Bob Newhart, the beacon of humor, turned his natural stammer into a trademark of his comedic repertoire, drawing laughter and admiration on the screen. With his dry wit & the unassuming charm of a next-door neighbor, the late actor donned the hat of a bewildered psychologist in his hit series, The Bob Newhart Show, framing a niche for himself. But his stammer, a stroke of serendipity, was the brick and mortar of an illustrious career.

Bob Newhart in On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970) | Paramount Pictures

It had once provoked the perfect riposte from a clueless TV producer, who failed to see the goldmine in Newhart’s stuttered gold. The latter defended his signature stutter, quipping that his stammer wasn’t merely an act, but rather the hammer with which he forged his palatial “Beverly Hills” house.

Bob Newhart’s Epic Response to Producer’s ‘No Stammer’ Request

Bob Newhart,...