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Big Bang Theory's Mama Speaks Out!
How-ard!! With two short but knife-sharp syllables and a whole lot of nosy questions, Wolowitz's overbearing mother on The Big Bang Theory is quickly establishing herself as one of television's great unseen characters. Think Charlie from Charlie's Angels or Rhoda's Carlton the Doorman, but with a Noo Yawk accent and louder. Much louder. We dialed up the actress responsible for the hilarious holler, Carol Ann Susi, whose on-camera credits include Seinfeld's famous episode with Keith Hernandez, "The Boyfriend." And, yes, she really sounds like that in real life.
How-ard!! With two short but knife-sharp syllables and a whole lot of nosy questions, Wolowitz's overbearing mother on The Big Bang Theory is quickly establishing herself as one of television's great unseen characters. Think Charlie from Charlie's Angels or Rhoda's Carlton the Doorman, but with a Noo Yawk accent and louder. Much louder. We dialed up the actress responsible for the hilarious holler, Carol Ann Susi, whose on-camera credits include Seinfeld's famous episode with Keith Hernandez, "The Boyfriend." And, yes, she really sounds like that in real life.
TV Guide Magazine: First things first: When will we see you on screen?
Susi: I'm told never. In the second season, [creator] Chuck Lorre came up to me and said, "Do you mind if we never see you for the next 10 years? Because that voice is the voice of Carlton the Doorman." But I've always been an on-camera actress, so to suddenly be doing voice-over stuff is fabulous.
TV Guide Magazine: With all the yelling you do, you must need a lot of lozenges...
Susi: Yes! And a lot of water. I've now taken to singing every morning. It warms up the voice.
TV Guide Magazine: So do you ever get recognized in public by your voice?
Susi: Sometimes, yes. I once got outed by a waitress while having dinner. She started screaming, "Oh, my God! How-ard!" And I've even been outed by a bus driver. I don't drive. I live in L.A., but I take the bus. I know, I'm weird!