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Bob Newhart Is 90 Years Old Now and Still Looks Great

Jaimie-lee Prince
Aug 09, 2020
09:00 P.M.

Bob Newhart's humor seems to be as timeless as the older man's looks. At 90, this comedic legend is still looking to bring laughter to all those around him.

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Stand-up comedian Bob Newhart was born on September 5, 1929. That makes him one of the oldest living legends in the comedy world. These days, Bob still appears to be feeling and looking good.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the aged actor remained behind the scenes like many other celebrities. Yet in the past few years, he has made several public appearances.

Bob Newhart at the 1987 Emmy Awards | Photo by Alan Light, Bob Newhart crop, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Images

Bob Newhart at the 1987 Emmy Awards | Photo by Alan Light, Bob Newhart crop, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons Images

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Born in Oak Park, Illinois, to George David Newhart and Julia Pauline Burns, Bob was initially named after his father. Raised Catholic, he went to two religious schools before attending Loyola University.

There, he attained his bachelor's degree in business management. He then served as a personnel manager between 1950 and 1953 during the Korean war. He received an honorable discharge in 1954.

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Bob then pursued a law degree at the same university, but his endeavors were cut short after an internship asked unethical behavior of him. He left and took up accounting work for the US Gypsum Corporation.

FROM A DESK JOB TO NIGHTCLUBS

After leaving there, too, he attempted to be a clerk at various institutions. He struggled with money before finally landing a job as an advertising copywriter in 1958. It was here Bob discovered his talents.

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The job was a bore, and Bob was delighted to fill the dead air with telephone calls to his co-worker about bizarre stories he made up. Pretty soon, he had created a comedy routine.

The routine was converted to audition tapes which Bob sent out to radio stations. By the following year, he was performing at nightclubs and landed a contract with Warner Bros Records — then still in its prime.

SELF-TITLED VARIETY SHOWS AND SITCOMS

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In 1960, Bob's album "The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart" reached Billboard charts' number one spot. It earned him a Grammy in 1961 when Bob also earned his own variety show.

It was short-lived despite winning a Peabody Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. He later appeared in films like 1962's "Hell is for Heroes," 1968's "Hot Millions," 1970's "Catch-22," and 1971's "Cold Turkey."

Bob landed a sitcom, "The Bob Newhard Show," from 1972 to 1978. He was also in 1977's animated film, "The Rescuers." In 1980," he appeared in "Little Miss Marker" and "First Family."

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He starred in another sitcom, "Newhart," from 1982 to 1990. Then, in 1992, a sitcom named "Bob" played until 1993. In 1997, Bob finally ended up in a sitcom not named after him: "George and Leo." It ended a year later.

RECENT WORK AND RELATIONSHIP WITH CARSON

Since then, Bob's longest-running significant role was in "The Librarian" franchise from 2004 to 2008. He also appeared in the hit films and tv shows "Horrible Bosses" and "The Big Bang Theory."

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Over the years, Bob has guest-hosted "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" 87 times. Last October, Bob recalled the puckish relationship he shared with Carson.

Bob, who has been immortalized at the Chicago Navy Pier as a Bob Hartley statue, had a lot in common with the late tv host. They also shared a love of comedy and pranks.

Comedian Bob Newhart during an interview with host Johnny | Photo: Getty Images

Comedian Bob Newhart during an interview with host Johnny | Photo: Getty Images

One such prank, Bob remembered, was when he tricked Carson into listening to several extra minutes of a boring author on-air by convincing the host's assistant to change the clock.

Of course, Carson would also prank Bob right back. Now that he's gone, others have taken up the role of pranking Bob in recent times. They use his age as the butt of their jokes, but Bob could easily pass for ten years younger.

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