'The Big Bang Theory': Simon Helberg talks kissing Raj, 'mother' character

We don't often get a chance to hear about some of the finer details of "The Big Bang Theory," so that is what makes Simon Helberg's recent chat with Smashing Interviews Magazine all the more exciting. We got a chance to find out a bit more about shooting the show, alongside a few of the details about Howard's character.

First, we found out how difficult it was exactly for Helberg to shoot the now-infamous "kissing" scene with co-star Kunal Nayyar (Raj) earlier this season:

"We did have to rehearse that and also had to shoot it several times. We’re comfortable with each other … maybe not that comfortable, but certainly at this point we’ve experienced more than we ever hoped for (laughs). But, yeah, anything for a laugh."

Helberg also touched upon his character's mother, someone who has always been a presence on the show without actually appearing on screen. Here is what he had to say about the challenge of shooting some of these conversations:

"When I’m in a room and she’s off camera I can’t see her, but it’s really fun to do. I definitely can tap in to my frustration with parents and I feel like I’ve heard that voice in my head at least so I have fun doing those scenes. It’s definitely interesting doing them, though, when it’s just the room and me and she’s off screen.

"The interesting part of it is that there’s no one for them to cut to so even if she’s ranting, the camera is only on me. It’s a good exercise in making sure that you’re obviously listening and giving enough kinds of reactions so that it’s interesting for people to watch your face for an entire scene. That’s the only thing I’ve noticed in those scenes when it’s just me in a room and she is yelling. Mother is played by Carol Ann Susi, a character actress, who enjoys doing the show but doesn’t want to be on camera. She just loves coming in and standing back there and screaming."

Be sure to check out the full interview for details about Helberg's upcoming independent film project along with some of the other work he is currently up to.

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