Acting
Bill Cosby
EN, IT cinema · 94 credits
Born
12 July 1937 (age 89)
Birthplace
Philadelphia, 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.
William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American actor, comedian, and 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 Many of his awards have been rescinded due to numerous sexual assault allegations, including the 1998 Kennedy Center Honor, the 2009 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and all but 10 of 72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 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.
Known for
Filmography
Bill Cosby: Walking Free
as Self (archive footage)
I Am Richard Pryor
as Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage)
Cola Wars
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: An American Scandal
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: Far From Finished
as Self, Executive Producer, Writer
Goose
Actor
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
2007
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
as Self (archive footage)
The Pact
as Self
Lipstick & Dynamite
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class
as Self (archive footage)
Fat Albert
as Self, Writer, Executive Producer
Baadasssss!
as Bill Cosby
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
Comedian
as Self
The Cosby Show: A Look Back
as Self / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage), Writer
Men of Honor
Executive Producer
4 Little Girls
as Self - Educator
Jack
as Lawrence Woodruff
I Spy Returns
as Alexander Scott, Executive Producer
The Meteor Man
as Marvin
Malcolm X
as Self (uncredited), Thanks
Ghost Dad
as Elliot Hopper
The Earth Day Special
as Cliff Huxtable
Leonard Part 6
as Leonard, Story, Producer
Bill Cosby: 49
as Self, Writer, Producer
Creole Giselle
as Self - Host
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
1986
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
as Self
Bill Cosby: Himself
as Self, Director, Writer, Executive Producer
The Fat Albert Easter Special
as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice), Executive Producer, Characters
The Devil and Max Devlin
as Barney Satin
Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party
as Self (uncredited)
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
as Self (Twins) (archive footage) (uncredited)
California Suite
as Dr. Willis Panama
Top Secret
as Aaron Strickland
A Piece of the Action
as Dave Anderson
The Fat Albert Christmas Special
as Fat Albert / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice), Characters, Executive Producer
The Fat Albert Halloween Special
as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
Mother, Jugs & Speed
as Mother
Let's Do It Again
as Billy Foster
Uptown Saturday Night
as Wardell Franklin
The Chocolate Princess
as Narrator
The Weird Harold Special
Actor, Original Story, Music
Hickey & Boggs
as Al Hickey
To All My Friends on Shore
as Blue, Idea, Music, Executive Producer
Man and Boy
as Caleb Revers
Aesop's Fables
as Aesop
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana
as Scoop Newsworthy
Bill Cosby on Prejudice
Actor, Director
Diana!
as Self
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
as Self (archive footage)
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert!
as Bill / Fat Albert / Dumb Donald (voice), Writer
The Picasso Summer
Executive Producer
Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed
as Self - Host / Narrator