Bob Hope.

Leslie Townes Hope

Bob Hope — Actor

Born 29 May 1903 Eltham, United Kingdom

Died 27 Jul 2003 Toluca Lake, United States

Citizenship United States

Would Be 123 yr If Living

14 min read

Reading time

2,723

Words

Apr 3, 2026

Published

230

Film credits

9

Books

26

Awards

TL;DR

Bob Hope Leslie Townes Hope was born in London on May 29, 1903, and became one of the 20th century’s most honored entertainers. He is known for the Road to… comedies with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, and for hosting the Academy Awards 19 times. Hope entertained U.S. troops in every war from WWII to the Gulf War, earning him the title of Honorary Veteran in 1997.

Identity & family.

KIN · 3

Names, aliases, and relatives of Bob Hope — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Birth Name Leslie Townes Hope

Nicknames Old Ski Nose, Packy East

Aliases Robert Hope

Spouses: Dolores Hope Grace Louise Troxell
Siblings: Jack Hope

At a glance.

STATS

Bob Hope by the numbers — life, work, and family.

100 Years lived

230 Film credits

9 Books

26 Awards

2 Marriages

Who was Bob Hope?

BIOGRAPHY

Bob Hope — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

On May 29, 1903, Leslie Townes Hope came into the world in Eltham, London, the fifth of seven sons of Avis Townes, a light opera singer, and William Henry Hope, a stonemason. His maternal grandmother was Welsh. The family moved to Bristol before emigrating to the United States in 1908, settling in Cleveland, Ohio. As a young man, Hope briefly worked as a professional boxer under the name Packy East and later won a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest in Cleveland. His first show-business job was as a dancer in Roscoe Arbuckle’s vaudeville revue at the Bandbox Theater in 1924.

Career

Hope’s big break came in 1938 when he replaced Jack Benny in The Big Broadcast of 1938, singing Thanks for the Memory, which became his signature tune. He then starred in the Road to… series with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour 1940-1952, producing seven highly successful comedies. During World War II, Hope began his tradition of entertaining troops overseas, continuing through the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Desert Storm. He hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1939 and 1978, and received five honorary Academy Awards. Hope also made numerous television appearances, including on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, where he had carte blanche to walk on anytime.

Personal life

Hope married Grace Louise Troxell in 1933, but they divorced within a year. In 1935, he married Dolores Hope, and they remained together for 69 years until his death, the longest Hollywood marriage at that time. They adopted four children: Nora, Anthony, Linda, and Kelly. Hope was a close friend of many U.S. presidents, entertaining 11 from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. His golf buddy was Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of presidents. Despite a reputation for frugality, Hope donated an estimated $1 billion to charity over his lifetime.

Legacy

Hope’s service entertaining U.S. troops defines his legacy. In 1997, Congress named him an honorary veteran, the only person to receive that distinction. He holds two Guinness World Records: most honored entertainer with over 1,500 awards, and longest contract with a single network 61 years. After his death, Burbank Airport in California was renamed Bob Hope Airport, and a ship, the USNS Bob Hope, was named in his honor. Multiple polls, including an ABC-TV news poll and an A&E Biography viewers poll, have proclaimed him the Entertainer of the 20th Century. He is remembered for his signature tune Thanks for the Memory and his tireless dedication to bringing laughter to troops worldwide.

Filmography.

FILMS · 230

The complete filmography of Bob Hope — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

TV

The Simpsons

1989
TV

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962
TV

The Mike Douglas Show

1961
TV

Golden Globe Awards

1944
TV

Great Performances

1971
TV

Get Smart

1965
TV

The Golden Girls

1985
TV

Late Night with David Letterman

1982
TV

Highway to Heaven

1984
TV

I Love Lucy

1951
TV

The Red Skelton Show

1951
TV

The Merv Griffin Show

1962
TV

People's Choice Awards

1975
TV

The Lucy Show

1962

Showing 14 of 230 View all 230 films

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 23

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Bob Hope — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

Knight Grand Officer of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
Peabody Awards
National Medal of Arts
Presidential Medal of Freedom
Knight of St. Sylvester
Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Ronald Reagan Freedom Award
Library of Congress Living Legend
Congressional Gold Medal
Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award
Medal of Liberty
Horatio Alger Award
Kennedy Center Honors
World Golf Hall of Fame
Honorary doctor of the Ohio State University
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Golden Plate Award
Golden Globe Awards
Emmy Award
Actor Awards
Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
Academy Honorary Award
Trustees Award

Bibliography.

BOOKS · 9

Bob Hope's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.

Amazon

Don't Shoot, It's Only Me

by Bob Hope
Amazon

The Last Christmas Show

by Bob Hope
Amazon

Bob Hope

by Bob Hope
Amazon

Bob Hope's Confessions of a Hooker

by Bob Hope et al.
Amazon

The Road to Hollywood

by Bob Hope
Amazon

Have Tux, Will Travel

by Bob Hope et al.
Amazon

Bob Hope Remembers World War II

by Bob Hope
Amazon

Bob Hope's Dear Prez, I Wanna Tell Ya!

by Bob Hope
Amazon

Confessions of a Hooker

by Bob Hope

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 16

A wall of memorable lines from Bob Hope — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

Golf Is My Real Profession Show Business Pays My Greens Fees.
You Know You’re Getting Old When the Candles Cost More Than the Cake.
I Have Seen What a Laugh Can Do. It Can Transform Almost Unbearable Tears into Something Bearable, Even Hopeful.
Bing Crosby and I Weren’t the Types to Go Around Kissing Each Other. We Always Had a Light Jab for Each Other. One of Our Stock Lines Used to Be, There’s Nothing I Wouldn’t Do for Bing, and There’s Nothing He Wouldn’t Do for Me. and That’s the Way We Go Through Life Doing Nothing for Each Other!
Welcome to the Academy Awards or as It’s Known at My House, Passover.
I’ve Never Wanted an Oscar, Although They Are Reassuring to an Actor Who Doesn’t Know How Really Great He Is.
Personally, I Never Drink on Oscar Nights, as It Interferes with My Suffering.
I Love Oscar, That Little Bald Head. I Didn’t Know Sinéad O’Connor Had Children!
They Said I Was Worth $500 Million. If I Was Worth That Much, I Wouldn’t Have Visited Vietnam, I’d Have Sent for It.
People Who Throw Kisses Are Hopelessly Lazy.
I Was Lucky, You Know, I Always Had a Beautiful Girl and the Money Was Good. Although I Would Have Done the Whole Thing Over For, Oh, Perhaps Half.
I Do Benefits for ALL Religions. I’d Hate to Blow the Hereafter on a Technicality.
Today’s Ballroom Dances Like the Swim, the Frug, the Chicken and the Monkey Are Really Nervous Disorders Set to Music.
Pictures Have Been Really Wild This Year, Haven’t They? Oscar Has Been More Naked Than Usual. They’re Doing Things on the Screen Today I Wouldn’t Do in Bed Even If I Had the Chance.
I Led Such a Sheltered Life I Didn’t Go Out with Girls Until I Was Almost Four.
When We Recall Christmas Past, We Usually Find That the Simplest Things Not the Great Occasions Give off the Greatest Glow of Happiness.

Did you know?

FACTS · 49

Little-known facts about Bob Hope — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

During his USO tours, Hope had a strict rule that performers were never allowed to cry when visiting wounded soldiers, though he broke it once in 1943 when a comatose soldier spoke to him.
In 1997, Congress named Hope an honorary U.S. veteran, the only person to receive that distinction.
Hope had carte blanche to walk on whenever he wanted on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
He served as USO Entertainment Coordinator from 1941 to 2001, retiring at age 98.
Hope donated prime land in Rancho Mirage to build Eisenhower Medical Center, now a top-100 hospital.
Despite a frugal reputation, Hope donated an estimated $1 billion to charity.
He entertained troops in every war from WWII to the Gulf War.
President John F. Kennedy awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal on September 11, 1963.
Hope and best friend Bing Crosby planned a final Road picture in 1977, but Crosby died before filming.
He holds two Guinness World Records: longest contract with a single network 61 years and most honored entertainer over 1,500 awards.
Hope and wife Dolores celebrated their birthdays on May 28 each year, splitting the difference between their real birthdays.
Queen Elizabeth II awarded him an honorary knighthood in 1998.
At 69 years, his marriage to Dolores Hope was the longest Hollywood marriage at the time of his death.
In March 2003, Hope said he wished he could entertain troops in Iraq but doctors would not allow it.
He first met Bing Crosby in 1932 at New York’s Capitol Theater, and Dorothy Lamour the same year at the Hotel One Fifth Avenue.
Multiple polls named Hope the Entertainer of the 20th Century.
After President Truman’s 1948 upset victory, Hope sent a one-word telegram: Unpack.
He changed his name from Leslie to Bob because school roll call made Hope, Leslie sound like hopeless.
He entertained 11 U.S. presidents, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton.
Burbank Airport in California was renamed Bob Hope Airport after his death.
A cargo ship, the USNS Bob Hope, was named after him.
He briefly boxed professionally under the name Packy East.
His 99th birthday in 2002 was spent at home; a veterans’ chapel was dedicated in his name.
In 1998, Hope was incorrectly declared dead by a wire service, to which he responded with humor.
His last TV appearance was with Lucille Ball at the 61st Academy Awards on March 28, 1989.
In 1997, the U.S. Air Force named a cargo plane The Spirit of Bob Hope after him.
He began entertaining troops on May 6, 1941, and was the first named an honorary veteran by Congress.
His first show-business job was as a dancer in Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle’s revue in 1924.
He once remarked that the only place he could walk unrecognized was in the People’s Republic of China, but even there a Chinese man recognized him.
He had four adopted children: Nora, Anthony, Linda, and Kelly.
In 1999, he became the first to light the Christmas tree at Disneyland.
His golf buddy was Prescott Bush, father and grandfather of two presidents.
He hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1939 and 1978.
In 1969, he was worth over $150 million from investments.
He received 58 honorary degrees.
As a young comedian, he won a Charlie Chaplin look-alike contest in Cleveland.
In the 1950s, he was a part-owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team.
The Bob Hope USO Center is named after him.
President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 20, 1969.
He received the Emmy Trustees’ Award in 1959.
He was friends with comedienne Vicki Lawrence and guest-starred on her talk show.
Three theaters in London, California, and at Southern Methodist University bear his name.
He is one of three The Muppet Show guest stars to live to be 100.
He wrote books including I Owe Russia $1200 and Don’t Shoot, It’s Only Me!
His grandfather lived to 99 years, 11 months, and 25 days.
The Bob Hope Performing Arts Center is at the U.S. Naval Academy.
He got his big break when Jack Benny turned down a role in The Big Broadcast of 1938.
He is pictured on a 44-cent U.S. postage stamp issued in 2009.
He introduced two Oscar-winning songs: Thanks for the Memory and Buttons and Bows.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 39

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Bob Hope.

When was Bob Hope born?

Bob Hope was born on May 29, 1903 in Eltham, London, England. He was originally named Leslie Townes Hope.
Where was Bob Hope born?

Bob Hope was born in Eltham, which was then part of Woolwich and is now in Greenwich, London, England, UK. He emigrated to the United States with his family in 1908.
When did Bob Hope die?

Bob Hope died on July 27, 2003, at the age of 100. He passed away at his home in Toluca Lake, California.
How old was Bob Hope when he died?

Bob Hope was 100 years old when he died on July 27, 2003. He was born on May 29, 1903.
Where did Bob Hope die?

Bob Hope died at his home in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles, California, USA. He had lived there for many years.
How did Bob Hope die?

Bob Hope died of pneumonia. He passed away at his home in Toluca Lake, California, on July 27, 2003.
What was Bob Hope's real name?

Bob Hope’s birth name was Leslie Townes Hope. He changed it to Bob because his school roll call made Hope, Leslie sound like hopeless.
What does Bob Hope do for a living?

Bob Hope was an actor, producer, and writer. He is best known for his work as a comedian and entertainer.
What nationality is Bob Hope?

Bob Hope became a U.S. citizen after emigrating from England in 1908. He was born in London but spent most of his life in the United States.
What language does Bob Hope speak?

Bob Hope’s native language was English. He was born in England and grew up speaking English.
Who is Bob Hope married to?

Bob Hope was married to Dolores Hope from 1935 until his death in 2003, and previously to Grace Louise Troxell in 1933-1934. His marriage to Dolores lasted 69 years.
Does Bob Hope have any siblings?

Bob Hope had seven brothers, including Jack Hope. He was the fifth of seven sons.
What awards has Bob Hope won?

Bob Hope won over 1,500 awards, including five Academy Honorary Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, and an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1998.
How many awards has Bob Hope won?

Bob Hope won over 1,500 awards according to Guinness World Records, making him the most honored entertainer in history. This includes 58 honorary degrees and numerous lifetime achievement honors.
What is Bob Hope best known for?

Bob Hope is best known for the Road to… comedies with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour, hosting the Academy Awards 19 times, and his USO tours entertaining U.S. troops from WWII to the Gulf War.
How tall was Bob Hope?

Bob Hope was 5 feet 10 inches 1.78 m tall.
What were Bob Hope's nicknames?

Bob Hope had nicknames Old Ski Nose and Packy East. The latter was his boxing name.
What alias did Bob Hope use?

Bob Hope sometimes used the alias Robert Hope. He also boxed under the name Packy East.
What movies is Bob Hope famous for?

Bob Hope is famous for the Road to… series 1940-1952, The Big Broadcast of 1938, The Paleface, and My Favorite Brunette. He also appeared in The Ghost Breakers and Nothing But the Truth.
How many children did Bob Hope have?

Bob Hope had four adopted children: Eleanora, Anthony, Linda, and Kelly. He and his wife Dolores raised them in Toluca Lake.
Who were Bob Hope's parents?

Bob Hope’s parents were William Henry Hope, a stonemason, and Avis Townes, a light opera singer. His maternal grandmother was Welsh.
Who were Bob Hope's relatives?

Bob Hope had a nephew or niece named Avis Hope name shared with his mother. He also had six brothers: Sidney, Frederick, Ivor Henry, Francis James, Jack, and George.
How many award nominations did Bob Hope receive?

Bob Hope received 68 award nominations throughout his career. He won many of these, including five honorary Oscars and multiple Emmys.
Did Bob Hope serve in the military?

Bob Hope did not serve in the military, but he entertained troops extensively. In 1997, Congress named him an honorary veteran, the only person to receive that distinction.
What was Bob Hope's famous rule for USO performers?

Bob Hope insisted that USO performers never cry when visiting wounded soldiers. He broke the rule only once in 1943 when a comatose soldier spoke to him.
How many times did Bob Hope host the Academy Awards?

Bob Hope hosted the Academy Awards 19 times between 1939 and 1978, more than any other person. He also introduced two Oscar-winning songs.
What is the Bob Hope USO Center?

The Bob Hope USO Center is a facility named in his honor, reflecting his decades of service entertaining troops. Hope served as USO Entertainment Coordinator from 1941 to 2001.
Was Bob Hope a professional boxer?

Yes, Bob Hope was a professional boxer for a short time early in his career. He fought under the name Packy East.
How many honorary degrees did Bob Hope receive?

Bob Hope received 58 honorary degrees from universities around the world, including Ohio State University.
Did Bob Hope own part of a baseball team?

In the 1950s, Bob Hope was a part-owner of the Cleveland Indians baseball team. His guest appearance on I Love Lucy revolved around a Yankees-Indians game.
What is the record for longest Hollywood marriage held by Bob Hope?

Bob Hope and his wife Dolores were married for 69 years, which was the longest Hollywood marriage at the time of his death in 2003. They were together from 1935 to 2003.
What airport was renamed after Bob Hope?

After his death in 2003, the airport in Burbank, California, was renamed Bob Hope Airport in his memory. It serves the Los Angeles area.
Why did Bob Hope change his name from Leslie to Bob?

Bob Hope changed his name from Leslie to Bob because in school, the roll call would say Hope, Leslie, which classmates shortened to hopeless.
How many presidents did Bob Hope entertain?

Bob Hope entertained 11 U.S. presidents, from Franklin D. Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. He was known for his friendly relationships with many of them.
What was Bob Hope's net worth in 1969?

In 1969, Bob Hope had a net worth in excess of $150 million, largely from shrewd real estate and business investments.
Did Bob Hope have a ship named after him?

Yes, the USNS Bob Hope is a cargo ship named in his honor. It was named for his contributions to entertaining troops.
What is the significance of Bob Hope's signature song?

Bob Hope’s signature song is Thanks for the Memory, which he sang in The Big Broadcast of 1938. It won an Oscar and became his theme.
Who were Bob Hope's frequent co-stars?

Bob Hope frequently co-starred with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in the popular Road to… comedies from 1940 to 1952.
How did Bob Hope get his big break in films?

Bob Hope got his big break when Jack Benny turned down a role in The Big Broadcast of 1938 1938, and it was given to him instead. He sang Thanks for the Memory in that film.

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Audited & updated by

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Published on April 3, 2026

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