Bill Cosby
- Actor
- Writer
- Music Department
Bill Cosby is one of the world's most well-known
entertainers and comedians. William Henry Cosby, Jr. was born on July
12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Anna Pearl (Hite), a maid
and William Henry Cosby, Sr., a U.S. Navy sailor. After 10th grade, Cosby
joined the Navy and completed high school through a correspondence
course. He later took up an athletics scholarship at Temple University,
supporting himself during his studies by tending bar, where his easy
going style and witty joking with the clientèle prompted suggestions
that he try stand-up comedy. This he did and was soon to be discovered
by the legendary Carl Reiner.
In his early twenties, he appeared on many well-known variety programs
including
The Ed Sullivan Show (1948). His big break came in 1965 when he
appeared as "Alexander Scott" in
I Spy (1965), winning numerous Emmys
for his performance. He later appeared in
The Bill Cosby Show (1969),
playing a teacher, although originally the show only lasted for two
years. He then created a Filmation cartoon based on many of his high
school buddies including Weird Harold, Dumb Donald, Mushmouth, and
others: the show was, of course,
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972).
The theme was humorous but also focused on Cosby's more educational
side. He studied for many years during his career in the 1960s and
1970s, and he received a doctorate in Education from the University of
Massachusetts. Cosby also starred in some highly successful movies such
as
Uptown Saturday Night (1974),
Let's Do It Again (1975),
A Piece of the Action (1977),
Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976),
and California Suite (1978).
During his early years he also made some comedy albums that sold very
well; his most notable comedy song being "Little Old Man." He was one
of the original cast members of
The Electric Company (1971),
and he was featured in the series
Pinwheel (1976) during the late
1970s and then appeared in the mediocre
The Devil and Max Devlin (1981).
In 1984, 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids' stopped production, and
The Cosby Show (1984)
commenced. The show was originally intended to follow a blue-collar
family, but finally ended up portraying a white-collar family. It was
originally rejected by ABC, accepted by a then-floundering NBC, and was
an almost instant success. From 1985 to 1987 the show broke viewing
records, with Cosby becoming perhaps the strongest driving force in
television during the eighties. Despite this great success, he arguably
created his own downfall. The Cosby Show led what was considered by
many at that time to be the best night of television: the line-up
included Night Court (1984),
Hill Street Blues (1981),
and Family Ties (1982), which all
followed The Cosby Show.
Cosby was dissatisfied with the way minorities were portrayed on
television. He produced the TV series
A Different World (1987)
and insisted that this program should follow the Cosby Show, rather
than Family Ties. A Different World was set in an historically Black
college and concentrated on young people and education. Impact was felt
on the show immediately; at its peak, the Cosby Show logged an
estimated 70 million viewers. However, after the scheduling reshuffle,
the show lost roughly 20% of its massive audience. However, Cosby was
still riding high in the early nineties until massive competition from
The Simpsons (1989).
The Cosby Show finally ended in 1992, conceding to
The Simpsons (1989), with the
final production considered to be one of the highest-rated shows of the
season and featured a pleading Cosby asking for peace in riot-torn Los
Angeles during the height of the
Rodney King riots. Cosby never
seemed able to top the success of the Cosby Show; his film
Leonard Part 6 (1987) was
considered to be one of the worst American films in history and may
have contributed in part to his downfall as a film actor, along with
his performance in Ghost Dad (1990). He
did attempt a minor comeback in 1996 starring in the
Robin Williams film
Jack (1996), which was directed by
Francis Ford Coppola; and in
another show, Cosby (1996), (starring
Phylicia Rashad, who appeared as his
wife in the previous Cosby Show). Since then he has produced films such
as Men of Honor (2000), and shows
including Little Bill (1999).
Sadly, his son Ennis was murdered in 1997. Throughout the years, Bill
Cosby has taken a socially conscious tone, often associated with family
values, coupled with a distinctly urban spin on his style.
entertainers and comedians. William Henry Cosby, Jr. was born on July
12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Anna Pearl (Hite), a maid
and William Henry Cosby, Sr., a U.S. Navy sailor. After 10th grade, Cosby
joined the Navy and completed high school through a correspondence
course. He later took up an athletics scholarship at Temple University,
supporting himself during his studies by tending bar, where his easy
going style and witty joking with the clientèle prompted suggestions
that he try stand-up comedy. This he did and was soon to be discovered
by the legendary Carl Reiner.
In his early twenties, he appeared on many well-known variety programs
including
The Ed Sullivan Show (1948). His big break came in 1965 when he
appeared as "Alexander Scott" in
I Spy (1965), winning numerous Emmys
for his performance. He later appeared in
The Bill Cosby Show (1969),
playing a teacher, although originally the show only lasted for two
years. He then created a Filmation cartoon based on many of his high
school buddies including Weird Harold, Dumb Donald, Mushmouth, and
others: the show was, of course,
Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972).
The theme was humorous but also focused on Cosby's more educational
side. He studied for many years during his career in the 1960s and
1970s, and he received a doctorate in Education from the University of
Massachusetts. Cosby also starred in some highly successful movies such
as
Uptown Saturday Night (1974),
Let's Do It Again (1975),
A Piece of the Action (1977),
Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976),
and California Suite (1978).
During his early years he also made some comedy albums that sold very
well; his most notable comedy song being "Little Old Man." He was one
of the original cast members of
The Electric Company (1971),
and he was featured in the series
Pinwheel (1976) during the late
1970s and then appeared in the mediocre
The Devil and Max Devlin (1981).
In 1984, 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids' stopped production, and
The Cosby Show (1984)
commenced. The show was originally intended to follow a blue-collar
family, but finally ended up portraying a white-collar family. It was
originally rejected by ABC, accepted by a then-floundering NBC, and was
an almost instant success. From 1985 to 1987 the show broke viewing
records, with Cosby becoming perhaps the strongest driving force in
television during the eighties. Despite this great success, he arguably
created his own downfall. The Cosby Show led what was considered by
many at that time to be the best night of television: the line-up
included Night Court (1984),
Hill Street Blues (1981),
and Family Ties (1982), which all
followed The Cosby Show.
Cosby was dissatisfied with the way minorities were portrayed on
television. He produced the TV series
A Different World (1987)
and insisted that this program should follow the Cosby Show, rather
than Family Ties. A Different World was set in an historically Black
college and concentrated on young people and education. Impact was felt
on the show immediately; at its peak, the Cosby Show logged an
estimated 70 million viewers. However, after the scheduling reshuffle,
the show lost roughly 20% of its massive audience. However, Cosby was
still riding high in the early nineties until massive competition from
The Simpsons (1989).
The Cosby Show finally ended in 1992, conceding to
The Simpsons (1989), with the
final production considered to be one of the highest-rated shows of the
season and featured a pleading Cosby asking for peace in riot-torn Los
Angeles during the height of the
Rodney King riots. Cosby never
seemed able to top the success of the Cosby Show; his film
Leonard Part 6 (1987) was
considered to be one of the worst American films in history and may
have contributed in part to his downfall as a film actor, along with
his performance in Ghost Dad (1990). He
did attempt a minor comeback in 1996 starring in the
Robin Williams film
Jack (1996), which was directed by
Francis Ford Coppola; and in
another show, Cosby (1996), (starring
Phylicia Rashad, who appeared as his
wife in the previous Cosby Show). Since then he has produced films such
as Men of Honor (2000), and shows
including Little Bill (1999).
Sadly, his son Ennis was murdered in 1997. Throughout the years, Bill
Cosby has taken a socially conscious tone, often associated with family
values, coupled with a distinctly urban spin on his style.