LOS ANGELES – Bob Newhart, among TV’s most enduring stars with shows stretching back more than five decades, wept as he finally captured his first Emmy Award.
Newhart, 84, was honoured at Sunday’s creative arts Emmy ceremony for his guest role last season on The Big Bang Theory as Professor Proton, a down-on-his-luck former host of a children’s science show.
“This is my seventh shot at this. … I just love this very much,” he said, gazing tearfully at the trophy in his hand as the audience gave him a standing ovation.
Newhart’s long TV history includes the 1970s The Bob Newhart Show, Newhart in the 1980s and Bob in the ’90s and six previous nominations. His 1961 variety series The Bob Newhart Show earned a writing bid.
Backstage, Newhart said at one point he’d given up submitting his name for Emmy consideration.
“I just felt the kind of stuff I do doesn’t win awards. I didn’t want to go through the process, the disappointment,” he said.
In addition to Newhart, other winners for guest turns included Melissa Leo for the sitcom Louie and, on the drama series side, Dan Bucatinsky for Scandal and Carrie Preston for The Good Wife.
With eight statuettes, HBO’s Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra was the night’s top-winning individual program at the ceremony honouring technical and other achievements. The movie will compete for seven more nominations at next Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards.
Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn of Project Runway won for outstanding host for a reality or reality-competition show, and Undercover Boss for outstanding reality program.
Neil Patrick Harris will host Sunday’s ceremony.
Comments