Bob Newhart Biography

As a stand-up comedian Bob Newhart explored the absurdities of everyday life with an underplayed delivery and gentle stammer that earned him three Grammys and the first comedy album to reach No. 1 on the Billboard charts. His unique brand of humor translated well to television where he starred in two of the best-loved sitcoms of the 1970s and 1980s – the Emmy-nominated “The Bob Newhart Show” (CBS 1972-78) and “Newhart” (CBS 1982-1990). While getting along in years he also experienced something of a career surge in the 1990s with roles in feature film comedy hits like “In and Out” (1997) “Legally Blonde 2” (2003) and “Elf” (2003) as well as an Emmy-nominated dramatic turn on “ER” (NBC 1994-2009 ) in 2004 – earning a new generation of fans who had neither seen nor heard of his two beloved sitcoms at the time they were ratings winners.
Born George Robert Newhart in Oak Park IL on Sept. 5 1929 Newhart’s early life was as mundane as the befuddled businessmen he played in his stand-up routines. He graduated from Loyola University of Chicago in 1952 with a degree in business management and served stateside in the Army during the Korean War. After his discharge in 1954 he worked as an accountant for United States Gypsum and later as an advertising copywriter for Fred A. Niles an independent feature and television producer based in Chicago. While at the agency Newhart began developing a string of comedy routines with a friend Ed Gallagher that would later serve as the backbone of his stand-up act: elaborate and improvised telephone conversations based on an absurd notion – a security guard at the Empire State Building attempting to explain the presence of King Kong to his boss or Abraham Lincoln’s press secretary presenting ways for the president to improve his dour image – which became more delirious with each mounting detail – the security guard explaining that Kong was on either the 18th or 19th floor depending on whether the building actually had a 13th floor – and Newhart’s deadpan and slightly hesitant delivery. Newhart recorded many of these bits and sent them to a Chicago DJ Dan Sorkin – later Newhart’s announcer on his 1961 television series – who played them during his show. Sorkin also sent this material to George Avakian famed head of talent development at Warner Bros. Records.

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