Star Wars actor Mark Hamill has paid tribute to “one-of-a-kind” comedian Bob Newhart following his death aged 94.
The accountant-turned-entertainer, known for The Bob Newhart Show, died at home in Los Angeles after “a series of short illnesses”, his publicist Jerry Digney said in a statement to the PA news agency.
Hamill, 72, who played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise, said in a post to X: “From his groundbreaking stand-up to his two classic sitcoms he gave us a lifetime of laughter.
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“Truly one-of-a-kind. Thank you Bob Newhart!”
Elsewhere, Jurassic Park star Laura Dern said in an Instagram post: “I love you, Bob Newhart. Thank you for all the joy.”
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Other A-List celebrities who have remembered Newhart include 30 Rock actor Alec Baldwin and Freaky Friday star Jamie Lee Curtis.
Baldwin called the comic actor “great”, while Curtis said the entertainer would “be missed”.
Filmmaker Judd Apatow, who directed a documentary about Newhart’s friendship with comedian Don Rickles, said he “was the kindest most hilarious man”.
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In a post to X, he said: “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.”
In 2013, Newhart won an Emmy for his recurring guest role playing Arthur Jeffries/Professor Proton in sitcom The Big Bang Theory, about friends Leonard, Sheldon, Raj and Howard.
His other awards included three Grammys, which he won in 1961 for comedy album The Button-Down Mind Of Bob Newhart.
He remains the only comedian to have won best new artist and album of the year, according to the Grammy Awards website.
After the 1960s, the comic – known for his deadpan sense of humour – went on to dominate the sitcom landscape for nearly two decades with The Bob Newhart Show, which ran between 1972 and 1978, and Newhart, which ran from 1982 to 1990.
Newhart also played Papa Elf in 2003 Christmas movie Elf, starring Will Ferrell, and Lou Sherman in 2011 comedy Horrible Bosses.
He is survived by four children, Jennifer, Courtney, Timothy and Robert, and numerous grandchildren, according to his publicist.
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