Actress Carol Ann Susi has died at the age of 62, after having been recently diagnosed with cancer.
Susi, who made her TV debut 40 years ago in a recurring role on Kolchak: The Night Stalker, was probably best known for what turned out to be the last job of her career: supplying the bellowing voice of Howard Wolowitz’s off-screen mother on The Big Bang Theory. She was first heard on the show’s first season in 2007 and had been getting more to do in recent episodes, as Mother Wolowitz became more intricately involved in the show’s storylines and the lives of its characters. (She had developed a close friendship with one of her son’s friends, with whom she had become roomies. In the latest episodes, Howard worried that the two might be dating.)
Susi also had small parts in such movies as Outrageous Fortune (1987), The Secret Of My Success (1987), My Blue Heaven (1990), and Death Becomes Her (1992), and guest-starred on dozens of series, notably Seinfeld and Married… With Children. She also did voice work on the video games CSI: NY and Mafia II.
A statement released by Big Bang Theory executive producers Chuck Lorre, Steven Molaro, and Bill Prady and the network called Wolowitz “a beloved member” of the show’s family and praises her for her “immense talent and comedic timing, which were on display during each unforgettable appearance. In addition to her talent, Carol Ann was a constant source of joy and kindness to all. Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with her family during this time, and we will miss her greatly.”