William Henry Cosby Jr. was born on July 12, 1937. Cosby is an American comedian, actor, spokesperson, and media personality. Cosby has made numerous contributions to American and African American culture, and gained a title as “America’s Dad” after the portrayal of Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show 1984-1992.
Cosby has received many awards and accolades, honorary degrees throughout his career, numerous of which were revoked following sexual assault charges made over him in year 2104.
He has started his acting career as a stand up comic at the hungry I nightclub in San Francisco during the 1960s. In his career, he released so many standup comedy records which consecutively made him to earn the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album from 1965 to 1970. Cosby has also starred in a role of television crime show I Spy in 1965-1968 opposite Robert Culp.
He made a record after winning the Primetime Emmy Award for outstanding lead actor in a drama series in year 1966, making him the 1st ever African American to received an Emmy Award for the outstanding acting. Cosby continued his acting career as he starred in the sitcom The Bill Cosby Show, which surfaced for 2 seasons from 1969 to 1971.
Cosby has also created, produced, and hosted the animated comedy tv series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids which was ran until 1985. Cosby played in various movies such as, Sidney Poitier’s Uptown Saturday Night in year 1974, and Let’s Do It Again in 1975, and Neil Simon’s California Suite in 1978 alongside Richard Pryor.
Cosby has also played in the original cast of The Electric Company alongside Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman from 1971 to 1973. He was a famous spokesperson in advertising for a long period, for many products additionally the Bell O Ice pop treats Pudding Pop. Starting in the 1980s, Cosby produced and played in the tv sitcom The Cosby Show, which was rated as the number one Show in America from 1985 via 1989.
Cosby has also played in The Cosby Mysteries 1994-1995, the sitcom Cosby in 1996-2000 and hosted Kids Say The Darndest Things 1998-2000. After some time he created and produced the animated Kid’s Show Little Bill in year 1999-2004. Cosby is the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom by George W. Bush in year 2002.
He has been charged of many sexual assault allegations which became so publicized in year 2014, later, Hannibal Buress brought them back into the public limelight at the time of a stand up routine, prompting more lady to come forward with same allegations. Following the charges, media pulled reruns of The Cosby Show and other TV shows featuring Cosby from syndication. Cosby was convicted of aggrevated indecent assault against Andrea Constand in 2018. His legal issues have continued followers his release from jail.
Cosby’s mother, Anna Pearl, who was a maid, and father, William Henry Cosby Sr., who served as a mess steward in United States Navy, Cosby has three siblings. He was the class president and also as captain of both the baseball and track and field teams at Mary Channing Sister Public School in Philadelphia.
One of his teacher noticed his propensity for comedy around instead of studying, and he explained himself as the Class clown. He acted in played and continued to compete in sports, at Fitzsimons Junior High School. He studied Philadelphia’s Central High School, a magnet school and academically rigorous college prep school, where he ran track and played baseball, football and basketball. He failed in 10th grade.
He joined Navy in 1956, and served as a hospital corpsman at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, at Naval Station Argentina in Newfoundland, Canada and in Maryland. In Navy he worked as physical therapy and Marine Corps private who were wounded at the time of Korean War. He served until 1960.
He played alongside Robert Culp in the I Spy espionage adventure series on NBC in year 1965. His show I Spy became the 1st weekly dramatic TV series to feature an African American in his starring character. Firstly, he and NBC executives were worried that some affiliates perhaps unwilling to carry the series.
In starting, of 1965, four station rejected the show, they were in Georgia, Florida and Alabama. Followers were taken with the show’s exotic locales and the genuine chemistry between the celebs. His show I Spy finished among the twenty most watched shows that year. He has received three Emmy Awards for his outstanding lead actor in a drama series.
While receiving the 3rd Emmy for his show, he told you his fans, “Let The message be known to bigots and racists that they don’t count.”
On January 1964, he married to Camille Hanks, the couple have shared 5 kids together, Erika born in 1965, Erinn in 1966, Ennis in 1969-1997, Ensa in 1973-2018, and Evin born in 1976. Couple’s only son, Ennis who was murdered in January 16,1997, when he was changing his flat tire on the road side of Interstate 405 in LA. His daughter passed away due to Renal Disease on February 23, 2018, while awaiting a kidney transplant.
He and his wife have got more than 300 works of African American Art since 1967. The projects goes on display in Conversation an exhibit at the National Museum of African art in year 2014. The show was become more controversial after sexual assault charges made against Cosby.
Cosby’s lawyer officially stated that he’s blind, in 2016. In an interview with National Newspaper Publisher, he and one of his former publicist confirmed the loss of his eyesight, on April 2017.
After the release from jail in 2021, he was reported to be participating to make a post prison comeback. His decision for the comeback included a comedy tour that would go from the US to Canada to London, with Cosby’s group members having contacted a number of promoters & comedy clubs about acting chance.
