George Robert Newhart (September 5, 1929 - July 8, 2024) is an American comedian and actor. He is known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Having started performing as a standup comedian, he transitioned his career acting in television. He has received numerous accolades including three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002.
Newhart came to prominence in 1960 when his album of comedic monologues, The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart, became a bestseller and reached number one on the Billboard pop album chart; it remains the 20th-best-selling comedy album in history. The follow-up album, The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!, was also a success, and the two albums held the Billboard number one and number two spots simultaneously.
Newhart later went into acting, starring as Chicago psychologist Robert Hartley in The Bob Newhart Show from 1972 to 1978, and then as Vermont innkeeper Dick Loudon on series Newhart from 1982 to 1990. He also had two short-lived sitcoms in the 1990s, Bob and George and Leo. Newhart had film roles such as Major Major in Catch-22 and Papa Elf in Elf. He provided the voice of Bernard in the Disney animated films The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under. In 2004, he played the library head Judson in The Librarian, a character that continued in 2014 on the TV series The Librarians. In 2013, Newhart made the first of his six guest appearances on The Big Bang Theory as Professor Proton, for which he received his first Primetime Emmy Award.
Newhart made his first hosting stint on Saturday Night Live on May 10, 1980, the eighteenth episode of Season 5, with musical guests Amazing Rhythm Aces and Bruce Cockburn.
He returned to Saturday Night Live to making his 2nd and last hosting stint and his only appearance in 14 years, 9 months and a day on February 11, 1995, the twelfth episode of Season 20, with musical guest Des'ree.