Bob Newhart, the legendary stand-up comedian known for his distinctive, deadpan delivery, passed away Thursday morning at the age of 94.
A Chicago native, Newhart rose to fame with his 1960 breakthrough album, "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart," which won Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best New Artist. His longtime publicist, Jerry Digney, announced that Newhart died at his Los Angeles home following a series of short illnesses.
Despite his early success, Newhart did not receive an Emmy Award until 2013, when he was honored for his guest role as Arthur Jeffries (also known as Professor Proton, the former host of a children's science show) on CBS’s "The Big Bang Theory."
In 1972, MTM Enterprises cast him as Dr. Bob Hartley, a clinical psychologist based in Newhart’s beloved Chicago, on "The Bob Newhart Show." This sitcom became one of the most beloved series of all time, featuring a stellar supporting cast including Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Bonerz, Marcia Wallace, Bill Daily, and Jack Riley. After 142 episodes and despite never receiving an Emmy nomination for himself or the show, Newhart concluded the series in 1978, feeling it had run its course.
Newhart returned to CBS in 1982 with another hit, "Newhart," where he played Dick Loudon, a New York author who becomes the owner of a Vermont inn. This show also enjoyed a successful eight-season run, supported by a remarkable cast including Mary Frann, Tom Poston, Julia Duffy, Peter Scolari, and the trio known as Larry, Darryl, and Darryl, played by William Sanderson, Tony Papenfuss, and John Voldstad.
"Newhart" concluded with one of television’s most memorable endings, as Dick Loudon wakes up as Bob Hartley in bed with Suzanne Pleshette’s character, suggesting that the entire second series had been a dream.
“Laughter gives us distance. It allows us to step back from an event, deal with it and then move on.”
― Bob Newhart
