Born George Robert Newhart September 5, 1929, in Oak Park, Illinois. His father was also named George, which is why he started going by the name Bob. After completing college and earning a degree in business, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he served as a clerk during the Korean War.

After his discharge, Newhart bounced around working as an accountant and copywriter. While working, he would often amuse his colleagues by pretending to have phone conversations with imaginary characters, coming up with bizarre scenarios and personalities. They recorded some of the bits to tape and sent them to radio stations. Encouraged by this, Newhart developed a stand-up routine that he would perform at clubs.

Comedy Career

When starting his career in stand-up comedy, Newhart quickly gained popularity among audiences with his trademark soft-spoken, almost stammering delivery style. His jokes were never aggressive or offensive. He had a clean-cut look, with a suit and tie. His comedy routine continued using characters having conversations over a phone. In 1960, he recorded the album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” which went on to win a Grammy in 1961 for Best Album of the Year and Best Comedy Performance – Spoken.

After the success of his comedy album, he was offered a contract with NBC to develop a variety show. This became “The Bob Newhart Show” which premiered on Oct. 11, 1961. Even though the show was nominated for a Primetime Emmy and Peabody, it didn’t catch on and was canceled after only one season.

Newhart continued doing standup and went on to record additional comedy albums. In addition, he made guest appearances on various sitcoms, movies, and talk shows. He would often guest “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” Making fun of Carson’s multiple marriages.

It wasn’t until 1972 that he developed another TV show, also called “The Bob Newhart Show” (1972 – 1978). This time around it was a sitcom instead of a variety show, and this time around it lasted. On “The Bob Newhart Show,” he portrayed a psychologist with his signature deadpan delivery, serving as the “the straight man” to a group of eccentric friends and patients.

After “The Bob Newhart Show” he would develop another popular sitcom, this one simply titled “Newhart” (1982 – 1990). In “Newhart” he played an innkeeper in rural Vermont. Ever heard the line, “This is my brother Darryl. This is my other brother Darryl.” This is where it originated. “Newhart” also had one of the best series finales of all time with a throwback to “The Bob Newhart Show”, where he wakes up in bed as his psychologist character saying “I had the strangest dream. I was an innkeeper in this crazy little town in Vermont.”

He tried another sitcom in 1992 simply called “Bob”, that only lasted for 33 episodes. And, in 1997, he tried playing a character not named Bob in the short-lived “George & Leo” (1997 – 1998) – a nod to his actual first name.

He would continue to appear in other television shows and movies throughout his life, including the voice of Bernard in one of my favorite animated movies as a child, “The Rescuers” (1977). He played the much-loved character Papa Elf in the movie “Elf” (2003). And of course, reached the highest of highs that an actor can aim for by voicing himself in an episode of “The Simpsons” (1989 – it will never end)

Accolades

Newhart’s list of awards is long, starting with his first Grammy win in 1961. He has multiple Primetime Emmy nominations, including a win in 2016 for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. He won a Golden Globe for Best TV Star – Male in 1962. In 1999 he received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And he was ranked 14th in Comedy Central’s 100 Greatest Stand-Ups of 2004. There are many more awards, but you get the point.

In 1964, Newhart married Virginia Quinn. They stayed together until she passed away in 2023. Together they had four children.

Bob Newhart died at the age of 94, on July 18, 2024.