Which ‘Newhart’ Cast Members Are Still Alive?
Bob Newhart has been a staple in the entertainment industry since the ’60s when he parlaying his success into the widely popular Newhart. The CBS sitcom followed Newhart and Mary Frann’s characters as they operated their inn in a small rural town in Vermont.
The series finale threw its viewers for a loop when, just before the episode ends, it is revealed that Newhart’s character Dick Loudon had been dreaming all along. This scene alluded that Dick was still in The Bob Newhart Show when he dreamt of his life as an innkeeper.
The beloved show ended 30 years ago, so which Newhart cast members are still alive?
Younger audiences know Bob Newhart from CBS’s ‘The Big Bang Theory’
Newhart was responsible for two iconic shows. The now-93-year-old landed his own show in 1972 called The Bob Newhart Show, playing a put-upon psychologist. The show was an instant hit. After it went off the air in 1978, the actor slid into his next equally successful show, Newhart.
After Newhart wrapped up, the actor appeared in Elf and played Judson in The Librarian in 2004, reprising the role for the 2014 TV show of the same name. He also lent his voice to The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under. In 2013, Newhart took up the guest role of Professor Proton in The Big Bang Theory, winning his first Primetime Emmy Award for the part.
Mary Frann died eight years after ‘Newhart’ ended
Frann rose to fame playing Newhart’s character’s wife in Newhart. She landed the role immediately after her nighttime soap opera King’s Crossing got axed due to poor ratings. Frann played Joanna Loudon, a role that propelled her to renown. Shortly after Newhart ended, Frann took on a more dramatic role in Lucky Chances, surprising audiences with her range.
The actor’s last role was in an episode of Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, which aired two years after her unfortunate death in 1998. The Newhart star died in her sleep from a heart attack at age 55. She passed away at her home in Beverly Hills.
Tom Poston worked closely with Bob Newhart
Tom Poston was good friends with Newhart and appeared in Newhart’s productions. Poston played Newhart’s college buddy in The Bob Newhart Show and George Utley, a handyman at Dick’s inn on Newhart.
Poston also regularly appeared in other TV shows, including ER, Family Matters, Home Improvement, Cosby, and Will & Grace. Poston died of respiratory failure in 2007 following a short illness. He was 85 years old at the time.
Jennifer Holmes played Leslie on the show
Jennifer Holmes appeared in the first season of Newhart as a wealthy Dartmouth College student who takes up a job at the inn to find out how the other half lives. Holmes exited the series after the first season.
Julia Duffy took her place for the remainder of the series. She has appeared in The Demon, Knight Rider, Murder She Wrote, The Love Boat, and Tales of the Unexpected. She is 67 years old.
Larry, Darryl, and Darryl stay in touch
Larry, Darryl, and Darryl were the town’s oddballs in Newhart who worked as woodsmen for the first two seasons. The Darryls never spoke and only said one word during the entire show. William Sanderson (78), Tony Papenfuss (72), and John Voldstad (71) played the characters, respectively. They have remained in each other’s lives since the show ended.
Julia Duffy replaced Jennifer Holmes in ‘Newhart’
Duffy joined Newhart in its second season, playing the spoilt and lazy Stephanie Vanderkellen. After Newhart ended, the actor continued working in TV, appearing in Baby Talk, Drake & Josh, When Harry Met Lloyd, and guest starred in Shameless and Looking. She turned 71 years old in June.
