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Bill Cosby

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Birth nameWilliam Henry Cosby, Jr.
Born (1937-07-12) July 12, 1937 (age 87)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
MediumStand-up, film, television, print
NationalityAmerican
Years active1962–present
GenresObservational comedy, Improvisational comedy,
Physical comedy
Subject(s)Childhood, Family, Parenting, Marriage, Aging, Everyday life
SpouseCamille Hanks (1964 - present) (5 children)
Notable works and rolesAlexander Scott in I Spy
Host and voices in Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids
Himself in Bill Cosby: Himself
Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable in The Cosby Show
Websitewww.BillCosby.com

William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr., Ed.D. (born July 12 1937) is an American comedian, actor, television producer, activist, and luminary. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a vanguard role in the 1960s action show I Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show, in the late 1960s. He was one of the major characters on the children's television show The Electric Company for its first two seasons, and created the humorous educational cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby also acted in numerous films, although none has received the acclaim of his television work.

During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is considered one of the decade's defining sitcoms, The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992. The sitcom featured an upper-middle class African-American family without resorting to the kinds of stereotypes previously seen among African-Americans in prime-time television. While some argued that The Cosby Show ignored the issues of racial inequity still prevalent in society, many agreed that it showcased positive role models.

Cosby was active in showbusiness in the 1990s, starring in Cosby, which first aired in 1996, and hosting Kids Say the Darndest Things, which began in 1998, as well as making more movies. He has also continued appearing on the stand-up circuit. His material consists mainly of anecdotal tales, often dealing with his upbringing and raising his own family, and he is known for having a clean, family-friendly routine.

His good-natured, fatherly image has made him a popular personality and earned him the nickname of "America's Dad", and he has also been a sought-after spokesman for products like Jello Pudding, and the defunct retail chain Service Merchandise.

Early life

Cosby was the captain of the baseball and track & field teams at Mary Channing Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia, as well as the class president.Early on, though, teachers noted his propensity for clowning around rather than studying. At Fitz-Simmons Junior High, Cosby began acting in plays as well as continuing his devotion to playing sports. He went on to Central High School, an academically challenging magnet school, but his full schedule of playing football, basketball, baseball, and running track, not to mention his dedication to joking in class, made it hard for him. In addition, Cosby was working before and after school, selling produce, shining shoes, and stocking shelves at a supermarket to help out the family. He transferred to Germantown High School, but failed the tenth grade. Instead of repeating, he got a job as an apprentice at a shoe repair shop, which he liked, but could not see himself doing the rest of his life. Subsequently, he joined the Navy, serving at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, Naval Station Argentia, Newfoundland and at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland.

Cosby is a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

While serving in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman for four years, Cosby worked in physical therapy with some seriously injured Korean War casualties,Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page). which helped him discover what was important to him. He immediately realized the need for an education, and finished his equivalency diploma via correspondence courses.<ref name="Kennedy Center">[http://www.kennedy-center.org/calendar/index.cfm?fuseaction=showIndividual&entitY_id=3713&s*I Started Out as a Child (1964)

Books

Cosby is one of a growing number of celebrity authors.

  • Fatherhood (1986) - ISBN 0-425-09772-2
  • Time Flies (1987) - ISBN 0-553-27724-3
  • Love and Marriage (1989) - ISBN 0-553-28467-3
  • Childhood (1991) - ISBN 0-399-13647-9
  • Kids Say the Darndest Things (1998) - ISBN 0-553-58126-0
  • Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates (1999) - ISBN 0-7868-6572-5
  • American Schools: The 100 Billion Dollar Challenge (2000) - ISBN 0-7595-5000-X (with Dwight Allen Ed.D.)
  • Cosbyology: Essays and Observations from the Doctor of Comedy (2001) - ISBN 0-7868-6810-4
  • I Am What I Ate...and I'm Frightened!!! (2003) - ISBN 0-06-054573-9
  • Friends of a Feather (2003) - ISBN 0-06-009147-9
  • Come On People: On the Path from Victims to Victors (2007) - ISBN 1-59-555092-5 (with Alvin F. Poussaint M.D.)

References

  1. William Morris Agency, retrieved May 31 2006
  2. "Transition Profile — Bill Cosby". Veterans Careers. Military.com. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
General References

External links

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Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
1954–1975
1976–2000
2001–present

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