Things are loud in a Jewish household. Conversations are up here; they're pitched pretty high. That's just the way we talk.
— Simon Helberg
Personally, I'm not into 'Star Trek' or physics or comic books, but I know I might be in the minority.
It's hard to convince your agents and managers to do theater, because it's not as financially rewarding and it takes up a lot of time.
Karate probably gave me an incredibly deep awareness of all the parts of me, my flexibility, and the nimble qualities I'm doing, even if they're unconscious.
I love Jerry Lewis. I loved Jim Carrey when I was younger, and Mike Myers and Phil Hartman, all the 'Saturday Night Live' people in the late '80s.
When you see someone putting themselves out there, particularly when you see someone is failing and failing so passionately, it brings up this bittersweet connection to our mortality.
I think there's a freedom in freeing yourself of the baggage of ability.
When I was young, I believe I met Nicolas Cage. I think I was probably eight, and I remember seeing him at somebody's house - it was an event, and he happened to be there.
I grew up around the business quite a bit; I saw a little bit of the underbelly of it.
As a piano player, if 10 is concert level, I'd put myself at a 5 or a 6, but in a completely different genre than classical or opera. In terms of classical and opera, playing accompaniment, I'd say I was a 3.
Every time we do anything artistic, the way it's perceived is always going to be different from the way that we had intended it to be because it's subjective.
It's not the coolest thing in the world to be walking around humming the Taylor Swift song. It's not as cool to be singing along with the number one song in the country as it is to be the jaded, indifferent hipster who wants to turn you on to something that nobody else is talking about.
I don't think Hollywood respects multi-camera television. Well, I don't think they disrespect it, but I don't think it gets respect for its artistry.
I watched a lot of 'I Love Lucy.' Then I went to college, and I didn't watch TV, really. I don't know: something happened after 'Friends' went off the air. I think something dipped in the whole sitcom world.
Stephen Frears is brilliant and has made movies that inspired me for my whole life.
I have great instincts, like the instincts of a squirrel. You know, like when you're driving and a squirrel stops in the middle of the road.
I try to act with my whole body and, for better or worse, this is the face that's attached to it.
Everyone feels at times like they're missing a page or two out of the handbook that tells you how to live your life.
There's a lot of closeted nerds out there.
When I decided I wanted to be an actor in high school, I really went into improv. I took classes at The Groundlings. I studied acting. Did sketch comedy in L.A.
I am fairly physically aware and agile, and I imbue that into the characters I play.
I guess I get really obsessive or passionate about things.
I do have sometimes a difficult time watching myself.
I'm interested in character and people and motivations and things like that.
I actually didn't finish NYU. I would have, but I was lucky enough to get my foot in the door before I graduated.
My mom is a casting director, which is pretty awesome.
There's something very funny about giving a menial task to a genius and watching him find so much complexity and overanalyse it to such a degree that the waitress from Nebraska working at the Cheesecake Factory has passed them all by.
As an actor, you always want to root for your characters.
Being an accompanist is very selfless in many ways because you're really just trying to elevate the singer and help them shine, ultimately.
I think in terms of a career trajectory, it's good for people to be reminded that, in spite of seeing me a million times a day on a show for ten years playing the same character, I'm an actor, and actors like to play different people.
I'm happy to try on as many characters as I can.
In America, the first thing people say is, 'What do you do?'
I might love dancing more than I should admit. But not in public.
Until I was about 16 years old, my dream was to be a musician. I played in rock bands and jazz bands. Then I decided to be an actor and kept the stable career of 'jazz pianist' as my safety net.
I would say Mick Jagger plus Mr. Furley equals Howard Wolowitz.
My parents tried to convince me that school won't always be there, but auditions will. I said, 'Really? Are they tearing down NYU?'
I grew up surrounded by sketch comedy.
I really like 'Project Runway.' I know it's reality, so that might be kind of faux pas for me to say.
I play piano, and I was really, really obsessive about playing piano in high school. I don't know if that's nerdy, but I definitely locked myself in the room and was playing jazz. I was 14. I guess that's kind of cool, actually.
I'm obviously more known for being on television, and that's where most people see me.
I generally don't feel the need to do more research than is necessary to play the part for me, to inform me.
My dad was one of the original members of the Groundlings, and I watched him as an actor have ups and downs, and I watched my mom as a casting director have ups and downs.
Failing passionately is a success in its own right.
I've learned over time that human beings tend to want to do more than they have the courage to do or that the social contract will allow them to do.
Working with the Coens was a dream come true.
I certainly think, obviously, rhythm is a huge part of being an actor. It just is unconscious, to a degree, but particularly in comedy, rhythm is pretty essential, and there's probably something more physiological going on.
I'd say I'm really, really good for a 16-year-old, which is where I peaked. I'm impressive, but not classically trained, not a concert pianist.
Surprise is a huge element in acting.
I'm deeply insecure. I ask my wife all the time, 'Was that OK? Are people lying?' I'm not as happily oblivious as I'd like.
Playing piano well is one thing, but attempting to play at concert level accompanying Meryl Streep while Stephen Frears is filming you in front of hundreds of people is - well - psychotic.
