Carol Burnett honors friend Bob Newhart with emotional tribute: 'As kind and nice as he was funny'

Bob Newhart didn’t just fill bellies with laughter. He also touched hearts.

The comedy icon, best known for starring in the sitcoms "The Bob Newhart Show" and "Newhart," died Thursday following a series of short illnesses. He was 94.

Actress and fellow comedy legend Carol Burnett paid tribute to Newhart in an emotional post on X . Newhart guest-starred on Burnett's sketch-comedy series "The Carol Burnett Show " in 1971.

"I had the great pleasure of working with Bob and being his friend," Burnett wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of the pair. "He was as kind and nice as he was funny. He will be missed."

Several stars have taken to social media to share their appreciation for Newhart and his entertainment legacy.

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Jamie Lee Curtis shared a throwback photo of Newhart posing next to an Emmy Award statuette. Newhart won a Primetime Emmy for outstanding guest actor in a comedy series in 2013 for his performance on "The Big Bang Theory. "

"They will be laughing wherever people go when they leave us. God, he was funny!" Curtis wrote on Instagram . "Bob Newhart. You will be missed!"

"From his groundbreaking stand-up to his two classic sitcoms he gave us a lifetime of laughter," Mark Hamill wrote on X . "Truly one-of-a-kind. Thank you Bob Newhart!"

Comedian Dane Cook wrote on X that Newhart is "forever funny."

"His album The Button-Down Mind of Bob Newhart impacted my career intensely," Cook wrote . "He was and is one of the best comedians to ever deliver and man he delivered. Always funny. Always from the heart. Always a reminder to me of why I started in stand up."

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Ben Stiller, Judd Apatow remember Bob Newhart's kindness and comedy chops

"Bob Newhart. What a career," Ben Stiller wrote on X . "An iconic comedic actor. I and so many people grew up watching him. He was so subtle and had a brilliant sense of timing and understatement. And an incredibly kind man. Sending love to his family."

Judd Apatow gushed that Newhart "made the world a better place for a really long time. "

"Bob Newhart was the kindest most hilarious man," Apatow wrote on X . "He asked me to make a documentary about his friendship with Don Rickles. I was so lucky to get to spend that time with my hero.

"His brilliant comedy and gentle spirit made everyone he encountered so happy."

Contributing: Bill Keveney, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carol Burnett honors friend Bob Newhart with emotional tribute: 'As kind and nice as he was funny'