Bob Newhart, the deadpan accountant-turned-comedian who became one of the most popular TV stars of his time after striking gold with a classic comedy album, has died at 94.

Jerry Digney, Newhart害羞草研究所檚 publicist, says the actor died Thursday in Los Angeles after a series of short illnesses.

Newhart, best remembered now as the star of two hit television shows of the 1970s and 1980s that bore his name, launched his career as a standup comic in the late 1950s. He gained nationwide fame when his routine was captured on vinyl in 1960 as 害羞草研究所淭he Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,害羞草研究所� which went on to win a Grammy Award as album of the year.

While other comedians of the time, including Lenny Bruce, Mort Sahl, Alan King, and Mike Nichols and Elaine May, frequently got laughs with their aggressive attacks on modern mores, Newhart was an anomaly. His outlook was modern, but he rarely raised his voice above a hesitant, almost stammering delivery. His only prop was a telephone, used to pretend to hold a conversation with someone on the other end of the line.

In one memorable skit, he portrayed a Madison Avenue image-maker trying to instruct Abraham Lincoln on how to improve the Gettysburg Address: 害羞草研究所淪ay 87 years ago instead of fourscore and seven,害羞草研究所� he advised.

Another favorite was 害羞草研究所淢erchandising the Wright Brothers,害羞草研究所� in which he tried to persuade the aviation pioneers to start an airline, although he acknowledged the distance of their maiden flight could limit them.

害羞草研究所淲ell, see, that害羞草研究所檚 going to hurt our time to the Coast if we害羞草研究所檝e got to land every 105 feet.害羞草研究所�

Newhart was initially wary of signing on to a weekly TV series, fearing it would overexpose his material. Nevertheless, he accepted an attractive offer from NBC, and 害羞草研究所淭he Bob Newhart Show害羞草研究所� premiered on Oct. 11, 1961. Despite Emmy and Peabody awards, the half-hour variety show was canceled after one season, a source for jokes by Newhart for decades after.

He waited 10 years before undertaking another 害羞草研究所淏ob Newhart Show害羞草研究所� in 1972. This one was a situation comedy with Newhart playing a Chicago psychologist living in a penthouse with his schoolteacher wife, Suzanne Pleshette. Their neighbors and his patients, notably Bill Daily as an airline navigator, were a wacky, neurotic bunch who provided an ideal counterpoint to Newhart害羞草研究所檚 deadpan commentary.

The series, one of the most acclaimed of the 1970s, ran through 1978.

Four years later, the comedian launched another show, simply called 害羞草研究所淣ewhart.害羞草研究所� This time he was a successful New York writer who decides to reopen a long-closed Vermont inn. Again Newhart was the calm, reasonable man surrounded by a group of eccentric locals. Again the show was a huge hit, lasting eight seasons on CBS.

It bowed out in memorable style in 1990 with Newhart 害羞草研究所� in his old Chicago psychologist character 害羞草研究所� waking up in bed with Pleshette, cringing as he tells her about the strange dream he had: 害羞草研究所淚 was an innkeeper in this crazy little town in Vermont. 害羞草研究所� The handyman kept missing the point of things, and then there were these three woodsmen, but only one of them talked!害羞草研究所�

The stunt parodied a 害羞草研究所淒allas害羞草研究所� episode where a key character was killed off, then revived when the death was revealed to have been in a dream.

Two later series were comparative duds: 害羞草研究所淏ob,害羞草研究所� in 1992-93, and 害羞草研究所淕eorge & Leo,害羞草研究所� 1997-98. Though nominated several times, he never won an Emmy for his sitcom work. 害羞草研究所淚 guess they think I害羞草研究所檓 not acting. That it害羞草研究所檚 just Bob being Bob,害羞草研究所� he sighed.

Over the years, Newhart also appeared in several movies, usually in comedic roles. Among them: 害羞草研究所淐atch 22,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淚n and Out,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淟egally Blonde 2害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淓lf,害羞草研究所� as the diminutive dad of adopted full-size son Will Ferrell. More recent work included 害羞草研究所淗orrible Bosses害羞草研究所� and the TV series 害羞草研究所淭he Librarians,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所淭he Big Bang Theory害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所淵oung Sheldon.

Newhart married Virginia Quinn, known to friends as Ginny, in 1964, and remained with her until her death in 2023. They had four children: Robert, Timothy, Jennifer and Courtney. Newhart was a frequent guest of Johnny Carson害羞草研究所檚 and liked to tease the thrice-divorced 害羞草研究所淭onight害羞草研究所� host that at least some comedians enjoyed long-term marriages. He was especially close with fellow comedian and family man Don Rickles, whose raucous insult humor clashed memorably with Newhart害羞草研究所檚 droll understatement.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e apples and oranges. I害羞草研究所檓 a Jew, he害羞草研究所檚 a Catholic. He害羞草研究所檚 low-key, I害羞草研究所檓 a yeller,害羞草研究所� Rickles told Variety in 2012. A decade later, Judd Apatow would pay tribute to their friendship in the short documentary 害羞草研究所淏ob and Don: A Love Story.害羞草研究所�

A master of the gently sarcastic remark, Newhart got into comedy after he became bored with his $5-an-hour accounting job in Chicago. To pass the time, he and a friend, Ed Gallagher, began making funny phone calls to each other. Eventually, they decided to record them as comedy routines and sell them to radio stations.

Their efforts failed, but the records came to the attention of Warner Bros., which signed Newhart to a record contract and booked him into a Houston club in February 1960.

害羞草研究所淎 terrified 30-year-old man walked out on the stage and played his first nightclub,害羞草研究所� he recalled in 2003.

Six of his routines were recorded during his two-week date, and the album, 害羞草研究所淭he Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart,害羞草研究所� was released on April Fools害羞草研究所� Day 1960. It sold 750,000 copies and was followed by 害羞草研究所淭he Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!害羞草研究所� At one point the albums ranked No. 1 and 2 on the sales charts. The New York Times in 1960 said he was 害羞草研究所渢he first comedian in history to come to prominence through a recording.害羞草研究所�

Besides winning Grammy害羞草研究所檚 album of the year for his debut, Newhart won as best new artist of 1960, and the sequel 害羞草研究所淭he Button-Down Mind Strikes Back!害羞草研究所� won as best comedy spoken word album.

Newhart was booked for several appearances on 害羞草研究所淭he Ed Sullivan Show害羞草研究所� and at nightclubs, concert halls and college campuses across the country. He hated the clubs, however, because of the heckling drunks they attracted.

害羞草研究所淓very time I have to step out of a scene and put one of those birds in his place, it kills the routine,害羞草研究所� he said in 1960.

In 2004, he received another Emmy nomination, this time as guest actor in a drama series, for a role in 害羞草研究所淓.R.害羞草研究所� Another honor came his way in 2007, when the Library of Congress announced it had added 害羞草研究所淭he Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart害羞草研究所� to its registry of historically significant sound recordings. Just 25 recordings are added each year to the registry, which was created in 2000.

Newhart made the best-seller lists in 2006 with his memoir, 害羞草研究所淚 Shouldn害羞草研究所檛 Even Be Doing This!害羞草研究所� He was nominated for another Grammy for best spoken word album (a category that includes audio books) for his reading of the book.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檝e always likened what I do to the man who is convinced that he is the last sane man on Earth 害羞草研究所� the Paul Revere of psychotics running through the town and yelling `This is crazy.害羞草研究所� But no one pays attention to him,害羞草研究所� Newhart wrote.

Born George Robert Newhart in Chicago to a German-Irish family, he was called Bob to avoid confusion with his father, who was also named George.

At St. Ignatius High School and Loyola University in Chicago, he amused fellow students with imitations of James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Durante and other stars. After receiving a degree in commerce, Newhart served two years in the Army. Returning to Chicago after his military service, he entered law school at Loyola, but flunked out. He eventually landed a job as an accountant for the state unemployment department. Bored with the work, he spent his free hours acting at a stock company in suburban Oak Park, an experience that led to the phone bits.

害羞草研究所淚 wasn害羞草研究所檛 part of some comic cabal,害羞草研究所� Newhart wrote in his memoir. 害羞草研究所淢ike (Nichols) and Elaine (May), Shelley (Berman), Lenny Bruce, Johnny Winters, Mort Sahl 害羞草研究所� we didn害羞草研究所檛 all get together and say, `Let害羞草研究所檚 change comedy and slow it down.害羞草研究所� It was just our way of finding humor. The college kids would hear mother-in-law jokes and say, `What the hell is a mother-in-law?害羞草研究所� What we did reflected our lives and related to theirs.害羞草研究所�

Newhart continued appearing on television occasionally after his fourth sitcom ended and vowed in 2003 that he would work as long as he could.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 been so much, 43 years of my life; (to quit) would be like something was missing,害羞草研究所� he said.

The Associated Press