Actress Carol Ann Susi had a big impact on “The Big Bang Theory” — although she was only heard, but never seen, on-camera.
Susi, who died in LA this week at the age of 62, provided the brash Brooklyn voice of Mrs. Wolowitz on the popular CBS sitcom and was an important part of the show.
Here are some other memorable “voices” from TV’s past, played by actors who were heard but never seen.
(The once exception to that rule is noted below.)
Lorenzo Music, ‘Rhoda’ (1974-78, CBS)
Music was a writer for this sitcom, a spinoff from “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” starring Valerie Harper as Rhoda Morgenstern, Mary’s best friend who’s moved back to New York City from Minneapolis to be closer to her mother (Nancy Walker) and sister (Julie Kavner).
Music was heard — but never seen — in virtually every episode of “Rhoda” as Carlton, the doorman in Rhoda’s building who always sounded addled or drunk. It became a running joke on the show and turned Music into a star (of sorts) — he later voiced Garfield the Cat in the animated series about the smart-aleck feline.
A sample of Music’s work on “Rhoda” is above (go to 1:10 in the clip):
Bob Saget, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ (2005-2014, CBS)
Saget was never credited on-camera for his voice-over narration. He played the older, off-camera voice of Ted Mosby — played on-screen by Josh Radnor — who, over the course of the series, tells his kids how he met their mom (hence the show’s title).
Daniel Stern, ‘The Wonder Years’ (1988-1993, ABC)
Stern’s narration was heard in every episode of this gentle sitcom about a suburban kid, Kevin Arnold (Fred Savage), coming-of-age in the late-’60s (it was never specified exactly where Kevin lived). Stern, who was never seen on the show, narrated as the grown-up Kevin, fondly recalling his (mostly) idyllic childhood.
Earl Hindman, ‘Home Improvement’ (1991-99, ABC)
Wilson, played by Earl Hindman, was Tim Taylor’s (Tim Allen) amiable neighbor-behind-the-fence. There’s one caveat here: while Wilson was seen by viewers, it was only from the side, the back or in half-profile. Viewers of “Home Improvement” never saw Wilson’s full face — one of the biggest gimmicks of the popular, long-running sitcom.
Larry David, ‘Seinfeld’ (1989-98, NBC)
David, who co-created “Seinfeld” with Jerry Seinfeld — and was the show’s driving comic force — provided the voice for George Steinbrenner, the blustery New York Yankees’ owner who hires George Costanza (Jason Alexander) as one of his lieutenants (but never really seems to listen to what George has to say). Only the back of Steinbrenner’s head was ever seen on the show; his head and shoulders were “played” by actor Lee Bear.
William Conrad, ‘The Fugitive’ (1963-67, ABC)
Conrad’s stentorian opening narration set the tone for this series, which starred David Janssen as Dr. Richard Kimble, who is wrongly accused of killing his wife and is a fugitive from justice while searching for the “one-armed” man he saw fleeing from his house the night of the murder. Conrad’s voice was also heard during the show and after the final scene of every episode in postscript wrap-up. “But in that darkness fate moves its huge hand.”
Very dramatic stuff.