Since its initial release in 2007, The Big Bang Theory has become one of the most popular sitcoms of all time. The showrunners were ready to keep on making more seasons, which is why fans were shocked to learn that TBBT was coming to an end after only twelve seasons. More than 18 million people tuned in to see The Big Bang Theory’s series finale, and they were not disappointed!
Over the years, tons of celebrities guest-starred in The Big Bang Theory, including Mark Hamill, Stephen Hawking, and even Bill Gates.
Some guest actors left such an impression on the viewers that they became series regulars in no time. The perfect example of this is Bob Newhart, who played Sheldon’s childhood hero Professor Proton. Believe it or not, Newhart only accepted his guest role on TBBT under two very specific conditions. Luckily, Chuck Lorre really wanted him to join the show and agreed.
Bob Newhart Loved His Time On The Big Bang Theory
When he was first offered the chance to guest appear on The Big Bang Theory, Bob Newhart was concerned fans weren’t going to recognize him. But luckily, his concerns were unfounded. “Thankfully, they recognized me; they applauded and stood up,” Newhart revealed to THR.
Despite his initial concerns, Newhart loved his time on The Big Bang Theory. "It’s beautifully cast, has great writing and it’s intelligent. There was a longing for something intelligent — to credit the audience being intelligent. It doesn’t talk down to the audience at all," the actor and comedian admitted.
When asked whether he’d want to become a regular series rather than a recurring character on TBBT, Newhart said: “I don’t know how many legs this character has. That’s up to them. We’ll talk about it if they feel they want more. That’s strictly up to them. I didn’t just want to do a one-shot. I wanted to make it semi-recurring. At this point, that’s what it was. It was very enjoyable. I loved it.” Luckily, fans loved Professor Proton as much as Sheldon did and Newhart got to return to the show on several occasions.
Bob Newhart Had Two Conditions For Guest-Starring On The Big Bang Theory
You may know him as Professor Proton in The Big Bang Theory, but Bob Newhart has been starring in popular comedy shows and sitcoms since the late 60s! In fact, TBBT co-creator, Chuck Lorre, was such a fan that he tried to get Newhart to make a guest appearance on one of his shows for years. He didn’t succeed until The Big Bang Theory came around.
“Chuck was on the lot when we were doing The Bob Newhart Show and at lunch, he’d come to our stage and sit there. We’ve been going back and forth, and we never could find a project that we could both agree on until The Big Bang Theory,” Newhart told The Hollywood Reporter in 2013.
The only reason why Newhart accepted to appear on TBBT was because Lorre asked him, “What would it take for you to do one of my shows?”
To this, Newhart responded with two specific conditions: “He suggested Big Bang Theory and I had only two things that were paramount: No. 1, my scenes had to be taped live. There’s a tendency to pre-tape a lot of stuff and put a laugh track on it and you lose something. With Newhart, Lucy, Honeymooners, Mary Tyler Moore, and All in the Family it was always done in front of live audience. I always felt that the live audience gives it adrenaline. That’s the only way I function. No. 2, I wanted it to be a semi-recurring role.”
Lorre agreed to both conditions and pitched Newhart the idea of playing Professor Proton. Newhart loved the idea and went on to portray this character from 2013 to 2018, earning his first Primetime Emmy Award with his phenomenal performance.
This One Cast Member Didn’t Like The Fact That Bob Newhart’s Character Was Killed Off The Big Bang Theory
Bob Newhart appeared for the sixth and last time on The Big Bang Theory in 2018. Unfortunately for the fans, Professor Proton was killed off the show. But Newhart returned on four separate occasions as the spirit of Professor Proton. Fans loved to see this beloved character once again, but Jim Parsons never understood why they killed off Newhart’s character in the first place.
In an interview with Variety, Parsons jokingly revealed that he though Newhart might've asked for a raise because he couldn’t find another logical explanation. "I asked him if he had asked for a raise. Because why else would you kill off Mr. Newhart’s performance on our show?" Just like the fans, Parsons greatly appreciated that the writers brought Newhart back as Sheldon’s Jedi mentor.
Parsons added that he appreciated the spirit manifestation twist, "But this spirit manifestation they’ve opened up now is great," he said at the time.
