Bill Cobbs
Encyclopedia
Wilbert "Bill" Cobbs is an American
film and television actor. He has starred in over 120 television programs and movies.
to a domestic worker mother and a father who worked in construction. His parents were hard-working people, who instilled in him a sense of self-reliance and humility. As an amateur actor in the city's Karamu House Theater, he starred in the Ossie Davis play "Purlie Victorious."
Cobbs was an Air Force radar technician for eight years; he also worked in office products at IBM and sold cars in Cleveland.
In 1970, at the age of 36, he left for New York to seek work as an actor. There he turned down a job in the NBC sales department in order to have time for auditions. He supported himself by driving a cab, repairing office equipment, selling toys, and performing odd jobs. His first professional acting role was in "Ride a Black Horse" at the Negro Ensemble Company
. From there he appeared in small theater productions, street theater, regional theater and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater.
His first television credit was in "Vegetable Soup" (1976), a New York public television educational series, and he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in 1974. In his free time Cobbs enjoys music, reading, and playing his drums. Cobbs has appeared and been a regular on many television programs including: The Michael Richards Show
, The Outer Limits
, I'll Fly Away
, Yes, Dear, The Sopranos
, The Others
, JAG
, The Drew Carey Show
, October Road
, One Tree Hill
and many more.
Bill is a second cousin of the late African-American actor
and Song of the South
star James Baskett
.
In 2006, Cobbs played a supporting role in Night at the Museum
as Reginald, a security guard on the verge of retirement. He also played basketball coach and retired basketball player Arthur Chaney in Disney's Air Bud
, and Medgar Evers'
older brother Charles Evers
in Rob Reiner
's Ghosts of Mississippi
. He had a pivotal role in the Coen Brothers
' The Hudsucker Proxy
, and played a jazz pianist in Tom Hanks
' That Thing You Do.
He recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign, encouraging reading of Ice-T
's autobiography.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actor. He has starred in over 120 television programs and movies.
Life and career
Cobbs was born in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
to a domestic worker mother and a father who worked in construction. His parents were hard-working people, who instilled in him a sense of self-reliance and humility. As an amateur actor in the city's Karamu House Theater, he starred in the Ossie Davis play "Purlie Victorious."
Cobbs was an Air Force radar technician for eight years; he also worked in office products at IBM and sold cars in Cleveland.
In 1970, at the age of 36, he left for New York to seek work as an actor. There he turned down a job in the NBC sales department in order to have time for auditions. He supported himself by driving a cab, repairing office equipment, selling toys, and performing odd jobs. His first professional acting role was in "Ride a Black Horse" at the Negro Ensemble Company
Negro Ensemble Company
The Negro Ensemble Company is a New York City-based theater company. Established in 1967 by playwright Douglas Turner Ward, producer/actor Robert Hooks, and theater manager Gerald S...
. From there he appeared in small theater productions, street theater, regional theater and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater.
His first television credit was in "Vegetable Soup" (1976), a New York public television educational series, and he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in 1974. In his free time Cobbs enjoys music, reading, and playing his drums. Cobbs has appeared and been a regular on many television programs including: The Michael Richards Show
The Michael Richards Show
The Michael Richards Show is a sitcom that debuted on NBC in 2000. The show starred Michael Richards as reality-challenged but successful private detective Vic Nardozza who gets the job done despite his unconventional methods.- History :...
, The Outer Limits
The Outer Limits (1995 TV series)
The Outer Limits is an American television series that originally aired on Showtime,the Sci Fi Channel and in syndication between 1995 and 2002...
, I'll Fly Away
I'll Fly Away (TV series)
I'll Fly Away is a television series set during the late 1950s and early 1960s, in an unspecified Southern U.S. state. It aired on NBC from 1991 to 1993 and starred Regina Taylor as Lilly Harper, a black housekeeper for district attorney Forrest Bedford and his family...
, Yes, Dear, The Sopranos
Do Not Resuscitate (The Sopranos episode)
"Do Not Resuscitate" is the fifteenth episode of the HBO original series "The Sopranos" and the second of the show's second season. It was written by Robin Green, Mitchell Burgess and Frank Renzulli, directed by Martin Bruestle and originally aired on Sunday, January 23, 2000.-Starring:* James...
, The Others
The Others (TV series)
The Others is an American TV series created by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, and produced by Delusional Films, NBC and DreamWorks Television. It ran for 13 40-minute episodes from February 5, 2000 to June 10, 2000, airing on NBC in the US, Five in the UK and Nine in Australia...
, JAG
JAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
, The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show
The Drew Carey Show is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from 1995 to 2004. The show was set in Cleveland, Ohio, and revolved around the retail office and home life of "everyman" Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the actor....
, October Road
October Road (TV series)
October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is...
, One Tree Hill
One Tree Hill (TV series)
One Tree Hill is an American television drama created by Mark Schwahn, which premiered on September 23, 2003, on The WB Television Network. After its third season, The WB merged with UPN to form The CW Television Network, and, since September 27, 2006, the network has been the official broadcaster...
and many more.
Bill is a second cousin of the late African-American actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and Song of the South
Song of the South
Song of the South is a 1946 American musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The film is based on the Uncle Remus cycle of stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The live actors provide a sentimental frame story, in which Uncle Remus relates the folk tales of the...
star James Baskett
James Baskett
James Baskett was an American actor known for his portrayal of Uncle Remus, singing the song "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" in the 1946 Disney feature film Song of the South, for which he was given an Honorary Academy Award, making him the first male performer of African descent to receive an Oscar.- Career...
.
In 2006, Cobbs played a supporting role in Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum
Night at the Museum is a 2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film based on the 1993 children's book The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc. It follows a divorced father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny...
as Reginald, a security guard on the verge of retirement. He also played basketball coach and retired basketball player Arthur Chaney in Disney's Air Bud
Air Bud
Air Bud is a 1997 American family/dramedy film that sparked the franchise centered on the real-life dog, Buddy, a Golden Retriever. The film's title may in fact be wordplay with "Air Jordan", a nickname of basketball superstar Michael Jordan. It is the first film to be distributed together by...
, and Medgar Evers'
Medgar Evers
Medgar Wiley Evers was an African American civil rights activist from Mississippi involved in efforts to overturn segregation at the University of Mississippi...
older brother Charles Evers
Charles Evers
James Charles Evers is a prominent American civil rights advocate. The older brother of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers, Charles Evers is a leading civil rights spokesman within the Republican Party in his native Mississippi. In 1969 he became the first African American since the...
in Rob Reiner
Rob Reiner
Robert "Rob" Reiner is an American actor, director, producer, writer, and political activist.As an actor, Reiner first came to national prominence as Archie and Edith Bunker's son-in-law, Michael "Meathead" Stivic, on All in the Family. That role earned him two Emmy Awards during the 1970s...
's Ghosts of Mississippi
Ghosts of Mississippi
Ghosts of Mississippi is a 1996 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods. The plot is based on the true story of the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the white supremacist accused of the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist...
. He had a pivotal role in the Coen Brothers
Coen Brothers
Joel David Coen and Ethan Jesse Coen known together professionally as the Coen brothers, are American filmmakers...
' The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hudsucker Proxy
The Hudsucker Proxy is a 1994 screwball comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director....
, and played a jazz pianist in Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
' That Thing You Do.
He recorded a public service announcement for Deejay Ra's 'Hip-Hop Literacy' campaign, encouraging reading of Ice-T
ICE-T
* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
's autobiography.
Filmography
- The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974)
- A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a SandwichA Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich (film)A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a Sandwich is a 1978 film directed by Ralph Nelson. The screenplay was written by Alice Childress, based on her novel of the same name. It was shot on location in South Central Los Angeles. It was Nelson's last film before his death.-Synopsis:A Hero Ain't Nothin' but a...
(1978) - Greased LightningGreased LightningGreased Lightning is a 1977 American biographical film, starring Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, and Pam Grier, and directed by Michael Schultz. Greased Lightning is a film loosely based on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first African American stock car racing champion in the United States...
(1977) - Trading PlacesTrading PlacesTrading Places is a 1983 American comedy film, of the satire genre, directed by John Landis, starring Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy. It tells the story of an upper class commodities broker and a homeless street hustler whose lives cross paths when they are unknowingly made part of an elaborate bet...
(1983) - SilkwoodSilkwoodSilkwood is a 1983 American drama film directed by Mike Nichols. The screenplay by Nora Ephron and Alice Arlen was inspired by the true-life story of Karen Silkwood, who died in a suspicious car accident while investigating alleged wrongdoing at the Kerr-McGee plutonium plant where she...
(1983) - The Brother from Another PlanetThe Brother from Another PlanetThe Brother from Another Planet is a science fiction film written, directed and edited by John Sayles. It stars Joe Morton as an extraterrestrial who has escaped to Earth and who hides in New York City.-Plot:...
(1984) - The Cotton ClubThe Cotton Club (film)The Cotton Club is a 1984 crime-drama, centered on a famed Harlem jazz club of the 1930s, the Cotton Club.The movie was co-written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, choreographed by Henry LeTang, and starred Richard Gere, Diane Lane, and Gregory Hines...
(1984) - Compromising PositionsCompromising PositionsCompromising Positions is a 1985 film released by Paramount and directed by Frank Perry. The screenplay, by Susan Isaacs, was adapted from her 1978 detective novel. The plot concerns a Long Island housewife and former journalist who becomes involved in a murder investigation...
(1985) - The Color of MoneyThe Color of MoneyThe Color of Money is a 1986 film directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Richard Price, based on the 1984 novel of the same name by Walter Tevis....
(1986) - Five Corners (1987)
- SuspectSuspect (film)Suspect is a 1987 mystery/courtroom film drama starring Cher, Dennis Quaid and Liam Neeson.Other notable cast members include John Mahoney, Joe Mantegna, Fred Melamed, and Philip Bosco...
(1987) - Dominick and EugeneDominick and EugeneDominick and Eugene is a 1988 American drama film directed by Robert M. Young about twin brothers, Dominick and Eugene. Dominick has an intellectual disability due to an accident in his youth. The film was directed by Robert M...
(1988) - Bird (1988)
- The January ManThe January ManThe January Man is a 1989 comedy/thriller film. It was directed by Pat O'Connor from a screenplay by John Patrick Shanley. The film stars Kevin Kline as Nick Starkey, a smart ex-New York City police detective who is lured back into service by his police commissioner brother when a serial killer...
(1989) - Decoration DayDecoration Day (film)Decoration Day is a 1990 film based on a novel by John William Corrington of the same title. The award-winning made-for-TV movie was directed by Robert Markowitz and filmed on location in Georgia.-Plot:...
(1990) - New Jack CityNew Jack CityNew Jack City is a 1991 crime film starring Wesley Snipes, Ice-T, Mario Van Peebles, Judd Nelson, and Chris Rock. Snipes stars as Nino Brown, a rising drug dealer and crime lord in New York City during the crack epidemic...
(1991) - The Hard WayThe Hard Way (1991 film)The Hard Way is a 1991 action-comedy film starring Michael J. Fox and James Woods. It is directed by John Badham. The film also had notable performances by Stephen Lang, Annabella Sciorra, Luis Guzmán, LL Cool J, Delroy Lindo, Penny Marshall, and Bryant Gumbel, as himself...
(1991) - The People Under the StairsThe People Under the StairsThe People Under the Stairs is a 1991 horror film directed by Wes Craven and starring Brandon Adams, Everett McGill, Wendy Robie, A. J. Langer, Ving Rhames and Sean Whalen.- Plot :...
(1991) - Roadside ProphetsRoadside ProphetsRoadside Prophets is a 1992 cult film written and directed by Abbe Wool, featuring musicians John Doe of the L.A. punk band X, and Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys, with cameo appearances by, amongst others, Timothy Leary, Arlo Guthrie, David Carradine, an uncharacteristic performance by John...
(1992) - The BodyguardThe BodyguardThe Bodyguard is a 1992 American romantic-thriller film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Costner stars as a former Secret Service Agent turned bodyguard who is hired to protect Houston's character, a music star, from an unknown stalker. Lawrence Kasdan wrote the film in the 1970s,...
(1992) - Demolition ManDemolition Man (film)Demolition Man is a 1993 American, science fiction action film directed by Marco Brambilla, and starring Sylvester Stallone and Wesley Snipes. Sandra Bullock, Nigel Hawthorne, and Denis Leary co-star....
(1993) - The Hudsucker ProxyThe Hudsucker ProxyThe Hudsucker Proxy is a 1994 screwball comedy film written, produced, and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Sam Raimi co-wrote the script and served as second unit director....
(1994) - Things to Do in Denver When You're DeadThings to Do in Denver When You're DeadThings to Do in Denver When You're Dead is a 1995 crime film directed by Gary Fleder from a screenplay written by Scott Rosenberg. The film features an ensemble cast that includes Andy García, Christopher Lloyd, Steve Buscemi, Christopher Walken, Fairuza Balk, and Gabrielle Anwar.The film's title...
(1995) - FlukeFluke (film)Fluke is a 1995 film directed by Carlo Carlei and starring Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz, Nancy Travis, Max Pomeranc and the voice of Samuel L. Jackson. Bill Cobbs, Ron Perlman, and Jon Polito co-star...
(1995) - EdEd (film)Ed is a 1996 comedy film starring Matt LeBlanc. LeBlanc plays Jack "Deuce" Cooper, a talented baseball pitcher. Deuce also finds a friend in a talented ball-playing chimpanzee, who was originally his team's mascot.-Reception:...
(1996) - First KidFirst KidFirst Kid is a 1996 Disney comedy film directed by David Mickey Evans and stars Sinbad and Brock Pierce. It was mostly filmed in Richmond, Virginia.-Plot:...
(1996) - That Thing You Do!That Thing You Do!That Thing You Do! is a 1996 comedy-drama musical film written and directed by Tom Hanks. Set in the summer of 1964, the movie tells the story of the quick rise and fall of a one-hit wonder rock band...
(1996) - Ghosts of MississippiGhosts of MississippiGhosts of Mississippi is a 1996 American drama film directed by Rob Reiner and starring Alec Baldwin, Whoopi Goldberg, and James Woods. The plot is based on the true story of the 1994 trial of Byron De La Beckwith, the white supremacist accused of the 1963 assassination of civil rights activist...
(1996) - Air BudAir BudAir Bud is a 1997 American family/dramedy film that sparked the franchise centered on the real-life dog, Buddy, a Golden Retriever. The film's title may in fact be wordplay with "Air Jordan", a nickname of basketball superstar Michael Jordan. It is the first film to be distributed together by...
(1997) - Always OutnumberedAlways OutnumberedAlways Outnumbered is a television film based on the novel Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned by author Walter Mosley. It first aired on pay television channel HBO in 1998.-Plot:...
(1998) - PauliePauliePaulie is a 1998 family film about a talking parrot named "Paulie". It was directed by John Roberts and written by Laurie Craig, and it was produced by Mark Gordon, Gary Levinsohn, and Allyson Lyon Segan for Mutual Film Company and DreamWorks...
(1998) - Hope FloatsHope FloatsHope Floats is a 1998 American romantic drama film directed by Forest Whitaker, and starring Sandra Bullock, Harry Connick, Jr. and Gena Rowlands....
(1998) - I Still Know What You Did Last SummerI Still Know What You Did Last SummerI Still Know What You Did Last Summer is a 1998 slasher film and sequel to the 1997 film I Know What You Did Last Summer. The screenplay was written by Trey Callaway, based on characters originally created in a popular novel by Lois Duncan. Callaway's script was published in an edited "young adult"...
(1998) - Random HeartsRandom HeartsRandom Hearts is a 1984 novel by American author Warren Adler. In 1999, the novel was made into a motion picture directed by Sydney Pollack and starring Harrison Ford and Kristin Scott Thomas.-Plot summary :...
(1999) - Sunshine StateSunshine State (film)Sunshine State is a 2002 American comedy–drama film written and directed by John Sayles. The picture stars an ensemble cast that features Angela Bassett, Edie Falco, Jane Alexander, Alan King, Timothy Hutton, Mary Steenburgen, Bill Cobbs, and others. The movie was filmed on Amelia Island,...
(2002) - Enough (2002)
- A Mighty WindA Mighty WindA Mighty Wind is a 2003 mockumentary about a folk music reunion concert in which three folk bands must reunite for a television performance for the first time in decades. It was directed by Christopher Guest...
(2003) - LostLost (2004 film)Lost is a 2004 American thriller film starring Dean Cain. It was written and directed by first time filmmaker, Darren Lemke.-Plot:After orchestrating a robbery, bank Vice President Jeremy Stanton gets lost driving in the desert, en route to meeting his family with a deadline of eight hours...
(2004) - DuckDuck (film)Duck is a 2005 film by director/writer/producer Nic Bettauer. The film is essentially a dystopian view of the near then-future .-Reception:Duck received generally mixed or negative reviews from critics...
(2005) - The Derby StallionThe Derby StallionThe Derby Stallion is a 2005 film starring Zac Efron.-Plot:Patrick Mcardle is a fifteen year old who is forced to play baseball by his former baseball player dad. Patrick doesn't know what to do with his life. When Patrick skips ball practice one day, he visits his friend Houston Jones, a former...
(2005) - Startrek Enterprise, Guestplaying Season 04 Episode 10:Daedalus (2005)
- Hard LuckHard LuckHard Luck is a 2006 film reuniting Mario Van Peebles and Wesley Snipes, who also worked together in the 1991 film New Jack City. Hard Luck features Wesley Snipes as Lucky, a down-on-his-luck former criminal and drug dealer whose post-prison trials and tribulations take him on a wild adventure...
(2006) - Night at the MuseumNight at the MuseumNight at the Museum is a 2006 fantasy adventure-comedy film based on the 1993 children's book The Night at the Museum by Milan Trenc. It follows a divorced father trying to settle down, impress his son, and find his destiny...
(2006) - The Ultimate GiftThe Ultimate GiftThe Ultimate Gift is a film based on author Jim Stovall's bestselling novel released on March 9, 2007 in 816 theaters in the USA. The film was not well attended in the USA and produced low box office receipts, though DVD sales were quite high in relation to its theatrical receipts.-Plot:When his...
(2007) - Three days to Vegas (2007)
- The MorgueThe MorgueThe Morgue is a direct-to-DVD horror film starring Heather Donahue of the The Blair Witch Project, Bill Cobbs, Lisa Crilley, and Brandon Quinn. The film is directed by Halder Gomes and Gerson Sanginitto.-Plot synopsis:...
(2008) - Black Water TransitBlack Water TransitBlack Water Transit is a 2009 crime drama film based on the novel of the same name by Carsten Stroud. It is directed by Tony Kaye and stars an ensemble cast including Laurence Fishburne and Karl Urban...
(2009) - My Son, My Son, What Have Ye DoneMy Son, My Son, What Have Ye DoneMy Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? is a film directed by Werner Herzog and produced by David Lynch, inspired by the story of murderer Mark Yavorsky...
(2010) - No Limit Kids: Much Ado About Middle School (2010)
- Get LowGet Low (film)Get Low is a 2009 drama film directed by Aaron Schneider, written by Chris Provenzano and C. Gaby Mitchell, and starring Robert Duvall, Bill Murray, Sissy Spacek, Lucas Black, Gerald McRaney, Bill Cobbs, Lori Beth Edgeman, Andrea Powell, Rebecca Grant, Scott Cooper, and Chandler Riggs...
(2010) - The ArcadianThe ArcadianThe Arcadian is an upcoming American science fiction feature film set in a post-apocalyptic world.-Plot:Plot elements have not been revealed, but official press releases have stated, "The Arcadian follows “The Lighthouse Keeper” on a story of revenge and redemption in a strange future world...
(2010)