Bill Cosby

Actor / Actress

Bill Cosby

Born Philadelphia, PA, USA 33 credits available

Biography

William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American convicted sex offender. He got his start as a nightclub stand-up comic before landing a starring role in the action show I Spy (1965-1968). After various film and television roles, Cosby's greatest success came when he produced and starred in The Cosby Show (1984-1992), a popular sitcom that highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper-middle-class African-American family. Due to this role, he was widely dubbed "America's Dad." After the show ended, he produced and starred in multiple other shows and films. He was a sought-after spokesman from the 1960s until the early 2000s, endorsing a number of products including Jell-O, Kodak film, Ford, Texas Instruments, and Coca-Cola. Cosby has received several awards including 5 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 Daytime Emmy Awards, 9 Grammy Awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to television (2002), and several honorary degrees from colleges and universities. Many of his awards have been rescinded due to numerous sexual assault allegations, including the 1998 Kennedy Center Honor, the 2009 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and all but 10 of 72 honorary degrees. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled him as a member of the Actors Branch in May 2018. Approximately 60 women have accused Cosby of various forms of sexual assault in alleged incidents spanning from 1965 to 2008. These allegations became highly publicized in 2014, leading to several civil suits and criminal investigations for cases that had not yet reached the statute of limitations. Many networks, including NBC, removed reruns of The Cosby Show from their schedules. In April of 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in prison for multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction in June 2021 due to violation of a prior prosecutorial agreement that Cosby's previous civil suit testimony—in which he admitted to giving drugs to women he wanted to have sex with—would not be used in the criminal trial. He was released from prison later that month after serving almost three years of the sentence and maintains his innocence in all accusations. As of August 2021, there is still one known active civil suit against Cosby.

Bill Cosby is known for work in acting across film and television. New Release currently presents 33 verified screen credits connected to this profile. Selected work includes We Need to Talk About Cosby (2022), Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley (2013), The Jay Leno Show (2009), The Cosby Show: A Look Back (2002), Cosby (1996), An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr. (1986), Motown Returns to the Apollo (1985), The Cosby Show (1984). The recorded credits span 1947 to 2022, including 4 movies and 29 TV shows. The filmography below lists available titles, release years and known roles. This profile is updated as additional verified information becomes available.

Profile details

Known forActing
Movies4
TV shows29
Active years represented1947–2022
Place of birthPhiladelphia, PA, USA

Also known as

The Cos · William Henry Cosby · William Henry Cosby, Jr. · William H. Cosby Jr. · William H. Cosby · William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. · Μπιλ Κόσμπι

Known for

33 titles

We Need to Talk About CosbyTV ShowWe Need to Talk About CosbySelf (archive footage) · 2022 Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms MableyMovieWhoopi Goldberg Presents Moms MableySelf · 2013 The Jay Leno ShowTV ShowThe Jay Leno ShowSelf - Guest · 2009 The Cosby Show: A Look BackMovieThe Cosby Show: A Look BackSelf / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage) · 2002 CosbyTV ShowCosbyHilton Lucas · 1996 MovieAn All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.1986 MovieMotown Returns to the Apollo1985 The Cosby ShowTV ShowThe Cosby ShowHeathcliff Huxtable · 1984 I SpyTV ShowI SpyAlexander Scott · 1965 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonTV ShowThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny CarsonSelf · 1962 The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonTV ShowThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy FallonSelf - Guest · 2014 The Mike Douglas ShowTV ShowThe Mike Douglas ShowSelf - Co-Host · 1961 Late Night with David LettermanTV ShowLate Night with David LettermanSelf · 1982 The Merv Griffin ShowTV ShowThe Merv Griffin ShowSelf · 1962 Great PerformancesTV ShowGreat PerformancesSelf · 1971 The Tonight Show with Jay LenoTV ShowThe Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992 The Ellen DeGeneres ShowTV ShowThe Ellen DeGeneres ShowSelf · 2003 Meet the PressTV ShowMeet the Press1947 The Dick Cavett ShowTV ShowThe Dick Cavett ShowSelf - Guest · 1968 Touched by an AngelTV ShowTouched by an AngelPhil · 1994 TV ShowBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre1963 A Different WorldTV ShowA Different WorldHeathcliff Huxtable · 1987 BeckerTV ShowBeckerHilton Lucas (uncredited) · 1998 The Ed Sullivan ShowTV ShowThe Ed Sullivan ShowSelf · 1948 Dinah!TV ShowDinah!Self · 1974 The Bob Hope ShowTV ShowThe Bob Hope ShowSelf · 1950 The Electric CompanyTV ShowThe Electric CompanyThe Milk Man · 1971 Rowan & Martin's Laugh-InTV ShowRowan & Martin's Laugh-InSelf (uncredited) · 1968 Reading RainbowTV ShowReading RainbowSelf - Narrator (voice) · 1983 Zone interditeTV ShowZone interditeSelf · 1993 Basketball: A Love StoryTV ShowBasketball: A Love StorySelf (archive footage) · 2018 The Flip Wilson ShowTV ShowThe Flip Wilson ShowSelf · 1970 The Kennedy Center HonorsTV ShowThe Kennedy Center HonorsSelf · 1978