William Edward Daily was an American actor and comedian known for his sitcom work as Major Roger Healey on I Dream of Jeannie, and Howard Borden on The Bob Newhart Show.
15 Facts About Bill Daily
Willard Carroll Smith James Bill Daily was born on August 30,1927, in Des Moines, Iowa, the son of Fern Ellis and Raymonde Bill Daily.
Two weeks after his son was born, Bill Daily's father left his home to buy a loaf of bread and never returned.
Bill Daily stated that preparing for a Chicago-area Emmy Award telecast, he asked a young Bob Newhart to come up with a routine about press agents that resulted in the routine "Abe Lincoln vs Madison Avenue".
In 1963, Steve Allen appeared on The Mike Douglas Show, saw Bill Daily do a comedy bit and offered him a job in Los Angeles as an announcer, writer and performer on his syndicated show.
Bill Daily appeared in guest spots on My Mother the Car, The Farmer's Daughter and Bewitched, before veteran sitcom writer Sidney Sheldon took notice of Bill Daily's work and hired him for the supporting role of Army Captain Roger Healey, on I Dream of Jeannie, in 1965.
In 1972, two years after I Dream of Jeannie was canceled, Bill Daily was back on television in a non-military aviator's uniform, as Howard Borden in The Bob Newhart Show.
Bill Daily frequently pops into the Hartleys' apartment to borrow things, mooch a meal, or have the Hartleys take care of his visiting son.
Bill Daily occasionally served as a panelist on the 1970s CBS game show Match Game.
In 1987, Bill Daily was named director of the New Mexico Film Commission.
In 1988, Bill Daily tried his hand again at starring roles, this time as another doctor on the sitcom Starting From Scratch.
Bill Daily married his first wife, Patricia Anderson, in 1949; in 1976, the couple divorced.
Bill Daily had two adopted children: a son, Patrick, and a daughter, Kimberley, who is deceased.
Bill Daily died of natural causes on September 4,2018, in Santa Fe, New Mexico, five days after turning 91.
Bill Daily's death was announced by his family three days later and his ashes were scattered nearby.