Legendary comedian and actor Bob Newhart has died at the age of 94. Newhart’s publicist Jerry Digney shared in a statement that the actor and comedian died at his Los Angeles home on Thursday, July 18, following a series of short illnesses (per The Hollywood Reporter.)
The iconic entertainer will be most remembered for his roles in the CBS series The Bob Newhart Show, which ran from 1972 to 1978, and Newhart, which ran from 1982 to 1990.
Born George Robert Newhart on Sept. 5, 1929 in Oak Park, Illinois, Newhard went on to attend Loyola University and later served in the Army (before being discharged in 1954), before initially working as an accountant. After deciding to take a shot at comedy in Chicago during the late ’50s, Newhart quickly skyrocketed to fame with the release of his 1960 album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, which became the first comedy record to hit no. 1 on the Billboard album chart and won the 1961 Grammy Award for Album of the Year – with Newhart himself winning the Grammy for Best New Artist (per Variety.)
Newhart transitioned into television with his 70’s hit series The Bob Newhart Show, co-starring Suzanne Pleshette, Peter Bonerz, Bill Daly and Marcia Wallace, which received two Emmy nominations. He went on to star in the show Newhart alongside an ensemble cast including Mary Frann, Peter Scolari, Julia Duffy and Jennifer Holmes, and later starred in 1992’s Bob (with Lisa Kudrow), and George and Leo (1997-1998). He also appeared in the films Legally Blonde 2 and Elf.
Newhart won his first Emmy in 2013 for his recurring guest role on The Big Bang Theory, netting two more nods in 2014 and 2016. Newhart also received numerous accolades including receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1999 and winning the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002.
Newhart married Virginia Quinn in January 1963 and welcomed sons Robert and Timothy and daughters Jennifer and Courtney. Virginia died in April 2023 at the age of 82. He is survived by their four children, as well as 10 grandchildren.
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