The American comedian and actor, George Robert Newhart, whose “deadpan delivery style” earned him numerous accolades, has succumbed to death at 94.
Announced by his publicist via BBC, The Bob Newhart Show star passed away at his home after suffering from a short illness.
Following a short stint as a Chicago-based accountant, he ventured into a career in stand-up comedy. A versatile actor, he performed 87 times as a guest host of Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show.
Recently, he has starred in the Classic Christmas Film Elf and The Big Bang Theory. A son of a plumber in the Chicago suburbs, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from Loyola University, in 1952.
Following that, he served in the army for two years during the Korean War and later enrolled in graduate school. However, he later dropped out.
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He and his friend began recording the improvised comedy routines. In 1959, his comic skills were discovered by a local DJ and was recommended by Warner Bros Records.
One of his live recordings, Houston Comedy Club, The Button-Down, became the first comedy album to rank at the top position in the charts.
In the statement written by his publicist, Jerry Digney, claimed how Bob started his career, “toiling in Chicago as an accountant by day and moonlighting at night as a comedy performer and writer.”
Newhart once shared about his life as a stand-up comedian “When I first started in stand-up, I just remember the sound of laughter. It’s one of the great sounds of the world.”
He received several Emmy Award nominations for his lead comic roles; surprisingly, his “first” Emmy Award came with a guest role in “The Big Bang Theory” in 2013.
Newhart mentioned the “Award” in his autobiography stating his perception. He said, “I think the whole awards-giving process needs rethinking. For starters, they should bestow lifetime achievement awards at the beginning of a performer’s career. This way the person can still enjoy it while he is young, rather than giving it to him when he has lost most of his marbles and is standing onstage wondering why all these overdressed people are applauding.”
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