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Bill Cosby

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Biography

Born in Philadelphia in 1937, the young Bill Cosby began creating comedy routines at a very early age. His first routines were based on his school friends like"Fat Albert," "Weird Harold," and "Dumb Donald,". His only audience at that time was his mother. Cosby dropped out of high school in the tenth grade to join the Navy while serving he finished his studies using correspondence courses. After the navy he went to Philadelphia's Temple University majoring in physical education. He worked as a bartender and quickly gained a reputation as a talented comic among club patrons. Cosby left school and moved to New York to perform in Greenwich Village nightclubs. By 1963, he won a guest spot on THE TONIGHT SHOW and shot to almost overnight success. Although it was the height of the civil rights movement, Cosby preferred to lampoon childhood and everyday situations, rather than focus on racial issues. By 1965, Cosby made the jump from stand-up comedy to television when he snagged one of the leading roles in I SPY opposite Robert Culp.

After I SPY he recorded several comedy albums, including the best-selling "Why Is There Air?", "Revenge," and "Wonderfulness." He appeared in a variety of feature films, including MAN AND BOY, MOTHER, JUGS, AND SPEED with Raquel Welch, A PIECE OF THE ACTION, and CALIFORNIA SUITE. And his television career spiraled in 1969 with THE BILL COSBY SHOW, the first of many series bearing his name. Along the way, Cosby managed to complete his undergraduate studies at Temple and earn a master's degree from the University of Massachusetts.

Cosby was highly active in television throughout the 1970s, with a stint on THE ELECTRIC COMPANY, the animated FAT ALBERT AND THE COSBY KIDS, THE NEW BILL COSBY SHOW, and COS. In 1977, he earned his doctorate in education. His 1982 comedy performance movie and album, BILL COSBY: HIMSELF was a phenomenal success, garnering numerous awards and breaking a host of sales records. But it was 1984's THE COSBY SHOW which would remain his most successful and beloved achievement. In its eight years on the air, THE COSBY SHOW was a critical and ratings giant. The show single-handedly revived the flagging sitcom genre and propelled NBC from last place to first in the network ratings. Cosby also developed and composed the theme music for the successful COSBY SHOW spin-off A DIFFERENT WORLD, which ran from 1987 to 1993.

After THE COSBY SHOW, Cosby showed no signs of slowing down. He hosted the short-lived revival of TV's YOU BET YOUR LIFE, played gumshoe Guy Hanks in THE COSBY MYSTERIES (the character's name was a tribute to his wife, the former Camille Hanks), and launched yet another self-titled sitcom, COSBY, in 1996. COSBY ran four seasons, to widespread critical and popular acclaim.

In 1999, Cosby was presented with a People's Choice Award for Favorite All-Time Television Star. The same year he developed LITTLE BILL for Nickelodeon. The animated series, focusing on an inquisitive pre-schooler and his family, proved immensely popular among children and adults alike. LITTLE BILL received a 2001 Image Award, in addition to being nominated for a Daytime Emmy

Filmography

Comedian (2002) .... Himself
Cosby Show: A Look Back, The (2002) (TV) .... Himself; Cliff Huxtable
NBC 75th Anniversary Special (2002) (TV) .... Himself
Inside TV Land: African Americans in Television (2002) (TV) .... Himself
Cosby Kids: The E! True Hollywood Story, The (2001) (TV) .... Himself
Starz! 10th Anniversary (2001) (TV) .... Himself
Playboy: The Party Continues (2000) (TV) .... Himself
Playmate Pajama Party (1999) (V)(archive footage) .... Himself
"Kids Say the Darndest Things" (1998) TV Series .... Host (1998-2000)
Intimate Portrait: Phylicia Rashad (1998) (TV) .... Himself
Kennedy Center Honors, The (1998) (TV) .... Himself (Honoree)
Celebration of America's Music, A (1998) (TV) .... Host
4 Little Girls (1997) .... Himself (Educator)
Jack Paar 'As I Was Saying...' (1997) (TV)(uncredited) .... Himself
Bill Cosby: Mr. Sapolsky, with Love (1996) (V) .... Bill Cosby
"Cosby" (1996) TV Series .... Hilton Lucas
Classic Stand-Up Comedy of Television (1996) (TV) .... Himself
Jack (1996) .... Lawrence Woodruff
What Makes You Laugh? (1995) (TV) .... Himself
"Cosby Mysteries, The" (1994) TV Series .... Guy Hanks
Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame (1994) (TV) .... Himself
In a New Light '94 (1994) (TV) .... Himself
I Spy Returns (1994) (TV) .... Alexander Scott
Cosby Mysteries, The (1994) (TV) .... Guy Hanks
Mo' Funny: Black Comedy in America (1993) (TV).... Himself
Unknown Marx Brothers, The (1993) (TV) .... Himself
Meteor Man, The (1993) .... Marvin
Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame (1993) (TV) .... Himself/Host
American Film Institute Salute to Sidney Poitier, The (1992) (TV) .... Himself
"You Bet Your Life" (1992) TV Series .... Host
Malcolm X (1992)(uncredited) .... Himself (at end of credits)
One, the Only... Groucho, The (1991) (TV) .... Himself
Ray Charles: 50 Years in Music (1991) (TV) .... Himself
Miles Davis: A Tribute (1991) (TV) .... Himself
Happy Birthday, Bugs!: 50 Looney Years (1990) (TV) .... Himself
Ghost Dad (1990) .... Elliot Hopper
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration (1990) (TV) .... Himself
Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues (1988) (V) .... Himself
Bill Cosby: 49 (1987) .... Himself
Leonard Part 6 (1987) .... Leonard Parker
In Remembrance of Martin (1986) .... Himself
All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr., An (1986) (TV) .... Himself
Motown Returns to the Apollo (1985) (TV) .... Himself/Host
Patti Labelle Show, The (1985) (TV) .... Himself
Great Standups, The (1984) (TV)(archive footage) .... Himself
"Lou Rawls Parade of Stars" (1984) TV Series .... Himself
"PicturePages" (1984) TV Series .... Host
"Cosby Show, The" (1984) TV Series .... Heathcliff 'Cliff' Huxtable
Bill Cosby: Himself (1983) .... Himself
Devil and Max Devlin, The (1981) .... Barney Satin
"New Fat Albert Show, The" (1979) TV Series
"Pinwheel" (1979) TV Series .... Himself
California Suite (1978) .... Dr. Willis Panama
Top Secret (1978) (TV) .... Aaron Strickland
Piece of the Action, A (1977) .... Dave Anderson
Fat Albert Christmas Special, The (1977) (TV)(voice)
"Cos" (1976) TV Series .... Host
Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976) .... Mother
Let's Do It Again (1975) .... Billy Foster
Uptown Saturday Night (1974) .... Wardell Franklin
Man and Boy (1972) .... Caleb Revers
Hickey & Boggs (1972) .... Al Hickey
"New Bill Cosby Show, The" (1972) TV Series .... Host
"Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids" (1972) TV Series(voice) .... Himself/Fat Albert/Bill/Mushmouth/Mudfoot/Brown Hornet
To All My Friends on Shore (1972) (TV) .... Blue
"Electric Company, The" (1971) TV Series .... Hank; Al the Milkman; Ken Kane; the Ice Cream Man (1971-1972)
Journey Back to Oz (1971) .... The Wizard of Oz (TV version)
World of Love, A (1970) (TV) .... Host
"Bill Cosby Show, The" (1969) TV Series .... Chet Kincaid
Black History: Lost Stolen, or Strayed (1968) (TV) .... Narrator
"I Spy" (1965) TV Series .... Alexander Scott
"That Was the Week That Was" (1964) TV Series .... Himself

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Contact

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