Comedian Bob Newhart's Net Worth Was No Laughing Matter — Being Funny Can Help Your Finances
Bob Newhart went from being an accountant to one of our most beloved comedians. What a resume.
By Jennifer TisdalePublished July 18 2024, 5:23 p.m. ET
Comedian Bob Newhart was known as the king of the deadpan delivery. His dry sense of humor paved the way for other straight-faced comics like Steven Wright, Tig Notaro, and Mitch Hedberg.
It's not surprising that a trailblazer like him could keep audiences howling for nearly 70 years, while he barely moved a muscle. It's safe to assume he earned money on top of laughs. Let's take a gander at the late, great Bob Newhart's net worth.
Bob Newhart's net worth reflected decades of hard work.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bob Newhart was sitting on a financial egg worth $65 million. Before he shifted into comedy, Bob was an accountant for the United States Gypsum Corporation, but he was famously bad at it which he touched on his 2006 memoir, I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This! There was only one place for a failed CPA to go in 1958, and that was straight to advertising.
Bob honed his comedy skills while writing advertising copy for a film and television producer in Chicago, but his big break came in 1959 when "he was introduced by a Chicago deejay to the head of talent at Warner Bros. Records, who immediately signed him to a contract," per The Kennedy Center. His first comedy album immediately went to No. 1 in the charts, and was followed by six more.
The small screen called and Bob Newhart answered.
His foray into the variety show began with his own, 1961's The Bob Newhart Show. Though it only lasted a season, he earned an Emmy nomination and a Peabody award. Throughout his career he also appeared on numerous variety shows such as The Carol Burnett Show, The Dean Martin Show, and The Ed Sullivan Show.
He wasn't much for guest-starring but television was definitely in Bob's future. Two shows allowed him to sarcastically enter the living rooms of viewers, both of which allowed Bob to just be himself. Borrowing from his own variety show name, Bob starred in the wildly popular sitcom The Bob Newhart Show, which ran from 1972 to 1978. Four years later he was back with Newhart, where we met Larry, Darryl, and Darryl.
Throughout his career, Bob also popped into a movie from time to time. And while some might have fond memories of Little Miss Marker or First Family, it was his surprising choices made in his later years that often stand out. Who could forget the absolute expressionless performance of Bob's Papa Elf in the Christmas fave Elf? Watching an enormous Will Ferrell sit on Bob's lap is a cherished holiday memory for many. It's not a bad legacy. He earned every penny.
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