 titled "The Comic Book Regeneration," Howard got a phone call from his aunt revealing that his mom had passed away. This took not just the characters but also the viewers by surprise. While Mrs. Wolowitz historically had innumerable health concerns (another running gag), including an injury that motivated Howard to hire Stuart to help her in the house, there was never an indication that she was gravely ill.

The Actress Who Played Howard's Mom In TBBT Passed Away In 2014

Carol Ann Susi Was Honored With A Touching Easter Egg In The Rest Of The Series

The reason Mrs. Wolowitz died in The Big Bang Theory was actress Carol Ann Susi's death in real life. The veteran comedian and Big Bang Theory cast member died on November 11, 2014, after a bout with cancer — just five days after her final voice appearance in The Big Bang Theory season 8, episode 8 titled "The Prom Equivalency."

Over the years, Susi appeared in multiple small and big screen projects, but she's best known for her stint in 1974's Kolchak: The Knight Stalker, and interestingly The Big Bang Theory, despite the fact she's never shown on screen. Aside from respectfully writing off her character from the CBS sitcom, the show also paid homage to her by featuring a small photo of Susi on the side of the refrigerator in Apartment 4A.

Mrs. Wolowitz was featured in The Big Bang Theory one more time following her death in season 11, episode 9 "The Bitcoin Entanglement," in a flashback sequence where Howard is talking to his mother. The scene used audio of Susi from a previous episode. Debbie also made a voice cameo in Young Sheldon season 2 finale, which featured young versions of all of Sheldon's (Iain Armitage) friends, including Howard. The snippet shows the future aerospace engineer playing video games late in the night as his mother screams for him to go to sleep. Instead of using Susi's voice, however, the prequel spinoff hired Pamela Adlon to play Mrs. Wolowitz.

Do You Ever See Howard's Mom On The Big Bang Theory?

Mrs. Wolowitz's Only Appearance Got A Strong Audience Reaction

A recurring joke with Mrs. Wolowitz in The Big Bang Theory is the fact that she's only heard and never seen. The back-and-forth yelling between Howard and his mother was cause for many a laugh on the show, and part of what made the character of Mrs. Wolowitz so funny is that no viewers even know what Howard's Mom looks like, but her presence is larger than life. However, there is a "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" moment where Howard's mom makes her only appearance. Fans endured 5 seasons of Howard and Mrs. Wolowitz's loud conversations before they could finally catch a short glimpse of her in season 6, but when paying close attention.

The Big Bang Theory season 6, episode 15, "The Spoiler Alert Segmentation," sees Raj visit Debbie Wolowitz after she is dumped by her dentist boyfriend, while Howard and Bernadette are on a trip to Vegas. While in the kitchen eating the dinner she made, she shouts to Raj asking if he's ready for dessert. She then appears for the very first time in the kitchen. The appearance drew gasps and giggles from the audience, only further highlighting what a shock it was to finally see The Big Bang Theory character on screen.

How The Big Bang Theory Honored Carol Ann Susi's Death

Several The Big Bang Theory Cast Members Remembered Their Late Colleague

The death of Howard's Mom on The Big Bang Theory was incredibly emotional for viewers, but was doubtless harder for the cast members and crew of the show due to the context. Though she is never seen on screen, Mrs. Wolowitz was an important part of The Big Bang Theory. The loss was certainly felt when she was gone and the show acknowledged the tragic passing of Carol Ann Susi touchingly. Following the news of her death, season 8, episode 9 "The Septum Deviation" included a message in remembrance of Susi at the end, reading "Every time you spoke, we laughed. You're in our hearts forever."

Susi was also remembered by several of The Big Bang Theory cast members (via THR) with Mayim Bialik tweeting "Beloved Carol Ann Susi passed away, yes. The voice of Mrs wolowitz. Oh Carol Ann" while Melissa Ranch tweeted "So grateful to have known Carol Ann Susi who brought laughter & light with her always. She'll forever be in my heart." Susi's small but vital part of the show clearly impacted The Bang Bang Theory cast, and it certainly made an impression on fans.