Judd Apatow has paid tribute to "the kindest, most hilarious man" Bob Newhart following his death.
Judd Apatow leads tributes to Bob Newhart
The 95-year-old comedy legend passed away at his Los Angeles home on Thursday (18.07.24) after a string of short illnesses and Judd, who produced the 'Bob and Don: A Love Story' documentary about Newhart and late comic Don Rickles, shared a heartfelt tribute.
He told PEOPLE: "When I was a little kid, I watched an enormous amount of episodes of 'The Bob Newhart Show'. It made me want to write comedy. I was lucky enough to spend time with Bob after he asked me to make a documentary about his friendship with his late friend Don Rickles. He said he didn’t want the world to forget about him. I will never forget Bob. He was the sweetest, funniest man I ever met."
He also posted on X: "Bob Newhart was the kindest, most hilarious man. He asked me to make a documentary about his friendship with Don Rickles. I was so lucky to get to spend that time with my hero. His brilliant comedy and gentle spirit made everyone he encountered so happy."
'The Big Bang Theory's Mayim Bialik shared her own memories of the late actor - who guest starred as Professor Proton on the sitcom from 2013 to 2018.
She told PEOPLE: "As a child, the 'Bob Newhart Show' provided countless hours of enjoyment for me – it constituted some of my earliest training in the art of sitcom. When I got to work with alongside him on 'TBBT', it was absolutely a dream come true. He was effortlessly professional, poised, hilarious and incredibly approachable. Working with Bob was working in the presence of a true comedy legend – the likes of whom we simple don’t see anymore. How he will be missed!"
Bob's 'The Librarian: Quest for the Spear' co-star Noah Wyle, said: "Heroes frequently disappoint when you meet them. Bob didn’t. I will be forever grateful for the time I got to spend with him – laughing, globetrotting, telling stories and trying to save the world. I join the multitudes in mourning his passing. Heaven just got a whole lot funnier."
And, Bob's 'Elf' co-star Zooey Deschanel said: "Bob Newhart was an absolute genius and the sweetest and kindest man. He will truly be missed," while 'Legally Blonde's Luke Wilson also added: "Bob was a kind and funny man…a legend like Richard Pryor and John Cleese."
Bob kicked off his career as a stand-up comic before launching a hugely successful acting career – which saw him pick up three Grammy Awards, an Emmy and Golden Globe.
He landed his first Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1962 for his comedy variety series ‘The Bob Newhart Show’, and got a new generation of fans from playing Professor Proton on ‘The Big Bang Theory’.
Bob was married to Ginnie Quinn, daughter of actor Bill Quinn, from 1963 until her death aged 82 in April 2023.
He is survived by their four children – sons Robert and Timothy and daughters Jennifer and Courtney – as well as 10 grandchildren.
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