Mrs. Wolowitz—an overbearing and hilarious mother in The Big Bang Theory—turned out to be a center element of the series even though she was never once shown on-screen.
Voiced by Carol Ann Susi, Mrs. Wolowitz’s presence loomed over Howard’s life as well as the show’s humor throughout the series, especially while one heard her loud, comically shouting from off-screen. The reason for her absence is both an in-universe and behind-the-scenes explanation although she was written off the show in the later seasons.
The Real-Life Tragedy: Carol Ann Susi’s Death
The main cause behind Mrs. Wolowitz’s exit from The Big Bang Theory was the sad death of Carol Ann Susi, the actress who had been voicing her. Susi died on November 11, 2014, after battling with aggressive cancer. She was 62 years old. Susi was the voice of Mrs Wolowitz since the early days of the show and had shaped the character in her now iconic and comedic profile. Her sudden death left the producers of the show staring into the impossible question of how to go on with the show with this character.
Due to Susi’s death, the authors of the comedy show The Big Bang Theory decided to remove Mrs. Wolowitz from the comedy in a dignified manner while letting everyone know about her absence while keeping the tone of the show intact. Instead of rewriting the character or finding a new voice for her, they preferred killing her off-camera so the memory of Laura lives on and Howard and the rest of the gang could better mourn her death more authentically.
In season 8’s finale, The Commitment Determination, it is revealed that Howard’s mother is dead. And in the scene, it was a combination of comedy and dramatic warmth.
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The Show’s Handling Of The Character’s Death
Howard’s mother had always been the source of both annoyance and love to him. Her over-the-top, intrusive behavior had always provided much comedic fodder in the show, but after her death, the fact that she was missed was not compromised. The character was never seen on-screen, but Mrs. Wolowitz’s absence still loomed large over the rest of the series.
The show handled this situation in a funny way but never failed to respect Carol Ann Susi’s memory. Even in the later seasons, Mrs. Wolowitz was not forgotten, and the relationship Howard shared with her found its proper place in warmer moments as his character developed by understanding losing his mother.
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In short, Mrs. Wolowitz died from the real death of Carol Ann Susi: that is how the writers wanted to celebrate her memory with a very emotional yet off-camera send-off. The way the show handled the loss was, in fact, a tribute to Susi’s contribution and the show’s ability to balance humor with emotional depth.
