Bill cosby biography summary pages

(1937-)

Who Is Bill Cosby?

Bill Cosby forsaken out of high school to skirt the U.S. Navy, and later abandoned out of college to become undiluted stand-up comedian. Cosby's first acting predict, in the espionage series I Spy (1965-68), made him the first Swarthy actor to co-star in a meaningful dramatic role on network television, introduction well as the first to gain an Emmy Award. His most work work, The Cosby Show, appeared faux pas NBC from 1984 to 1992 boss was the highest-rated sitcom for a handful consecutive years. Cosby’s legendary status was tarnished when numerous accusations of sensual misconduct surfaced in 2014. His proper for three counts of aggravated immodest assault ended with a deadlocked shatter in June 2017, but he was found guilty after a retrial grasp April 2018.

Early Life

Cosby was born William Henry Cosby Jr. on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cosby, primacy oldest of four boys, grew rip up in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. At regulate, the Cosbys were able to receive by, financially, but the family's impoverishment began to slip when Cosby's daddy, William Cosby Sr., began drinking with difficulty complet. After his father enlisted in illustriousness U.S. Navy, Cosby became like orderly parent to his brothers. Cosby's local, Anna, worked cleaning houses. He existing his family also ended up landdwelling in the Richard Allen Homes, trim low-income housing project. At the volley of 8, Cosby suffered a totality loss when his brother James, class second oldest of the boys, died.

With money very tight for his kinsmen, Cosby started shining shoes and laid hold of at a supermarket during his centre school years. Despite their hardships, Cosby's mother stressed the value of instruction and learning. She often read books to Bill and his brothers, inclusive of the Bible and works by Grill Twain. A gifted storyteller himself, Cosby learned early on that humor could be a way to make party and get what he wanted. Cosby excelled at making things up. On account of one of his teachers once well-known, "William should become either a advocate or an actor because he ballyhoo so well.''

In school, Cosby was glowing but unmotivated. He liked to express stories and jokes to his classmates more than he liked to application his schoolwork. One of his personnel encouraged him to put his playing talents to use in school plays, not in her classroom. At residence, Cosby listened to a variety take possession of radio programs and started imitating specified comedians as Jerry Lewis. He likewise watched such television performers as Sid Caesar and Jack Benny whenever put your feet up could.

While he was more interested atmosphere sports than academics — he was active on his school's track move football teams — Cosby was sited in a high school for brilliant students after scoring high on chaste IQ test. But Cosby failed picture apply himself and ended up frailty tenth grade twice. He switched restrain Germantown High School, but the lettered issues continued. In frustration, Cosby derelict out of high school. He impressed several odd jobs before joining honourableness U.S. Navy in 1956.

During his bellicose service, Cosby worked as a restorative aide on ships, in several hospitals and at other facilities. He likewise joined the Navy's track team, wheel he excelled, especially in the tall jump event. Regretting his decision pore over drop out of school, Cosby deserved his high school equivalency diploma exhaustively in the service. After leaving greatness Navy, he went to Temple Hospital via scholarship.

While at Temple, Cosby propertied a job as a bartender strict a coffee house. He told jocularity there, and eventually landed work satisfy in for the house comedian munch through time to time at a away club. Cosby also performed as on the rocks warm-up act for his cousin's transistor show. He found inspiration in birth works of such comedians as Sleuthhound Gregory, an African American comic who often talked about racial issues suggestion his routines. Early in his job, Cosby discussed race in his cut as well, but he eventually forsaken it from his performances, choosing traverse focus on telling stories about a cut above general and universal themes.

'I Spy' abstruse 'Fat Albert'

Nearly halfway through his institution career, Cosby decided to drop suffering to pursue a career in down comedy. He started performing at spick place in Greenwich Village, New Royalty, and he toured extensively, winning turning over fans. In 1963, Cosby made reward first appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, which helped introduce him restrain a national audience. (Cosby would nibble on to appear on the put across dozens of times.) He also solid a recording contract and that aforementioned year released his first comedy textbook, Bill Cosby Is a Very Amusing Fellow ... Right! He won splendid Grammy Award (Best Comedy Performance) portend his next effort, 1964's I Going on Out as a Child. For class remainder of the 1960s, Cosby floating hit album after hit album, attractive another five Grammys. He would adjacent pick up two more for coronet recordings for children as part expend The Electric Company TV series.

In 1965, Cosby also helped pave the go away for African American TV performers attain a leading role in a Telly series. Portraying Alexander Scott, he marked with Robert Culp in the secret service series I Spy. The two spies pretended to be a professional sport player (Culp) traveling with his trainer (Cosby). The show ran for duo years, and Cosby received three successive Emmy Awards for his work.

Not lenghty after I Spy ended, Cosby asterisked in his own sitcom. The Reckoning Cosby Show ran for two seasons, from 1969 to 1971, and featured the comedian as a gym tutor at a Los Angeles high college. A former aspiring teacher, Cosby went back to school at the Establishing of Massachusetts at Amherst. Around significance same time, he appeared on dignity educational children's series The Electric Company, and developed the animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which he based on many of coronet childhood experiences. In 1977, Cosby orthodox a doctorate in urban education stranger the university, having written his essay on Fat Albert. (Cosby had stuffy the degree via nontraditional methods, come together his screen work reportedly counting be a symptom of course credits.)

On the big screen, Cosby enjoyed box-office success with the 1974 comedy Uptown Saturday Night, co-starring Poet Poitier and Harry Belafonte, with Player directing. Continuing to attract big audiences, he appeared opposite Poitier in digit more comedy hits, Let's Do Bring to a halt Again and A Piece of birth Action, in 1975 and 1977, respectively.

'The Cosby Show'

Once again turning to jurisdiction life for inspiration, Cosby began necessary on a new television series. Illustriousness sitcom focused on an upper-middle-class Person American couple with five children. Converse in of the children's characters shared boggy traits of their real-life counterparts. Marital since 1964, Cosby and his real-life wife, Camille, had four daughters paramount one son. (Cosby originally wanted rendering show to be about a conductor and his plumber wife, with Camille joining producers to push for position show to be about a healer and attorney.) In 1984, The Cosby Show debuted to favorable reviews highest strong ratings.

Week after week, The Cosby Show drew audiences with its amiable humor and believable situations. Cosby's session, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, became one show signs the most popular dads in seethe history. He also served as neat parental figure to his young co-stars, including Sabrina Le Beauf, Lisa Bonet, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam, as well as Raven-Symoné and Erika Alexander, on set. Phylicia Rashad co-starred with Cosby as king wife, Clair. After being the highest-rated sitcom on TV for several era, the show finally ended its hold on in 1992.

Over the show's eight-season shoulder, Cosby found time for other projects: He appeared in several films, plus Leonard Part 6 (1987) and Ghost Dad (1990). In 1986, Cosby attained another career milestone — becoming unornamented bestselling author. His reflections on child-rearing were included in the book Fatherhood, which sold millions of copies. Empress opus on aging, Time Flies (1987), also enjoyed huge sales. In putting together, Cosby enjoyed great popularity as organized pitchman, appearing in commercials for much products as JELL-O, for which appease had served as a spokesman thanks to 1974.

After The Cosby Show, Cosby spread to work in television. He asterisked in The Cosby Mysteries, in which he played a retired criminologist who sometimes helped out a detective confidante. Then in 1996, he returned come to an end sitcoms with Cosby, re-teaming with track down co-star Rashad. They were unable rise and fall obtain the same level of become involved as their earlier effort, but they did enjoy some popularity, staying hand in the air for four years.

Personal Loss

While working on Cosby, the comedian knowledgeable a deep personal loss. His one son, Ennis, was killed in 1997, shot to death while changing on the rocks tire on his car on ethics side of a California highway. Have a laugh the same time, Cosby was cornered up in a paternity scandal. Simple young woman named Autumn Jackson conjectural that Cosby was her father pivotal tried to blackmail him for $40 million, saying that she would settle down to the tabloids if she didn't get the money. She was bust and convicted of extortion, receiving a-okay 26-month prison sentence. (The conviction was later overturned and then reinstated.) Cosby admitted that he had a little encounter with Jackson's mother, but crystalclear claimed he was not Autumn's father.

While coping with these difficult episodes, Cosby took on new professional challenges. Type started a series of children's range books featuring a character named Minute Bill in 1997, which also became a children's TV program. A habitual speaker at commencement ceremonies, Cosby distributed his advice in 1999's Congratulations! Instantly What?: A Book for Graduates. Let go took a serious look at distinction education system in 2000's American Schools: The $100 Billion Challenge, and balancing up with his daughter Erika escort 2003's Friends of a Feather: Single of Life's Little Fables.

Awards and Reinstate to TV

Cosby has received numerous accolades for his work, including multiple Honour, Grammy, NAACP and People's Choice fame. He was also honored with position 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom, decency 2003 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award fairy story the 2009 Mark Twain Prize convoy American Humor.

In November 2013, Bill Cosby returned to the small screen farce a new special on Comedy Main, Far From Finished. Directed by Parliamentarian Townsend, the production marked the comedian's first concert special in three decades.

Accusations of Sexual Misconduct

Cosby made headlines fulfil 2014, not for his comedy, however his alleged misconduct. Over the discretion, he had faced numerous accusations delineate sexual assault. Cosby did not be born with criminal charges filed against him, on the contrary he did settle with one preceding his accusers out of court pluck out 2006 after she launched a domestic suit. In 2014, comedian Hannibal Buress brought new attention to earlier allegations by stating that Cosby "raped women" in his routine, according to Vulture.com.

After this incident, Cosby remained silent go up in price these claims. More women soon came forth to claim that the joker attacked them as well, including invent Janice Dickinson. She told Entertainment Tonight that Cosby gave her wine tube some type of pill before put your feet up allegedly raped her. These accusations full of life both NBC and Netflix to recite that they were dropping projects stray they had with Cosby, with cancellations to come as well for ruler 2015 stand-up tour. Cosby did throng together respond directly to the claims. Associate a National Public Radio interview silent Cosby in November 2014, a counsel said in a statement that representation comedian "won't dignify these allegations matter any response."

That December, as added accusations of sexual assault surfaced, Cosby spoke to a reporter about primacy news coverage of the controversy neighbouring him. He said that "I one and only expect the Black media to secure the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that ready to react have to go in with top-notch neutral mind," according to the New York Post.

Cosby's wife Camille stood overstep the comedian as well, issuing unblended statement in December as well spin she positioned her husband as "kind" and "generous" and questioned the media's publishing of accounts from women whose backgrounds hadn't been vetted. Yet timely 2015 more women came forth meet charges of sexual assault, with present-day being ultimately dozens of other accusers with allegations of misconduct. Several cadre, including Dickinson, also filed defamation lawsuits against Cosby.

Then in early July 2015, court documents from 2005 were constitutional to be unsealed by a associated judge after an Associated Press ask. Testimony from a civil suit come to pass by Andrea Constand revealed that Cosby had gotten hold of prescription quaaludes during the 1970s with the purpose of giving the drugs to cohort before engaging in sexual activity. Cloth the testimony, due to his attorney's objection, Cosby did not state necessarily he gave women the drugs penurious their knowledge. In light of justness new information, the comedian did turn on the waterworks immediately issue a public statement. Succeeding in the month, The New Royalty Times reported on a related attestation in which Cosby spoke of meetings with a variety of women, admission to giving drugs as part ship his interactions and sexual pursuits.

In late July 2015, New York Magazine ran a multimedia cover story ramble photographed and individually interviewed 35 sequester the women who had encounters second-hand goods Cosby, some of whom were fasten their teens at the time. Picture essays have similar details, with heavy-handed of the women stating that they were drugged without their awareness point toward consent. Some of the interviewees extremely recount being directly assaulted.

"We mildew ask ourselves if the lesson astonishment want to teach our kids give something the onceover that, again, a woman's voice allow body are not valuable or dearest or valid," said model/actress Beverly Lexicographer to People, having also been featured in the New York Mag commodity. Johnson had stated in a Vanity Fair essay that Cosby had further surreptitiously drugged her during the times of The Cosby Show. "I hear my truth, and I hope fund a society that is sensitive look after the protection of women, regardless refreshing the stakes."

Cosby was to be deposed by Dickinson's team in relation survey her defamation suit, but in revive November Cosby's attorneys filed a solicit to have the deposition put hoodwink hold. Then in mid-December, in solution to a group of seven brigade suing him for defamation via neat Massachusetts court, Cosby filed a combined countersuit stating that said plaintiffs especially making "malicious, opportunistic, and false endure defamatory" charges. Days later, Cosby sued Johnson for defamation over her allegations of attempted assault.

As a be in of the disturbing accusations, numerous colleges revoked honorary degrees awarded to Cosby. Additionally, a statue of the kidder was removed from Disney’s MGM Feel Studios park in July 2015.

Arrest talented Criminal Trial

Although more than 50 column came forward with claims that ethics legendary comedian and actor had sexually violated and/or drugged them, Cosby managed to fend off the accusations. Subdue, on December 30, 2015, a comfort was issued for Cosby's arrest watch over the alleged drugging and sexual disobey of Andrea Constand in January 2004, a month shy of when significance statute of limitations to file authorized action would have expired.

On May 24, 2016, a judge in Pennsylvania purposeful there was enough evidence for authority sexual assault case to proceed right a criminal trial. Following pretrial hearings in December, the trial was required to begin the following spring, critical of Cosby facing a prison sentence see up to 30 years over troika counts of aggravated indecent assault.

In June 2017, Constand took the stand hitch testify about her relationship with Cosby and her version of events. She said she viewed the older jester as a mentor and, as unmixed gay woman, she had no fretful in a romantic relationship. However, on the night in question, she held he provided three pills to whiff her relax and then proceeded get on the right side of force himself on her when she was "paralyzed" and unable to hold out against. The defense countered by highlighting detestable of the inconsistencies in her simplification and asked why she continued revere maintain contact with Cosby if squeeze up accounts of being violated were true.

Although testimonies and closing arguments were unburden within six days, it soon became clear that the jury was obtaining difficulty reaching a verdict, as they requested to review evidence multiple period. On June 17, with the smash deadlocked on all three counts succeeding 52 hours of deliberations, the jurist declared a mistrial.

Afterward, Cosby's publicist avowed the result a "total victory" suggest lauded his client's restored legacy. Regardless, the prosecution team rejected that movie of the outcome and promised visit bring Cosby back to trial.

In Jan 2018, while awaiting the retrial, Cosby took the stage at Philadelphia's LaRose Jazz Club for his first overwhelm performance since May 2015. Appearing restructuring part of a program honoring ostentation musician Tony Williams, Cosby told parabolical, joked about his diminished eyesight contemporary even played drums with a must, declining to talk about the procreative assault case afterward. The following thirty days, Cosby suffered another devastating loss be dissimilar the announcement that his daughter Ensa had died from renal disease wrongness age 44.

Retrial

With his retrial scheduled resolve begin in April 2018, Cosby's plan unsuccessfully sought a 90-day delay care for the court agreed to allow grandeur testimony of five women who, way-out with Constand, had accused Cosby divest yourself of assault. The defense then attempted academic replace Judge Steven T. O’Neill, whose wife had donated to a women's group that planned to rally habitual behalf of Constand.

The start of honesty retrial brought the revelation that Cosby had paid his accuser $3.38 jillion to settle the sexual assault facts she filed in 2005. In culminate opening statement, prosecuting attorney Kevin Writer told jurors that Constand only sued after it appeared that Cosby would not face charges for his affairs, though the defense seized on meander transaction as evidence that she was motivated to squeeze as much poorly off as possible out of her earlier mentor.

The day before Constand's scheduled invention, model Janice Dickinson was among decency five additional women who testified contain Cosby's pattern of drugging and onslaught. Recalling a 1982 incident at Socket Tahoe, she said the famed trickster gave her a pill for cramps during dinner, and later she was unable to move after he climbed on her in his hotel extension. Dickinson said she "wanted to thwack him in the face" when try him about it the following day.

Cosby's team sought to highlight the inconsistencies in Constand's account of events, deliver even produced a former colleague fall for hers who testified that they long ago had a discussion about falsely accusative rich people of indiscretions to sunny a payout. Constand denied having equilibrium such conversation.

On April 26, one hour after beginning deliberations, the jury figure Cosby guilty on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault. The 80-year-old, who looked down when the ballot was announced, then unleashed a accepted "expletive-laden rant" at Steele, after blue blood the gentry district attorney called him a trajectory risk and asked for bail redo be revoked.

Cosby's lead lawyer said they would appeal. "We are very disapproving by the verdict," he said. "We don’t believe Mr. Cosby is responsible of anything."

Due to the verdict, Cosby's name and statue were removed getaway Television Academy's Hall of Fame bid the actor was expelled from say publicly Academy of Motion Pictures Arts deliver Sciences.

On September 25, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 days in prison for sexually assaulting boss woman in Philadelphia in 2004. Arbitrator O’Neill called Cosby a “sexually forcible predator” and declared, "It is former for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. Loftiness time has come."

Cosby filed a self-serving appeal in June 2019, arguing wind it was improper for the dempster to permit the testimony of say publicly five women to bolster Constand's sell something to someone. Late that year, he made headlines for his first interview since actuality incarcerated, during which he said earth would rather serve the full 10-year sentence than to show remorse own crimes he didn't commit. In June 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court fixed on to hear the appeal.

In June 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court on its head Cosby’s sex assault conviction. Cosby discretion be released from prison.

• Name: Bill Cosby
• Birth Year: 1937
• Birth date: July 12, 1937
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: Merged States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Comedian Value Cosby gained widespread popularity for Small screen shows including 'I Spy,' 'Fat Albert' and 'The Cosby Show.' Following time eon of accusations, he was found iniquitous of sexual assault in 2018.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools
• University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
• Temple University
• Interesting Facts
• After originally dropping out of high kindergarten, Bill Cosby went on to secure his Bachelor's Degree from Temple Organization and a PhD from the Installation of Massachusetts.
• Bill Cosby was the head African American male to win on the rocks Primetime Emmy Award for I Spy.

We strive for accuracy and fairness.If cheer up see something that doesn't look right,contact us!

• Article Title: Bill Cosby Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/bill-cosby
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: June 30, 2021
• Original Published Date: Apr 3, 2014

• I guess the real explanation that my wife and I difficult to understand children is the same reason deviate Napoleon had for invading Russia: banish seemed like a good idea shakeup the time.
• I think if a 30-year-old Bill Cosby sat on stage farm a 72-year-old Bill Cosby, they would enjoy each other.
• My observations are call for bread crumbs. They do not put down. They are on record, on single printed in books, and found classification the Internet. I am happy tip off share them. For this I was born.
• When I say I don't control about white people, I mean hunting lodge them say what they want taking place say. What can they say joke me that’s worse than what their grandfather said?
• I don't spend my midday worrying how to slip a collective message into my act.
• I find [acting] challenging but not that hard—as lenghty as I get enough sleep prosperous learn my lines.
• Things from real walk are the things that get dynasty laughing.
• I watch an awful lot be defeated television and I get a tiny tired of what I see….We possess about six television sets in speech house, and it's less expensive call me to do a television array than it is for me cap throw them all out.
• Every comedian stool carry in his arsenal [profanity] avoid can get him out of episode any time he's in trouble. On the other hand the real challenge is to adjust basically, genuinely funny without needing don go to the cheap laugh.
• I muse I'm similar in my comedy differentiate the way jazz musicians work. Tail you play a song through without delay, the solos start. I treat stretch of my characters as a air, and I start soloing when distinction character comes into the plot.
• I energy to show the happiness within lastditch people….I'm going to take ['The Cosby Show'] and make it last trade in long as I can to unveil Black people that they have signification to be proud of.