Bill Cosby Biography (1937-)

Full name, William Henry Cosby, Jr.; born July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, PA;son of William (a cook in the U.S. Navy) and Anna (a maid) Cosby; married Camille Hanks, January 25, 1964; children: Erika Ranee, Erinn Chalene, Ensa Camille, Evin Harrah, Ennis William (deceased). Addresses: Agent: Lenny Herschon, William Morris Agency, 151 S. El Camino Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90212-2775.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Comedian, actor, producer, director, composer, writer

Birth Details

July 12, 1937

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Television Appearances
• Series
• Himself, That Was the Week That Was, 1964
• Alexander Scott, I Spy, NBC, 1965-68
• Chet Kincaid, The Bill Cosby Show, NBC, 1969-71
• Milkman, Ken Kane, the ice cream man, and Hank, The Electric Company, PBS, 1971-
• The New Bill Cosby Show, CBS, 1972-73
• Voice of himself, Fat Albert, Bill, Mushmouth, Mudfoot, and Brown Hornet,Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (animated), CBS, 1972-79
• Host, COS, ABC, 1976
• Host and voices, The New Fat Albert Show (animated), CBS, 1979-82
• Host, "Picture Pages," Captain Kangaroo's Wake Up, CBS, 1981-82
• Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable, The Cosby Show, NBC, 1984-92
• Host, PicturePages (also known as Bill Cosby's PicturePages), 1984-
• Host, You Bet Your Life, 1992-93
• Guy Hanks, The Cosby Mysteries, 1994-95
• Hilton Lucas, Cosby, 1996-2000
• Host, Kids Say the Darndest Things, CBS, 1998-2000
• Movies
• Blue, To All My Friends on Shore, 1971
• Aaron Strickland, Top Secret, 1978
• Alexander Scott, I Spy Returns, 1994
• Specials
• Narrator, Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed, 1968
• The First Bill Cosby Special, 1968
• The Bill Cosby Special or ?, 1971
• Himself, The Great Standups (also known as The Great Standups:Sixty Years of Laughter), 1984
• Himself, Happy Birthday, Bugs! 50 Looney Years, 1990
• The Unknown Marx Brothers, 1993
• Himself, Jack Paar "As I Was Saying ... ," 1997
• Honoree, The Kennedy Center Honors, CBS, 1998
• Also appeared in The Second Bill Cosby Special.
• Pilots
• Guy Hanks, The Cosby Mysteries (also known as Guy Hanks I),1994
• Episodic
• Himself, The Andy Williams Show, 1964
• The Tonight Show, NBC, 1965
• People, CBS, 1978
• Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, "Rudy and the Snow Queen," A Different World, NBC, 1987
• Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, "If Chosen, I May Not Run," A Different World, NBC, 1987
• The Arsenio Hall Show, 1990
• (Uncredited) Hilton, "Be Nice," Everybody Loves Raymond, CBS, 1999
• Himself, Ruby Wax Meets, 1997
• Phil, angel of reconciliation, "Inherit the Wind," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1997
• Himself, The Roseanne Show, 1998
• Himself, "Sammy Davis, Jr.: Mr. Entertainment," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
• Phil, angel of reconciliation, "Family Business," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1999
• (Uncredited) Hilton Lucas, "Drive They Said," Becker, CBS, 1999
• Hilton Lucas, "Where's Poppa," The King of Queens, CBS, 1999
• Also appeared in Sesame Street; The Flip Wilson Show; Children's Theatre, NBC; The Wil Shriner Show; and as guest host, The Tonight Show, NBC.
• Television Work
• Series
• Creator, Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (animated), CBS, 1972-79
• Producer and story consultant, The Cosby Show, 1984-92
• Executive producer, A Different World, 1987-93
• Executive producer, Here and Now, 1992-93
• Consultant, Where I Live, c. 1994-95
• (As Dr. William H. Cosby) Executive producer, Cosby, CBS, 1996-2000
• Movies
• Executive producer, To All My Friends on Shore, 1971
• Executive producer, I Spy Returns, 1994
• Specials
• Producer, The Fat Albert Christmas Special, 1977
• Film Appearances
• The Wizard of Oz (TV version), Journey Back to Oz, 1971
• (Film debut) Man and Boy (also known as Ride a Dark Horse),Levitt-Pickman, 1972
• Al Hickey, Hickey and Boggs, United Artists, 1972
• Wardell Franklin, Uptown Saturday Night, Warner Bros., 1974
• Billy Foster, Let's Do It Again, Warner Bros., 1975
• Mother, Mother, Jugs and Speed, 1976
• Dave Anderson, A Piece of the Action, Warner Bros., 1977
• Dr. Willis Panama, California Suite (also known as Neil Simon's California Suite), Columbia, 1978
• Aesop's Fables (animated), 1978
• Barney Satin, The Devil and Max Devlin, Buena Vista, 1981
• Himself, Bill Cosby Himself (also known as Bill Cosby: Himself), HBO Pictures, 1982
• Leonard Parker, Leonard Part 6, 1987
• Elliot, Ghost Dad, 1990
• Marvin, The Meteor Man, 1993
• Lawrence Woodruff, Jack, Buena Vista Pictures, 1996
• Himself (educator), 4 Little Girls, 1997
• (Uncredited; archive footage) Himself, Playmate Pajama Party, UniDistribution, 1999
• Film Work
• Executive producer, Man and Boy (also known as Ride a Dark Horse), 1972
• Director and (as Dr. William H. Cosby, Jr.) executive producer, Bill Cosby Himself (also known as Bill Cosby: Himself), HBO Pictures, 1982
• Producer, Leonard Part 6, 1987
• Executive producer, Men of Honor, Twentieth Century-Fox, 2000
• Stage Appearances
• An Evening with Bill Cosby, Radio City Music Hall, New York, 1986
• Radio Appearances
• Appeared on The Bill Cosby Radio Program.
• RECORDINGS
• Comedy Albums
• Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow ... Right!, 1964
• I Started Out as a Child, 1965
• Why Is There Air?, 1966
• Wonderfulness, 1967
• Revenge, 1967
• To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With, 1969
• Bill Cosby Is Not Himself These Days, Rat Own, Rat Own, Rat Own, 1976
• My Father Confused Me ... What Must I Do? What Must I Do?, 1977
• Disco Bill, 1977
• Bill's Best Friend, 1978
• Reunion, 1982
• Bill Cosby ... Himself, 1983
• Also recorded It's True, It's True; 200 MPH; 8:15, 12:15; Bill Cosby Himself; Hungry; Those of You with or without Children, You'll Understand; For Adults Only; and Inside the Mind of Bill Cosby.
• Music Albums
• Where You Lay Your Head, 1990
• My Appreciation, 1991
• Hello Friend: To Ennis with Love, 1998
• Also recorded Silverthroat and Hooray for the Salvation Army Band.
• Other Albums
• Recorded Bill Cosby Talks to Kids about Drugs.
• Videos
• Bill Cosby: 49, 1987
• Himself (archive footage), Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues,1988
• Recorded children's preschool cassette on home video by Disney.
• WRITINGS
• Film Writing
• Script, Bill Cosby Himself (also known as Bill Cosby: Himself), HBO Pictures, 1982
• Story only, Leonard Part 6, 1987
• Television Writing
• Movies
• Story only, To All My Friends on Shore, 1971
• Television Specials
• The First Bill Cosby Special, 1968
• The Bill Cosby Special or ?, 1971
• Televison Theme Songs
• Series
• The Bill Cosby Show, NBC, 1969-71
• The Cosby Show, NBC, 1984-92
• A Different World, NBC, 1987-93
• The Cosby Mysteries, 1994-95
• Cosby, CBS, 1996-2000
• Television Scores
• Series
• The Cosby Mysteries, 1994-95
• Movies
• To All My Friends on Shore, 1971
• Pilots
• The Cosby Mysteries (also known as Guy Hanks I), 1994
• Nonfiction
• The Wit and Wisdom of Fat Albert, Windmill Books, 1973
• Bill Cosby's Personal Guide to Power Tennis, or Don't Lower the Lob, Raise the Net, Random House, 1975
• Contributor, You Are Somebody Special (juvenile), 1978
• Fatherhood, Doubleday, 1986
• Time Flies, Doubleday, 1987
• Love and Marriage, Doubleday, 1989
• Childhood, Putnam, 1991
• Kids Say the Darndest Things, Bantam, 1998
• Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates, Hyperion, 1999
• Also wrote Fat Albert's Survival Kid and Changes: Becomingthe Best You Can Be.
• Fiction Series
• Little Bill Books for Beginning Readers
• The Best Way to Play, Cartwheel Books, 1997
• The Meanest Thing to Say, Cartwheel Books, 1997
• Treasure Hunt, Cartwheel Books, 1997
• The Best Way to Play, Cartwheel Books, 1997
• Shipwreck Saturday, Cartwheel Books, 1998
• One Dark and Scary Night, Cartwheel Books, 1998
• Super-Fine Valentine, Cartwheel Books, 1998
• The Big Fib, Cartwheel Books, 1999
• Hooray for the Dandelion Warriors!, Cartwheel Books, 1999
• The Day I Was Rich, Scholastic Trade, 1999
• The Day I Saw My Father Cry, Cartwheel Books, 2000

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

• Contemporary Black Biography, Vol. 26, Gale Group, 2000.
• Encyclopedia of World Biography, Gale Group, 1998.
• Johnson, Robert E., Bill Cosby: In Words and Pictures, Johnson Publishing, 1987.
• Notable Black American Men, Gale Research, 1998.
• Ruth, Marianne, Bill Cosby, Melrose Square, 1992.
• Schuman, Michael A., Bill Cosby: Actor and Comedian, Enslow Publishers, 1995.
• Smith, R. L., Cosby, St. Martin's Press, 1986.
• Woods, H., Bill Cosby: Making America Laugh and Learn, Dillon, 1983.