Bob Newhart, the comedian and actor known for “The Bob Newhart Show,” has died, his publicist said. He was 94.
Newhart died after a series of short illnesses, his publicist Jerry Digney said in a statement on Thursday.
Best known for his observational humor and deadpan delivery, the Chicago native began his career as an accountant, before he tried his hand at comedy. He became a household name with the release of his 1960 comedy album, “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart.” It won Newhart two Grammys: Album of the Year and Best New Artist. No other comedian has achieved the latter since.
“The album just – it went crazy. I went from a man on the street program in Chicago to a year and a half later, to calls from Ed Sullivan,” he marveled in a 2008 interview with the Archive of American Television. “It was just weird. There was a period of adjustment.”
After the success of “The Button-Down Mind,” Newhart earned his own variety show with NBC, “The Bob Newhart Show.” Though it was canceled after one season, the comedian earned an Emmy nomination and a Peabody Award for his work on the show.
In this Oct. 26, 1993, file photo, Bob Newhart appears at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles.
NBCUniversal via Getty Images, FILE
He went on to guest star on shows including “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “The Ed Sullivan Show” over the next few years, and in 1972, he took on the starring role in “The Bob Newhart Show.” In that series, Newhart played a psychologist named Robert Hartley, who was constantly interacting with patients and colleagues.
“The Bob Newhart Show” lasted six seasons, and in 1982, he took on a new sitcom, “Newhart,” in which he portrayed an innkeeper named Dick Loudon. “Newhart” earned the actor three Emmy nominations, and its finale has been lauded as one of the greatest in television history. Newhart credited his wife, Ginnie, for coming up with the idea for the episode, in which Newhart’s character is discovered to be a figment of Hartley’s dream.
“We were apprehensive. We didn’t know how it would be received,” he said in the 2008 interview. “But then when we got the audience’s reaction, we said, ‘That’s it. That’s it.'”
Newhart went on have two other shows, “Bob” and “George and Leo,” though neither became the hits that “The Bob Newhart Show” and “Newhart” were. In 2013, the actor won his first Emmy, for a guest-starring role in “The Big Bang Theory.”
A voice-over artist who lent his talent to films such as “The Rescuers” and “The Rescuers Down Under,” Newhart is survived by four children, Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy and Robert, and numerous grandchildren. His wife of 60 years, Virginia “Ginnie” Newhart, passed away in 2023.
Bob Newhart, the beloved comedian and actor known for his iconic role in ‘The Bob Newhart Show,’ has passed away at the age of 94. Newhart’s career spanned over six decades, and he left an indelible mark on the world of comedy and entertainment.
Born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1929, Newhart began his career as an accountant before pursuing his passion for comedy. He gained fame in the early 1960s with his album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” which won him a Grammy Award for Best New Artist. His unique brand of dry, deadpan humor quickly endeared him to audiences and established him as a comedic force to be reckoned with.
In 1972, Newhart starred in ‘The Bob Newhart Show,’ a groundbreaking sitcom that ran for six seasons and earned him a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Television Series. The show was a critical and commercial success, and Newhart’s portrayal of psychologist Dr. Robert Hartley became one of his most iconic roles.
Throughout his career, Newhart continued to entertain audiences with his wit and charm, appearing in numerous films and television shows. He also had a successful stand-up career, performing sold-out shows across the country and earning accolades for his comedic genius.
Newhart’s influence on the world of comedy cannot be overstated. His unique style and impeccable timing inspired generations of comedians and entertainers, and his legacy will continue to live on through his timeless performances.
As news of Newhart’s passing spreads, fans and colleagues alike are mourning the loss of a true legend. His impact on the world of entertainment will never be forgotten, and his memory will continue to bring laughter and joy to audiences for years to come. Bob Newhart may be gone, but his legacy will always remain.
