Stephen Hawking dead at 76; TV credits include The Big Bang Theory, The Simpsons
Here is some of what his children said in a statement (per the BBC):
“We are deeply saddened that our beloved father passed away today.
“He was a great scientist and an extraordinary man whose work and legacy will live on for many years … He once said, ‘It would not be much of a universe if it wasn’t home to the people you love.’ We will miss him forever.”
Obviously, Hawking’s greatest contributions are to the world of science, where he is renowned by generations for his work. Yet, his science also inspired his presence on a number of different TV shows. As we remember the man, we thought we would share some of the highlights.
The Big Bang Theory – This is one of his most notable roles, as he played himself across a number of different episodes and traded funny banter with Dr. Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) on a number of occasions. While it was great for the CBS series to get on multiple different icons in the pop-culture and science community, we still consider this to be their greatest coup.
Futurama – Hawking voiced himself on the animated comedy series. Not only that, but he also had a cameo in a Futurama video game as Stephen Hawking’s Head.
The Simpsons – The same goes here. Hawking voiced himself on a number of different episodes of the long-running Fox animated comedy.
Star Trek: The Next Generation – Hawking’s first appearance on scripted television came more than two decades ago as himself, credited as Professor Stephen Hawking. You can also see his memorable appearance in the video at the bottom of this article.
Hawking was also the inspiration for the film The Theory of Everything, and despite his battle with ALS he continued to be an inspiration to both the science community and those taking on the disease.
Our thoughts go out to everyone who knew and loved Hawking during what has to be such a difficult time. (Photo: CBS.)