How Simon Helberg Left Kunal Nayyar Embarrassed On The Big Bang Theory Set

In acting, the nefarous-sounding term "corpsing" describes those amusing but unwanted moments where a performer begins laughing at an inappropriate moment. It gets its name from the absolute worst time for this to happen during a stage production — when the actor in question is playing a dead body — but even the most benevolent instances of corpsing can potentially cause delays and annoy people. 

"The Big Bang Theory" star Kunal Nayyar has been open about driving his co-stars crazy with his penchant for losing it during filming before, and in a new interview with the New York Post, he returned to the well. As it happens, Nayyar found his tendency to break into laughter pretty humbling, and attributed it to co-star Simon Helberg, whose antics he simply couldn't watch with a straight face: 

"You know, Simon Helberg, who played Wolowitz, is still the funniest human to have ever lived. Any time I'm in a scene with him, he would just do something that would set me off. I'm not sure I was pissing them off, but we show up in front of a live audience. You have to get it right. You can't mess around. I was quite embarrassed because I would always break, and I would wait for the camera to turn to the other actor, and then I would break and come back."

It's fun to hear just how much Nayyar appreciates Helberg and looks up to his long-time co-star's comedic talent, even though it caused him endless embarrassment in the shape of involuntary on-set laughter. After all, this happens to mirror their characters' relationship in "The Big Bang Theory" eerily well: Nayyar's Raj Koothappali idolized Helberg's Howard Wolowitz so much that before his big style transformation on "The Big Bang Theory," he actually straightened his hair to look more like Howard. 

Another thing that the real-life Nayyar and Helberg have in common with their "The Big Bang Theory" characters is that they shared some pretty close moments together. One particular incident happened while filming the season 7 episode "The Deception Verification," in which the pair had to touch each other's bare chests after an incident with estrogen cream. This particular "The Big Bang Theory" storyline was a bonding moment for Helberg and Nayyar, and judging by Nayyar's comments about Helberg's ability to constantly make him laugh, the pair generally seems to have a positive relationship that befits the friendship their characters share.