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Bob Einstein
Einstein in the unsold television pilot Three for Tahiti, 1970
Born	Stewart Robert Einstein (1942-11-20)November 20, 1942 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Died	January 2, 2019(2019-01-02) (aged 76) Indian Wells, California, U.S.
Alma mater	Chapman University
Occupation(s)	Actor, comedy writer, producer
Years active	1967–2017
Spouse	Roberta Einstein
Parent(s)	Harry Einstein Thelma Leeds
Relatives	Albert Brooks (brother) Charles Einstein (half-brother)
Website	www.bobeinstein.com

Stewart Robert Einstein (November 20, 1942 – January 2, 2019), known professionally as Bob Einstein and often credited simply as his character Super Dave Osborne, was an American actor, comedy writer, and producer. In addition to creating and performing the satirical stuntman character Super Dave, Einstein was also known for his roles as Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Larry Middleman on Arrested Development.

Einstein got his start on several television variety shows, including The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour. Einstein won two Emmy Awards as a writer and was nominated four other times. He also won a CableACE Award for acting as Super Dave, along with five other nominations.

Einstein was the son of radio comedian Harry Einstein, and the older brother of fellow actor and comedian Albert Brooks.

Background

Einstein was born in 1942 in Los Angeles, to Jewish parents. His parents were the comic Harry Einstein, best known for playing the character Parkyakarkus on radio and in the movies, and the actress-singer Thelma Leeds. On October 24, 1949, at the age of six, it was reported in the Los Angeles Times that he had contracted polio. His younger brother is comedian and writer Albert Brooks (born Albert Lawrence Einstein). He was a Beverly Hills High School graduate and a 1965 graduate of Chapman College.

Career

Einstein got his start writing for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, for which he won an Emmy Award. The writing team also included Steve Martin and Murray Roman. He also appeared on the show as Officer Judy, a uniformed police officer who gave the Brothers a speeding ticket for playing their instruments too fast. In 1977 he won an Emmy for outstanding comedy-variety series for his work on Van Dyke and Company.

Super Dave Osborne

Einstein created the goofy stuntman Super Dave Osborne character for a variety show hosted by John Byner. The character later became a regular on the 1980 television series Bizarre, also hosted by Byner, and was a frequent guest on Late Night with David Letterman where he would show clips of his ill-fated stunts and tell long semi-crude jokes. In 1987, Einstein got his own variety show titled Super Dave, which ran from 1987 to 1991 on the Global Television Network in Canada (where the show was produced at the network's Toronto studio) and Showtime in the United States. In 1992, an animated series Super Dave: Daredevil for Hire aired on Fox. Einstein later starred in the 2000 movie The Extreme Adventures of Super Dave.

On November 12, 2009, the airing of TNA Impact!, he was the booker and host of the night. He made Super Dave's Spike Tacular, a four-episode sketch series on Spike TV reprising his Super Dave character, once again engaging in outrageous stunts.

Other roles

Einstein had recurring roles as Marty Funkhouser in Curb Your Enthusiasm and Larry Middleman in the third season of Arrested Development. He was also featured on the Comedy Central show Crank Yankers as obnoxious district selectman Tony Deloge. Einstein was also on The Man Show where he did Century Club with Adam and Jimmy. In Ocean's Thirteen he played Linus Caldwell (Matt Damon)'s father, Robert "Bobby" Caldwell, a master robber and con artist whose day job is an FBI agent.

Einstein appeared on the second season of Anger Management as Charlie Goodson's very angry neighbor, and his character in the show instantly got an unflattering nickname based on a feminine hygiene product.

Einstein voiced two characters from The Life & Times of Tim, playing the Elephant Trainer in Tim & the Elephant in the second season, and the bookie in Pray for the Jets in the third.

Einstein was the first comedian to appear twice on Jerry Seinfeld's Web series Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.

In the 2010s, Einstein was a frequent guest on the sports talk radio program The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz. Einstein called in as a "Celebrity Prognosticator" to give his thoughts on sports and various other topics.

Death

Einstein died on January 2, 2019, at the age of 76, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer.

Curb Your Enthusiasm series creator and star Larry David said in a statement: "Never have I seen an actor enjoy a role the way Bob did playing 'Marty Funkhouser' on Curb. It was an amazing, unforgettable experience knowing and working with him. There was no one like him, as he told us again and again. We're all in a state of shock." Jerry Seinfeld paid tribute to Einstein on Twitter.

Filmography

Film

Television

As Super Dave

Other roles

Awards and nominations

Primetime Emmy Awards

References

1. ^ Bob Einstein's death notice on Chapman University Athletics' Instagram account. Retrieved January 9, 2019
2. "Bob Einstein's website biography page". Archived from the original on April 6, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2015.
3. The Forgotten Murray Roman WFMU's Beware of the Blog.
4. Sandomir, Richard (January 2, 2019). "Bob Einstein, a.k.a. Super Dave Osborne and Larry David Pal, Dies at 76". The New York Times.
5. ""TNA iMPACT! Wrestling" TNA iMPACT! #281 (TV Episode 2009)", IMDb, retrieved January 16, 2021
6. IMDb entry for Nagging Blonde/Tim and the Elephant
7. IMDb entry for The Well Dressed Snitch/Pray for the Jets
8. "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee". Archived from the original on December 31, 2015. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
9. Pedersen, Erik (January 2, 2019). "Bob Einstein Dies: 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Actor Who Created Super Dave Osborne Character Was 76". Deadline. Retrieved January 2, 2019.
10. "Bob Einstein Remembered by 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' Castmates: "Excruciatingly Brilliant"". January 2, 2019.
11. Haring, Bruce (2019-01-05). "Jerry Seinfeld Pays Tribute To The Comic's Comic, Bob Einstein, Via Twitter". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
12. "Bob Einstein". IMDb.

External links

• Official website
• Bob Einstein at IMDb

• 1942 births
• 2019 deaths
• 20th-century American comedians
• 20th-century American Jews
• 20th-century American male actors
• 20th-century American male writers
• 20th-century American screenwriters
• 21st-century American comedians
• 21st-century American Jews
• 21st-century American male actors
• 21st-century American male writers
• 21st-century American screenwriters
• American comedy writers
• American male comedians
• American male film actors
• American male screenwriters
• American male television actors
• American male television writers
• American television writers
• American male voice actors
• American people of Austrian-Jewish descent
• American people of Russian-Jewish descent
• American sketch comedians
• Chapman University alumni
• Comedians from Los Angeles
• Deaths from cancer in California
• Jewish American comedians
• Jewish American comedy writers
• Jewish American male actors
• Jewish American screenwriters
• Jewish male comedians
• Male actors from Los Angeles
• Primetime Emmy Award winners
• Screenwriters from California