Bill Cosby is not only one of America's most respected and loved comedians ever, but also one of America's most beloved fathers. Born in Philadelphia to William and Anna Cosby, William H. Cosby Jr. has become a comedic icon.
Cosby left high school early to join the Navy and after 4 years service entered Temple University on an athletic scholarship. It was his natural sense of humor that prompted him to create a comedy routine during his college years. An enthusiastic response from local nightclubs quickly turned into something much bigger. By 1962 he was performing at New York's Gaslight Cafe and within a year was making his first appearance on 'The Tonight Show'.
Cosby's breakout role came on a show called 'I Spy' with actor Robert Culp in which he played an undercover CIA agent from 1965 to 1968. With that came the honor of being the first African-American actor to star in a weekly television drama series, three Emmy Awards and a lot of national attention. This assured Cosby a place in entertainment and popularity among consumers, viewers and his peers alike. Cosby furthered his career by recording several comedy albums, including the best selling 'Why Is There Air?', 'Revenge', and 'Wonderfulness'. His film credits include 'Man And Boy', 'Mother', 'Jugs' and 'Speed' with Raquel Welch.
The first of many series to bear Cosby's name began in 1969 with 'The Bill Cosby Show'. Between 1969 and the early 80's the world saw his name on 'The Electric Company', the animated 'Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids', 'The New Cosby Show', and 'Cos'. Then in 1982 Cosby released what would be known as his greatest accomplishment until that time, a comedy and performance movie and album entitled 'Bill Cosby: Himself'.
It was in 1984 Cosby broke away with his most popular, successful and beloved achievement ever, 'The Cosby Show'. From 1984 to 1992 names like Heathcliff, Theo and Rudy were a household commodity throughout the United States. The show single-handedly boosted NBC from last to first place in the national network ratings. It also spawned a successful spin off which Cosby himself composed the theme music for. 'A Different World' ran from 1987 until 1993. Since then Cosby has had continued success with his revival of 'You Bet Your Life', a role in 'The Cosby Mysteries', a hilarious show featuring Bill interviewing children and putting them in unusual situations called 'Kids Say The Darnedest Things' and another self-titled sitcom, 'Cosby' in 1996, which ran for four seasons.
In 1999 Cosby developed 'Little Bill' for Nickelodeon. The animated series proved extremely popular among children and adults alike. He is also the author of three different best-selling books, 'Fatherhood', 'Time Flies' and 'Childhood'. To date Bill has received more awards than you could shake a fistful of sticks at including Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe and People's Choice Awards. Cosby and his wife Camille Olivia Cosby have four daughters and a late son. Bill says their names, Erika, Erinn, Ensa, Evin and the late Ennis all start with the letter 'E' for 'excellence'. I think the world can agree Mr. Cosby is an excellent man.
