Celebrity Birthdays, December 9: Simon Helberg and Judi Dench

Actors Simon Helberg and Judi Dench are celebrating their birthdays today, December 9.

Simon Helberg, 34

image courtesy of Peter West/ACE/INFphoto.com

Actor and comedian Simon Helberg turns 34 today. Helberg performed with comedian Derek Waters as the sketch comedy duo Derek & Simon. The duo made two short films, Derek & Simon: The Pity Card alongside Zach Galifianakis and Bill Hader and Derek & Simon: A Bee and a Cigarette. In 2002, Helberg's joined the cast of MADtv for one season.

Helberg appeared in the 2002 feature film Van Wilder and had a minor role in the 2003 movie Old School. In 2004, he starred in two episodes of Reno 911!.

Helberg also played a small role in the film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. He also had a small role in the pilot of the sitcom Undeclared. In the 2009 film A Serious Man, he played junior Rabbi Scott Ginsler and had a minor role in the season 4 finale of The Guild.

Since 2007, Helberg has been playing Howard Wolowitz in the CBS comedy series The Big Bang Theory, winning the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.

Helberg is married to actress Jocelyn Towne. They have two children, Adeline and Wilder.

Judi Dench, 80

image courtesy of Famous/ACE/INFphoto.com

Film, stage and television actress and author Judi Dench turns 80 today. Dench made her stage debut in 1957 with the Old Vic Company. She played in several of Shakespeare's plays including Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet and Macbeth. She transitioned into film work, winning a BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer.

Dench established herself as one of the most significant British theater performers, working for the National Theatre Company and the Royal Shakespeare Company. In television, she achieved success for her role in the series A Fine Romance and in 1992, she had a recurring role in the television romantic comedy series As Time Goes By. In 1986, Dench had a supporting role in A Room with a View opposite Maggie Smith. In 1995, Dench was cast as M in GoldenEye, reprising her role in all James Bond films through to Skyfall in 2012.

Dench received her first Oscar nomination for her role as Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown in 1997 and the following year won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Shakespeare in Love. Dench is a seven-time Oscar nominee for her work in the films Chocolat, Iris, Mrs Henderson Presents, Notes on a Scandal and Philomena. throughout her career, she received ten BAFTAs, six Olivier Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award and a Tony Award. In 2001, she received the BAFTA Fellowship and in 2004, the Special Olivier Award. In June 2011, she received a fellowship from the British Film Institute and was made an Order of the British Empire in 1970 and a Dame in 1988, by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the performing arts.

Dench was married to actor Michael Williams from 1971 until his death in 2001; their daughter is actress Finty Williams. Dench can be seen next in The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, scheduled to be released next year.