Publicity photo of Bill Cosby from the 1965 television series I Spy.

American comedian, actor, author, director, and producer Bill Cosby is known for his performances in film, television, and stand-up comedy, and is perhaps most famous for his portrayal of the family patriarch Dr. Cliff Huxtable in the sitcom The Cosby Show (1984-1992).

He started his career as a standup comedian performing on television shows, night clubs and releasing many comedy albums. He got his start on television in the drama series I Spy (1965-1968) with Robert Culp. He then starred in The Bill Cosby Show, (1969-1971), The New Bill Cosby Show (1972-1973), The Electric Company (1971-1973), and Cosby (1996-2000). He created, and voiced characters in the animated television projects Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert (1969), and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972-1985). Cosby produced the spin-off sitcom A Different World, which aired from 1987 to 1993. He starred in The Cosby Mysteries from 1994 to 1995 and hosted Kids Say the Darndest Things from 1998 to 2000. he also hosted the TV special Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting from 1989.

He made his film debut in Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969) before starring opposite Robert Culp in Hickey & Boggs (1972). He then starred in Sidney Poitier's comedies Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and Let's Do it Again (1975). He then starred in the Peter Yates directed comedy Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976) alongside Raquel Welsh and Harvey Keitel and the Neil Simon ensemble comedy California Suite (1978) opposite Richard Pryor. He then wrote, produced and starred in the critically panned and box office bomb Leonard Part 6 (1987). He reunited with Poitier in Ghost Dad (1990), and appeared in minor roles in The Meteor Man (1993), Jack (1996), and Fat Albert (2004).

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1968 Black History: Lost, Stolen, or Strayed Himself Documentary
1969 Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice Patron at Nightclub Uncredited
1971 Man and Boy Caleb Revers
1971 Aesop's Fables Aesop
1972 Hickey & Boggs Al Hickey
1974 Uptown Saturday Night Wardell Franklin
1975 Let's Do It Again Billy Foster
1976 Mother, Jugs & Speed Mother
1977 A Piece of the Action Dave Anderson
1978 California Suite Dr. Willis Panama
1981 The Devil and Max Devlin Barney Satin
1983 Bill Cosby: Himself Himself
1987 Bill Cosby: 49
1987 Leonard Part 6 Leonard Parker Also producer and story writer
1990 Ghost Dad Elliot Hopper
1993 The Meteor Man Marvin
1996 Jack Lawrence Woodruff
2002 Comedian Himself Documentary
2003 Baadasssss!
2004 Fat Albert Also executive producer and writer

Sources: Turner Classic Movies and Internet Movie Database[1][2]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1965–1968 I Spy Alexander Scott Main role (82 episodes)
1969 Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert Bill/Fat Albert/Dumb Donald/Mushmouth Voice; Movie; also writer
1969–1971 The Bill Cosby Show Chet Kincaid Lead role (52 episodes); also executive producer
1970–1972 Sesame Street Himself 11 episodes
1971–1973 The Electric Company Hank 260 episodes
1972 The New Bill Cosby Show Himself/host
1972–1985 Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids Bill/Fat" Albert Jackson/Mushmouth/Brown Hornet
Himself/host		 Voice; Main role (34 episodes); also the creator
1972 To All My Friends on Shore Blue Movie
1974 Journey Back to Oz The Wizard of Oz TV version
1975 Cher Doctor Accompanied by sweetums
1976 Cos Himself/host Series
1977–1990 Pinwheel Himself Host of the Picture Pages segment
1978 Top Secret Aaron Strickland Movie
1984–1992 The Cosby Show Dr. Heathcliff "Cliff" Huxtable Main role (197 episodes); also creator and theme music composer
1987 A Different World 3 episodes; also creator and theme music composer
1989 Sesame Street... 20 Years & Still Counting Himself/host TV special
1992–1993 You Bet Your Life Game show; also theme music composer
1994–1995 The Cosby Mysteries Guy Hanks Lead role (18 episodes)
1994 I Spy Returns Alexander Scott Movie
1996–2000 Cosby Hilton Lucas Main role (95 episodes);
also exec. producer and theme music composer
1998–2000 Kids Say the Darndest Things Himself/host
1999–2004 Little Bill Himself/Captain Brainstorm (voice) Also exec. producer, writer and theme music composer
2004 Sesame Street Himself Episode: 4071
2010–2012 OBKB 33 episodes; also executive producer
2013 Far From Finished
2014 Bill Cosby: 77 Release cancelled

Sources: Internet Movie Database

References

  1. ↑ "Bill Cosby". Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Bill Cosby". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
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