Bill Cosby

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 Many of his awards have been rescinded due to numerous sexual assault allegations, including the 1998 Kennedy Center Honor, the 2009 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and all but 10 of 72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.

Known For

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

The Mike Douglas Show

The Mike Douglas Show

The Cosby Show

Great Performances

The Ellen DeGeneres Show

All Movies (85)

• Bill Cosby: Walking Free2022 · as Self (archive footage)
• Cola Wars2019 · as Self (archive footage)
• I Am Richard Pryor2019 · as Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage)
• Bill Cosby: An American Scandal2017 · as Self (archive footage)
• Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon2017 · as Self (archive footage)
• Nelson Mandela Redrawn2014 · as Self
• Keep On Keepin' On2014 · as Self
• Bill Cosby: Far From Finished2013 · as Self
• Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley2013 · as Self
• After Newtown: Guns in America2013 · as Self
• B.B. King: The Life of Riley2012 · as Self
• Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’2012 · as Self
• Goose2012
• Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy2009 · as Self
• Miles Davis: Kind of Blue2008 · as Self
• Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed2008 · as Self
• Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven2007 · as Self
• Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s2007 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits2006 · as Self
• Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life2006 · as Self
• The Shame of a City2006 · as Self
• The Pact2006 · as Self
• Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class2005 · as Self (archive footage)
• Lipstick & Dynamite2005 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
• The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World2005 · as Self
• Fat Albert2004 · as Self
• Baadasssss!2004 · as Bill Cosby
• Lightning in a Bottle2004 · as Self
• TV in Black: The First Fifty Years2004 · as Self (archive footage)
• Jack Paar: Smart Television2003 · as Self
• Comedian2002 · as Self
• The Cosby Show: A Look Back2002 · as Self / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage)
• NBC 75th Anniversary Special2002 · as Self
• The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story2000
• Playboy: Playmate Pajama Party1999
• 4 Little Girls1997 · as Self - Educator
• Jack Paar: 'As I Was Saying...'1997 · as Self
• Jack1996 · as Lawrence Woodruff
• I Spy Returns1994 · as Alexander Scott
• The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney1994 · as Narrator
• The Meteor Man1993 · as Marvin
• The One, the Only... Groucho1991 · as Self
• Ghost Dad1990 · as Elliot Hopper
• Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration!1990
• Happy Birthday, Bugs! 50 Looney Years1990 · as Self
• The Earth Day Special1990 · as Cliff Huxtable
• Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration1990 · as Self
• Sesame Street: 20 Years ... and Still Counting!1989 · as Self - Host
• Creole Giselle1987 · as Self - Host
• Leonard Part 61987 · as Leonard
• Superstars and their Moms1987 · as Self
• Bill Cosby: 491987 · as Self
• Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis1986 · as Self
• TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines1986 · as Self
• In Remembrance of Martin1986 · as Self
• Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special1986 · as Self
• The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There1985
• Bill Cosby: Himself1983 · as Self
• The Fat Albert Easter Special1982 · as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
• The Devil and Max Devlin1981 · as Barney Satin
• Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party1979 · as Self (uncredited)
• A Walking Tour of Sesame Street1979 · as Self (Twins) (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Top Secret1978 · as Aaron Strickland
• California Suite1978 · as Dr. Willis Panama
• The Fat Albert Christmas Special1977 · as Fat Albert / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
• The Fat Albert Halloween Special1977 · as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
• A Piece of the Action1977 · as Dave Anderson
• Playboy's Playmate Party1977
• Mother, Jugs & Speed1976 · as Mother
• Let's Do It Again1975 · as Billy Foster
• Uptown Saturday Night1974 · as Wardell Franklin
• The Chocolate Princess1974 · as Narrator
• Bicycles are Beautiful1974 · as Self - Host
• The Weird Harold Special1973
• Hickey & Boggs1972 · as Al Hickey
• To All My Friends on Shore1972 · as Blue
• Aesop's Fables1971 · as Aesop
• The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana1971 · as Scoop Newsworthy
• Man and Boy1971 · as Caleb Revers
• Diana!1971 · as Self
• Bill Cosby on Prejudice1971
• King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis1970 · as Self (archive footage)
• Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice1969 · as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
• Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed1968 · as Self - Host / Narrator
• Murder at N.B.C.1966

All TV Shows (54)

• The Case Against Cosby2022 · as Self (archive footage)
• We Need to Talk About Cosby2022 · as Self (archive footage)
• When Ruby Wax Met...2021 · as Self (archive footage)
• Basketball: A Love Story2018 · as Self (archive footage)
• The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon2014 · as Self - Guest
• The Jay Leno Show2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show2003 · as Self
• Becker1998 · as Hilton Lucas (uncredited)
• Kids Say the Darndest Things1998 · as Host
• Cosby1996 · as Hilton Lucas
• The Rosie O'Donnell Show1996 · as Self
• Ruby Wax Meets1996
• Touched by an Angel1994 · as Phil
• The Cosby Mysteries1994 · as Guy Hanks
• Zone interdite1993 · as Self
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992
• A Different World1987 · as Heathcliff Huxtable
• The Cosby Show1984 · as Heathcliff Huxtable
• Reading Rainbow1983 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• Late Night with David Letterman1982 · as Self
• Entertainment Tonight1981 · as Self
• The Kennedy Center Honors1978 · as Self
• Cos1976
• Doug Henning's World of Magic1975 · as Self
• Cher1975 · as Self
• Dinah!1974 · as Self
• The American Film Institute Salute to ...1973 · as Self
• The New Bill Cosby Show1972 · as Self - Host
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids1972 · as Bill Cosby
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids1972 · as Fat Albert Robertson
• Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids1972 · as Mushmouth
• The Midnight Special1972 · as Self
• The Electric Company1971 · as The Milk Man
• Great Performances1971 · as Self
• The Flip Wilson Show1970 · as Self
• The Don Knotts Show1970 · as Self
• The Bill Cosby Show1969 · as Chet Kincaid
• Of Black America1968
• The Dick Cavett Show1968 · as Self - Guest
• Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In1968 · as Self (uncredited)
• The Dean Martin Show1965
• I Spy1965 · as Alexander Scott
• The Hollywood Palace1964 · as Self - Comedian
• Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre1963
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self - Guest Host
• The Merv Griffin Show1962 · as Self
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self - Co-Host
• The Mike Douglas Show1961 · as Self
• The David Susskind Show1959 · as Self
• The Bob Hope Show1950 · as Self
• The Emmy Awards1949 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self
• Meet the Press1947