Bob Newhart, the renowned US comedian and actor, has passed away at the age of 94 following a series of short illnesses, as confirmed by his publicist Jerry Digney.
Known for his roles in the Christmas film “Elf” and the sitcom “The Big Bang Theory,” Newhart also gained fame from his own show, “The Bob Newhart Show.”
Newhart’s career began as a stand-up comic in the late 1950s, achieving nationwide fame with his 1960 comedy album “The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,” which won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
He also won Best New Artist in 1960, and his follow-up album, “The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!,” won Best Comedy Spoken Word Album.Throughout his career, Newhart appeared in numerous movies, often in comedic roles, including “Catch 22,” “In and Out,” “Legally Blonde 2,” and “Elf,” where he played the adoptive father of Will Ferrell’s character.
His more recent work included “Horrible Bosses,” the TV series “The Librarians,” and appearances in “The Big Bang Theory” and its spin-off “Young Sheldon.”Despite multiple Emmy nominations for his sitcoms “Bob” and “George & Leo,” Newhart never won an Emmy, attributing it to his natural comedic style being perceived as just “Bob being Bob.”
After his fourth sitcom ended, he continued to make occasional TV appearances and expressed his commitment to working as long as he could, remarking that quitting would feel like something was missing after 43 years in the industry.
