Stephen Hawking cameo on 'Big Bang Theory'

In a cameo that comes under the heading, "About as Awesome as Cameos Can Possibly Get," Stephen Hawking will appear as himself in the April 5 episode of "The Big Bang Theory."

"When people would ask us who a 'dream guest star' for the show would be, we would always joke and say Stephen Hawking -- knowing that it was a long shot of astronomical proportions," executive producer Bill Prady said in a statement Monday. "In fact, we're not exactly sure how we got him. It's the kind of mystery that could only be understood by, say, a Stephen Hawking."

Good line -- although Hawking is no stranger to American TV either. He has voiced "Futurama" twice, and "The Simpsons" no fewer than four times.

Hawking, 70 -- who has ALS and speaks with a voice synthesizer -- was formerly Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge and is widely considered one of the world's leading cosmologists. He established that black holes could, contrary to prevailing theories, actually emit radiation.

No details were released about the episode's plot, but it's certain the show's Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons), a huge Hawking admirer, will be very excited.