Bob Newhart, Deadpan Comedy Legend and Sitcom Star, Dies at 94
Credit: Unsplash
Bob Newhart, one of television’s most revered comedic actors of all time, passed away on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses. He was 94.
His longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, confirmed the news to Entertainment Weekly.
Newhart’s career, which spanned six decades, began with his early roots as a stand-up comedian on The Ed Sullivan Show and extended to his beloved cameo appearances as Professor Proton on Young Sheldon. His pitch-perfect timing and deadpan delivery made him a timeless comic force.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois, Newhart served in a non-combat role during the Korean War before briefly working as an accountant for a construction company. He later wrote in his book, “I Shouldn’t Be Doing This,” that his motto during the job was “That’s close enough.” After a stint in copywriting, Newhart launched a career in stand-up comedy, developing a reputation for his one-sided phone conversation routine, where he pretended to talk to historical and fictional figures like Abraham Lincoln, Sir Walter Raleigh, and a security guard at the Empire State Building witnessing King Kong’s ascent.
In 1960, Newhart released his first comedy album, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” which won the Grammy for Album of the Year in 1961, making it the first comedy album to achieve this honor. Newhart was also named Best New Artist. Over the next two decades, he released several more albums.
His stand-up success led NBC to offer him an eponymous variety show in 1961. Although it only lasted one season, it showcased his talent and led to hosting appearances on shows like The Entertainers, The Dean Martin Show, Ed Sullivan, and The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson.
Newhart’s big break as an actor came in 1972 when he was cast as psychologist Robert “Bob” Hartley on the workplace comedy “The Bob Newhart Show.” For six seasons, Newhart played the perennial straight man to bonkers clients like the neurotic Elliot Carlin (Jack Riley) and knitter Lillian Bakerman (Florida Friebus). His work on the show earned him three Emmy nominations.
Newhart returned to prime time in 1982 with the show “Newhart,” playing a New York writer named Dick who runs a rural Vermont inn with his wife, Joanna (Mary Frann). The show lasted eight seasons and is best remembered for its ending: Newhart wakes up next to Suzanne Pleshette, his smart-alecky wife from “The Bob Newhart Show,” revealing that the entire series was a dream. Newhart credited his longtime wife, Ginny, with the idea.
“JFK once said victory has a thousand fathers and defeat is an orphan,” he told EW in 2018. “This is the true story of how the show ended. It was in the sixth year of the show, and my wife, Ginny, and I were going to a party. I said, ‘I think this is going to be the last year of Newhart.’ Suzanne Pleshette was at this party, so Ginny said, ‘I think I have the ending. You should wake up in bed with Suzanne and explain to her this dream you had.’ So I gave it to the writers. The crew didn’t know about it the night of the finale. We did a run-through, the crew went to dinner, and when they came back, we told them we added a scene. We just told them to keep filming, whatever happens.”
Newhart continued to deliver seminal roles throughout his career, including his portrayal of bumbling educator Tom Halliwell in “In & Out” (1997) and as Papa Elf opposite Will Ferrell in “Elf” (2003). He also lent his voice to Disney’s animated adventures “The Rescuers” and “The Rescuers Down Under,” portraying Bernard. In 2013, Big Bang Theory producers Bill Prady and Chuck Lorre cast him as Arthur Jeffries, a former children’s TV host known as Professor Proton. This role earned Newhart his one and only Emmy.
Bob Newhart’s enduring influence on comedy and television will be remembered for generations. His unique style and timeless humor have left an indelible mark on the entertainment world.
