Why TBBT Writers Had No Other Choice But To Let Go Of Mrs. Wolowitz' Character

The Big Bang Theory has been celebrated as one of the best sitcoms of our time. And there are countless reasons for that.

But the thing that made the show so special was actually the perfect cast. All the actors portrayed their characters so accurately that now it's impossible to even think that there could have been any other choice.

And we are not only talking about the main characters, but also the supporting ones. Every person who appeared on the screen was in the right place, where they belonged.

But there was one character who had never actually appeared on screen, but who had earned the love of the fans just as much as the main characters.

This character is Howard's mother, Mrs. Wolowitz. She was never shown on the show, but we heard her voice all the time. The thing is, Howard had a very close relationship with her, he actually lived in her house even though he was an adult.

But their relationship was mostly portrayed by the two of them yelling at each other from different rooms. And the dialogue that they had... well, that's another story.

Mrs. Wolowitz's character was this stereotypical mother who is overprotective and overly attached. She used her failed marriage as a weapon to manipulate her son into never leaving her.

She also used food to accomplish that very goal. Needless to say, it all worked. Howard, though constantly annoyed, stayed with her until he got married and even after.

Mrs. Wolowitz was a very popular character, voiced by Carol Ann Susi. She crossed paths with everyone in the gang. So when her character died unexpectedly, fans were shocked and devastated.

But as it turned out, there was a reason why the writers decided to kill off the character. It was revealed that the actress who voiced Howard's mother had tragically passed away.

The show's creators decided that they didn't want to recast to honor Ann Susi's memory. And made the decision to include the character's death in the storyline.

In fact, the entire cast was in mourning after the actress' death. So the atmosphere on the set was very real. The show touchingly acknowledged the tragic passing of Carol Ann Susi.

Following the sad news of her death, season 8 episode 9 The Septum Deviation ended with a tribute to Susi that read, "Every time you spoke, we laughed. You are in our hearts forever."