Bob Newhart's 11 Best Roles in TV and Film

For over 60 years Bob Newhart has entertained audiences with his standup comedy, television shows and film roles. Each brought him to set with a range of performers, from Steve McQueen to Will Ferrell (in a war movie and a classic family Christmas movie, respectively). Here are our 11 favorites.

Related: 9 Quotes that Reveal the Genius of Bob Newhart's Comedy

Bob Newhart's Best Roles

The Bob Newhart Show (1961–62)

Newhart earned his first Emmy nomination as a writer on his own variety show, which lasted for one season.

Hell Is for Heroes (1962)

His debut film role was playing innocent Private Driscoll in this Steve McQueen war movie about a squad of U.S. infantrymen forced back onto the front lines.

Catch-22 (1970)

In this adaptation of Joseph Heller’s satirical war novel, he plays Major Major, an inept wartime manager.

The Bob Newhart Show (1972–78)

His first hit sitcom had Newhart playing a Chicago psychologist, Dr. Robert Hartley—who mined his friends, neighbors and family for laughs.

Newhart (1982–90)

Portraying an innkeeper in rural Vermont, he led a quirky cast of characters for eight seasons, ending in one of TV’s all-time top finales.

ER (2003)

Newhart earned another Emmy nomination for his dramatic multiple-episode guest arc as architect Ben Hollander, who is so distraught over going blind he takes his own life.

Elf (2003)

In a movie that has become a holiday staple, human baby Buddy (Will Ferrell) sneaks into Santa’s bag and ends up at the North Pole, where Newhart’s Papa Elf adopts and raises him.

The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)

Newhart received an Emmy nomination for his role as Judson, who helps librarian Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) follow his destiny to protect secret and magical treasures in this television fantasy film that spawned sequels and a TV series.

Desperate Housewives (2005)

Over the course of multiple episodes of this hit show, Susan (Teri Hatcher) desperately tries to get her mother back together with her estranged boyfriend—Newhart’s “Morty”—so her mother doesn’t move in with her.

The Big Bang Theory (2013–18)

Newhart won his first Emmy playing Arthur Jeffries—aka kids’ television science host Professor Proton—a role he reprised numerous times, through 2018.

Hot in Cleveland (2015)

In the series finale of this hit show, Newhart got to work with fellow comedy legend Betty White. He played Bob Sr., who, while attending the Vegas wedding of his son Bob (David Foley), meets and falls for Elka (White).

Related: Still Laughing With Bob Newhart: Parade Interviews and Celebrates the Comedian