Bill Daily





8/30/1928 , Des Moines, Iowa (United States)

Birth Name




Bill Daily is best known for his comedic roles as the befuddled and bewildered neighbor/sidekick on I Dream of Jeannie and The Bob Newhart Show. Bill was born in Des Moines, Iowa. His father died when he was young, and he and his mother later moved to Chicago.

Bill became interested in music when he was a teenager. After a stint in the Army he became a professional musician, playing upright bass with various groups, and adding humorous comments between songs. He went to work for the NBC station in Chicago, first as a musician and writer, and later doing comedy bits in front of the camera. Steve Allen saw Bill and brought him onto his show as a comedian and sidekick. Bill moved into acting roles, eventually appearing on I Dream of Jeannie and The Bob Newhart Show. Later he played small roles in a number of sitcoms, none of which lasted very long. As of 2007 Bill lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he is occasionally involved in acting or directing in regional theater.