Simon Helberg as Howard Wolowitz – Then:
Though often looked down upon by Sheldon because he ‘only’ holds a Master’s degree in engineering from MIT, Howard eventually manages to parlay his expertise into becoming an astronaut for NASA. In the early seasons, Howard often tried and failed to score a date with various women. That changed when Penny introduced him to her coworker Bernadette in season 3, who worked at the Cheesecake Factory to pay for grad school.