The world lost a true legend with the July 18 passing of Bob Newhart at the age of 94. The man was a television and comedy icon who starred in some of the best sitcoms of all time, not to mention movies like Elf and Legally Blonde 2. However, as his memory was honored on the CBS special Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter on July 22, it was his time on The Big Bang Theory that struck a chord with me, and Jim Parsons’ recollection of Newhart’s first appearance as Professor Proton makes me want to watch those episodes.
Bob Newhart was one of The Big Bang Theory’s best guest stars, appearing in six episodes as Arthur Jeffries, aka Professor Proton. Out of all of Newhart’s projects, this was the one that finally got him his Emmy, as he took home the trophy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series in 2013. The fanfare over the role, however, apparently started much earlier than that. On Bob Newhart: A Legacy of Laughter, Jim Parsons recalled the audience’s reaction to seeing the legendary actor take the stage, saying:
You couldn’t get a word out ‘cause they all just kept applauding and applauding, and he was crying.
That wasn’t the first time the Sheldon Cooper actor talked about Bob Newhart’s emotional reaction to that reception from The Big Bang Theory’s live audience. In 2022 Jim Parsons spoke to Parade about that first night, and hearing how beloved the comedian was hits even harder now that he’s gone. Parsons said:
The night we taped the first scene he ever did with us, he appeared in the hallway and the show stopped—just completely stopped—from the standing ovation the live audience gave him. He cried. I think we all cried. It was profound, and I realized how much I’d been stuffing down my knowledge of how profound it was to work with Bob all week at rehearsal, because who the hell can do good work while saying, ‘I can’t f--king believe I’m working with Bob Newhart!’ in your head the whole time? No one. But the dam broke in that moment.
A Legacy of Laughter featured a lot of old interviews with Bob Newhart as well, and amongst them was one where the actor talked about how the writing really attracted him to the sitcom, and apparently he made quite an impression on its cast. Behind-the-scenes footage from 2013 showed what the stars thought about getting to act alongside the comedic legend:
- Jim Parsons: It was the first person that we’ve ever had that I really thought, ‘Oh my God, you exist.’ You know? He’s like an icon. Literally, he is an icon to me.
- Kaley Cuoco: I love him so much, I love him so much, I love him so much.
- Johnny Galecki: I do too.
The Big Bang Theory’s cast members were among those who paid tribute to Bob Newhart following the news of his death, with Mayim Bialik remembering him as “a true comedy legend – the likes of whom we simple don’t see anymore,” and Kaley Cuoco said he was “classy, kind, generous and absolutely hilarious.”
If you’ve never seen Bob Newhart’s episodes of The Big Bang Theory — or if you just want to rewatch them again — the series is available to stream with a Max subscription, and we’ve also compiled a list of Bob Newhart’s best movies and TV shows if you want to remember the comedy icon by enjoying his work.
