Carol Ann Susi, who one may not recognise on the street, but whose voice made Mrs Wolovitz a remarkable character in "The Big Bang Theory", passed away at the age of 62, following a battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
CBS, Executive Producers Chuck Lorre, Steve Molaro and Bill Prady and Warner Brothers Television expressed their grief in a statement. "Unseen by viewers, Mrs. Wolowitz's character became a bit of a mystery throughout the show's eight seasons. What was not a mystery, however, was Carol Ann's immense talent and comic 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."
According to CBS, the news of her death came during Tuesday's taping of "The Big Bang Theory" and all of her co-workers from the show took to social media to share their sorrow rightaway.
"We will truly miss our sweet wonderful and funny friend Carol Ann," wrote Bill Prady, executive producer of the show.
Kunal Nayyar, who plays Rajesh Kuthrapali on the show posted, "My heart is broken. I will miss your smile. Your spirit is forever with us. http://bit.ly/1oJ6Jh8"
Mayim Bialik, who plays Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler posted, "Beloved Carol Ann Susi passed away, yes. The voice of Mrs wolowitz. Oh Carol Ann," along with her picture.
Melissa Rauch, who plays Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz, her daughter-in-law in the CBS show posted:
So grateful to have known Carol Ann Susi who brought laughter & light with her always. She'll forever be in my heart. http://t.co/ecSsW7buPQ
— Melissa Rauch (@MelissaRauch) November 12, 2014
Although Susi was not technically a series regular and she has never appeared on screen, the perfectly-grated voice of Howard's overbearing Jewish mother will surely be missed by fans. The show runners would soon have to decide how to go ahead with the character of Mrs Wolowitz; whether to have her never appear on the show, kill off the character or to have someone replace Susi in the future.
Many series in the past have had to make this tough choice in the past. With John Ritter's untimely death, for example, in 2003, the creators of "8 Simple Rules" wrote a one-hour special tribute episode titled "Goodbye", to emulate the death of his character in the series. More recently, when "Glee" star Cory Monteith died in 2013, the series decided to kill off his character Finn Hudson as well.
Today, the #BigBangTheory remembers Carol Ann Susi, the woman behind Mrs. Wolowitz. http://t.co/276WcYBoVX pic.twitter.com/i7HUpCiFBe — The Big Bang Theory (@BigBang_CBS) November 12, 2014
While, the fate of the Mrs Wolowitz is yet undisclosed, the show aired a goodbye card, dedicated to Carol Ann Susi on the first episode following the death of the actress. On the photo of Susi was etched the message: "In loving memory of Carol Ann Susi. 'Mrs. Wolowitz.' Every time you spoke, we laughed. You're in our hearts forever".
Susi may not have had a screen presence in "The Big Bang Theory', but she has appeared on many TV series in her 40-year career span, including "That 70s Show', "Sabrina the Teenage Witch", "Grey's Anatomy", "Ugly Betty", "Just Shoot Me" and "Seinfeld".
Here is a clip of all the times Mrs Wolowitz spoke, or rather shrieked, on the show:
