American actor and comedian (born 1937) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Henry Cosby Jr. (/ˈkɒzbi/; born July 12, 1937) is an American former stand-up comedian, actor, author, producer, musician, and activist. He was also a regular star of movies and television. He was known for creating and starring in The Cosby Show.
Bill Cosby | |
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![]() Cosby in 2011 | |
Born | William Henry Cosby Jr. July 12, 1937 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
Alma mater |
|
Occupation(s) | Actor, comedian, musician, author |
Years active | 1961–2018[1] |
Spouse |
Camille Hanks (m. 1964) |
Children | 5, including Erika Cosby and Ennis Cosby |
Comedy career | |
Medium | Stand-up comedy, film, television |
Genres | Observational comedy, satire, surreal humor, deadpan |
Website | billcosby |
In 2018, Cosby went to prison because of many sexual assault allegations.[2]
He got out of prison in 2021, because the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania found that the justice system had made a mistake in the process of convicting him.[3][4][5]
Cosby was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied at Temple University.
Cosby was the class president and a captain of the baseball team.[6]
He is the creator of such shows as Filmation's animated Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, NBC's The Cosby Show (in which he played a doctor named Heathcliff Huxtable) and Nick at Nite's Fatherhood (with Blair Underwood).
On television, he starred in the 1960s spy spoof I Spy, and has also advertised Jell-o and other products.
In 1983, Cosby released the concert film Bill Cosby.[7] Cosby performed his first TV stand-up special in 30 years.[8]
On the big screen, he appeared in Leonard Part 6 (1987), Ghost Dad (1990), and The Meteor Man (1993).
On May 2, 2015, his last show of the "Far from Finished" tour was performed at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre in Atlanta, Georgia.[9]
His last known standup performance before his conviction was held at the LaRose Jazz Club in Philadelphia on January 23, 2018.
Bill Cosby was among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.
Cosby married Camille Hanks Cosby in 1964. Together, they have five children: Erika, Erinn, Ennis, Ensa and Evin. Cosby lives in suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Cosbys have three grandchildren.
Since 2016, Cosby has been legally blind, as a result of keratoconus.[10]
Cosby and his wife have collected more than three hundred works of African-American art since 1967.[11]
As of December 30, 2015, numerous civil lawsuits are active against Cosby, and he faces one felony charge of aggravated indecent assault in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania; a warrant was issued for his arrest.[12] This charge is based on the 2005 allegations of a January 2004 incident.[13][14] He was released on a $1 million dollar bail later that day.
In 2014, Cosby was set to release his new standup special Bill Cosby 77 on Netflix. The release of the film was canceled due to allegations of sexual assault against Cosby.
Cosby's trial started on June 5, 2017.[15] He was found guilty of three counts of assault on April 26, 2018, and was sentenced to 3–10 years in prison in late September 2018.[2] He used lawyer Thomas Mesereau.[16]
Cosby got out of prison on 30 June 2021, because the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania found that the justice system had made a mistake in the process of convicting him.[3] In 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States decided to not hear the case about Cosby getting out of prison.[17][18]
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1965–1968 | I Spy | Alexander Scott | TV series |
1969 | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | Patron at nightclub (uncredited) | |
1969 | Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert | Bill / Fat Albert / Dumb Donald (voice) | TV movie |
1969–1971 | The Bill Cosby Show | Chet Kincaid | TV series |
1971–1973 | The Electric Company | Hank | TV series |
1971 | Man and Boy | Caleb Revers | TV movie |
1971 | Aesop's Fables | Aesop | |
1972 | The New Bill Cosby Show | Host | TV series |
1972–1985 | Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids | "Fat" Albert Jackson (voice) | TV series |
1972 | To All My Friends on Shore | Blue | TV movie |
1972 | Hickey & Boggs | Al Hickey | |
1974 | Uptown Saturday Night | Wardell Franklin | |
1974 | Journey Back to Oz | The Wizard of Oz | TV version only |
1975 | Let's Do It Again | Billy Foster | |
1976 | Cos | Host | TV series |
1976 | Mother, Jugs & Speed | Mother | |
1977 | A Piece of the Action | Dave Anderson | |
1978 | Top Secret | Aaron Strickland | TV movie |
1978 | California Suite | Dr. Willis Panama | |
1981 | The Devil and Max Devlin | Barney Satin | |
1984–1992 | The Cosby Show | Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable | TV series |
1987 | Leonard Part 6 | Leonard Parker | Also producer and writer |
1987 | Bill Cosby:49 | Himself | Live comedy concert film released on VHS |
1987 | A Different World | Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable | TV series |
1990 | Ghost Dad | Elliot Hopper | |
1992–1993 | You Bet Your Life | Host | TV series |
1993 | The Meteor Man | Marvin | |
1994 | The Cosby Mysteries | Guy Hanks | TV movie |
1994–1995 | The Cosby Mysteries | Guy Hanks | TV series |
1994 | I Spy Returns | Alexander Scott | TV movie |
1996 | Jack | Lawrence Woodruff | |
1996–2000 | Cosby | Hilton Lucas | TV series |
1998–2000 | Kids Say the Darndest Things | Host | TV series |
1999–2004 | Little Bill | Captain Brainstorm (voice) | TV series |
2002 | Sylvia's Path | Voice | TV movie |
2003 | Baadasssss! | Himself | |
2004 | Fat Albert | Himself | |
2009–2011 | OBKB | Himself | |
2014 | Bill Cosby 77 | Himself |
Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series – Primetime Emmys
1966 I Spy – Alexander Scott
1967 I Spy – Alexander Scott
1968 I Spy – Alexander Scott
Outstanding Variety Or Musical Program – Primetime Emmys
1969 The Bill Cosby Special
Best Comedy Performance – Grammy Awards
1965 I Started Out as a Child
1966 Why Is There Air?
1967 Wonderfulness
1968 Revenge
1969 To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With
1970 Sports
1987 Those of You with or Without Children, You'll Understand
Best Recording for Children – Grammy Awards
1971 The Electric Company – Cast member
1972 Bill Cosby Talks to Kids About Drugs
Cosby has been awarded at least 57 honorary degrees since 1985.[27] Several of these honorary degrees have been rescinded due to allegations of sexual assault and/or immoral behavior:
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