William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs; then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the situation comedy The Bill Cosby Show, in 1969. In 1976, Cosby earned a Doctor of Education degree from the During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered to be one of the decade's defining sitcoms, The Cosby Show, which aired eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. The sitcom highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper-middle-class African-American family. He also produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which became second to The Cosby Show in ratings. He starred in the sitcom Cosby from 1996 to 2000 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things for two seasons. He has been a sought-after spokesman, and has endorsed a number of products, including Jell-O, Kodak film, Ford, Texas Instruments, and Coca-Cola, including New Coke. In 2002, scholar Molefi Kete Asante included him in his book, the 100 Greatest African Americans. Cosby has been received several awards including; Emmy Awards in 1966, 1967 and 1968 for Outstanding Performance by an Actor for I Spy, an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety or Musical Program for The Bill Cosby Special (1969), Kennedy Center Honors (1998), Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to television (2002), the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award (2003) and the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor (2009). In addition he has received several Grammys for Best Comedy Performance and over a dozen Honorary Degrees from Colleges and Universities. Cosby has been married to wife Camille Hanks since 1964. They had five children: daughters Erika Ranee (b. 1965), Erinn Chalene (b. 1966), Ensa Camille (b. 1973), and Evin Harrah (b. 1976), and son Ennis William (1969–1997). His son Ennis was shot dead while changing a flat tire on the side of the Interstate 405 in Los Angeles on January 16, 1997. Bill Cosby is an active alumnus supporter of his alma mater, TempleUniversity, and in particular its men's basketball team, whose games Cosby frequently attends.
Series | We Need to Talk About Cosby | Self (archive footage) | 2022-01-30 |
Movie | Bill Cosby: Walking Free | Self (archive footage) | 2022-03-04 |
Movie | I Am Richard Pryor | Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage) | 2019-03-12 |
Movie | The Great Satan | 2018-06-12 | |
Movie | Bill Cosby: An American Scandal | Self (archive footage) | 2017-06-05 |
Movie | Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon | Self (archive footage) | 2017-06-05 |
Movie | Keep On Keepin’ On | Self | 2014-04-19 |
Movie | Bill Cosby: Far From Finished | Himself | 2013-11-23 |
Movie | After Newtown: Guns in America | Self | 2013-02-19 |
Movie | Moms Mabley | Self | 2013-04-20 |
Movie | Goose | 2012-02-26 | |
Movie | B.B. King: The Life of Riley | Self | 2012-10-15 |
Movie | Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’ | Self | 2012-06-07 |
Movie | Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy | Self | 2009-01-01 |
Movie | Miles Davis: Kind of Blue | Himself | 2008-10-27 |
Movie | Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed | Self | 2008-02-23 |
Movie | Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s | Self (archive footage) | 2007-04-10 |
Movie | Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven | Self | 2007-04-11 |
Movie | The Shame of a City | Himself | 2006-04-06 |
Movie | The Pact | Himself | 2006-01-01 |
Movie | The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits | Self | 2006-11-25 |
Movie | Lipstick & Dynamite, Piss & Vinegar: The First Ladies of Wrestling | Self (archive footage) (uncredited) | 2005-05-05 |
Movie | The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World | Self | 2005-02-23 |
Movie | Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class | Self (archive footage) | 2005-08-31 |
Movie | Lightning in a Bottle | Self | 2004-02-12 |
Movie | Baadasssss! | himself | 2004-05-28 |
Movie | TV in Black: The First Fifty Years | Self (archive footage) | 2004-01-01 |
Movie | Fat Albert | Self | 2004-12-25 |
Movie | The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made | Leonard Parker (archive footage) | 2004-07-13 |
Movie | Los Angeles Plays Itself | Al Hickey in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage) | 2004-07-28 |
Movie | Jack Paar: Smart Television | Self | 2003-11-29 |
Movie | NBC 75th Anniversary Special | Self | 2002-05-05 |
Movie | The Cosby Show: A Look Back | Self / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage) | 2002-05-19 |
Movie | Comedian | Self | 2002-10-11 |
Movie | The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story | 2000-05-31 | |
Series | Family Guy | Unknown | 1999-01-31 |
Series | Kids Say the Darndest Things | Host | 1998-01-09 |
Series | Becker | Unknown | 1998-11-02 |
Movie | 4 Little Girls | Self - Educator | 1997-07-09 |
Series | The Rosie O'Donnell Show | Unknown | 1996-06-10 |
Movie | Jack | Lawrence Woodruff | 1996-08-09 |
Series | Cosby | 1996-09-16 | |
Series | The Cosby Mysteries | 1994-01-31 | |
Movie | I Spy Returns | Alexander Scott | 1994-02-03 |
Series | Touched by an Angel | Unknown | 1994-09-21 |
Movie | The Meteor Man | Marvin | 1993-08-06 |
Series | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Unknown | 1992-05-25 |
Movie | The One, the Only... Groucho | Self | 1991-05-28 |
Movie | Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration | Self | 1990-02-04 |
Movie | The Earth Day Special | Dr. Cliff Huxtable | 1990-04-22 |
Movie | Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration! | 1990-06-07 | |
Movie | Ghost Dad | Elliot Hopper | 1990-06-29 |
Movie | Sesame Street: 20 Years ... and Still Counting! | Himself - Host | 1989-04-07 |
Movie | Bill Cosby: 49 | Himself | 1987-04-01 |
Movie | Leonard Part 6 | Leonard | 1987-12-18 |
Series | A Different World | Unknown | 1987-09-24 |
Movie | In Remembrance of Martin | Self | 1986-02-08 |
Movie | Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis | Self | 1986-10-17 |
Series | The Cosby Show | Heathcliff Huxtable | 1984-09-20 |
Movie | Bill Cosby: Himself | Himself | 1983-05-20 |
Series | Late Night with David Letterman | Unknown | 1982-02-01 |
Movie | The Devil and Max Devlin | Barney Satin | 1981-03-06 |
Movie | A Walking Tour of Sesame Street | Self (Twins) (archive footage) (uncredited) | 1979-03-01 |
Movie | Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party | Self (uncredited) | 1979-11-23 |
Series | The Kennedy Center Honors | Unknown | 1978-12-28 |
Movie | Top Secret | Aaron Strickland | 1978-06-04 |
Movie | California Suite | Dr. Willis Panama | 1978-12-15 |
Movie | The Fat Albert Halloween Special | Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice) | 1977-10-24 |
Movie | A Piece of the Action | Dave Anderson | 1977-10-07 |
Movie | The Fat Albert Christmas Special | Fat Albert / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice) | 1977-12-18 |
Movie | Mother, Jugs & Speed | Mother | 1976-05-26 |
Series | Cos | 1976-09-19 | |
Series | Cher | Unknown | 1975-02-16 |
Movie | Let's Do It Again | Billy Foster | 1975-10-11 |
Movie | Uptown Saturday Night | Wardell Franklin | 1974-07-26 |
Series | The American Film Institute Salute to ... | Unknown | 1973-04-02 |
Movie | Journey Back to Oz | The Wizard of Oz (TV version) | 1972-12-14 |
Movie | To All My Friends on Shore | Blue | 1972-02-25 |
Series | Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids | Mushmouth | 1972-09-09 |
Movie | Hickey & Boggs | Al Hickey | 1972-10-04 |
Series | The New Bill Cosby Show | Self - Host | 1972-09-11 |
Movie | Bill Cosby on Prejudice | 1971-01-01 | |
Movie | Diana! | Self | 1971-04-18 |
Movie | Aesop's Fables | Aesop | 1971-10-31 |
Movie | Man and Boy | Caleb Revers | 1971-06-23 |
Series | The Electric Company | The Milk Man | 1971-10-25 |
Series | The Don Knotts Show | Unknown | 1970-09-15 |
Movie | King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis | Self (archive footage) | 1970-03-24 |
Series | The Flip Wilson Show | Unknown | 1970-09-17 |
Series | The Bill Cosby Show | Chet Kincaid | 1969-09-14 |
Movie | Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice | Nightclub Patron (uncredited) | 1969-09-17 |
Series | Of Black America | 1968-07-02 | |
Movie | Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed | Self - Host / Narrator | 1968-08-31 |
Series | I Spy | Alexander Scott | 1965-09-15 |
Series | The Dean Martin Show | Unknown | 1965-09-16 |
Series | The Hollywood Palace | Unknown | 1964-01-04 |
Series | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | Unknown | 1963-10-04 |
Series | Captain Kangaroo | 1955-10-03 | |
Series | The Emmy Awards | Unknown | 1949-01-25 |
Series | The Ed Sullivan Show | Unknown | 1948-06-20 |
Series | Meet the Press | Unknown | 1947-11-06 |