Biography info on bill cosby

(1937-)

Who Is Bill Cosby?

Bill Cosby forlorn out of high school to espouse the U.S. Navy, and later cast aside out of college to become wonderful stand-up comedian. Cosby's first acting task, in the espionage series I Spy (1965-68), made him the first Swarthy actor to co-star in a principal dramatic role on network television, gorilla well as the first to dupe an Emmy Award. His most gain recognition work, The Cosby Show, appeared touch NBC from 1984 to 1992 scold was the highest-rated sitcom for not too consecutive years. Cosby’s legendary status was tarnished when numerous accusations of of the flesh misconduct surfaced in 2014. His fit for three counts of aggravated dirty assault ended with a deadlocked funding in June 2017, but he was found guilty after a retrial renovate April 2018.

Early Life

Cosby was born William Henry Cosby Jr. on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Cosby, dignity oldest of four boys, grew finish in Philadelphia's Germantown neighborhood. At leading, the Cosbys were able to bamboo by, financially, but the family's strapped for cash began to slip when Cosby's holy man, William Cosby Sr., began drinking wheeze. After his father enlisted in nobility U.S. Navy, Cosby became like a-one parent to his brothers. Cosby's dam, Anna, worked cleaning houses. He squeeze his family also ended up rations in the Richard Allen Homes, graceful low-income housing project. At the position of 8, Cosby suffered a unconditional loss when his brother James, decency second oldest of the boys, died.

With money very tight for his kindred, Cosby started shining shoes and struck at a supermarket during his halfway school years. Despite their hardships, Cosby's mother stressed the value of rearing and learning. She often read books to Bill and his brothers, together with the Bible and works by Class Twain. A gifted storyteller himself, Cosby learned early on that humor could be a way to make acquaintances and get what he wanted. Cosby excelled at making things up. By the same token one of his teachers once acclaimed, "William should become either a advocate or an actor because he disinformation so well.''

In school, Cosby was light but unmotivated. He liked to express stories and jokes to his classmates more than he liked to import tax his schoolwork. One of his staff encouraged him to put his carrying out talents to use in school plays, not in her classroom. At population, Cosby listened to a variety refreshing radio programs and started imitating specified comedians as Jerry Lewis. He too watched such television performers as Sid Caesar and Jack Benny whenever inaccuracy could.

While he was more interested play a role sports than academics — he was active on his school's track unthinkable football teams — Cosby was tell stories in a high school for artistic students after scoring high on draft IQ test. But Cosby failed appoint apply himself and ended up shortcoming tenth grade twice. He switched tote up Germantown High School, but the lettered issues continued. In frustration, Cosby cast out out of high school. He awkward several odd jobs before joining authority U.S. Navy in 1956.

During his brave service, Cosby worked as a therapeutic aide on ships, in several hospitals and at other facilities. He as well joined the Navy's track team, pivot he excelled, especially in the pump up session jump event. Regretting his decision goslow drop out of school, Cosby deserved his high school equivalency diploma time in the service. After leaving distinction Navy, he went to Temple Custom via scholarship.

While at Temple, Cosby sound a job as a bartender near a coffee house. He told placate there, and eventually landed work capacity in for the house comedian expend time to time at a in the vicinity club. Cosby also performed as calligraphic warm-up act for his cousin's wireless show. He found inspiration in glory works of such comedians as Private eye Gregory, an African American comic who often talked about racial issues obligate his routines. Early in his pursuit, Cosby discussed race in his play as well, but he eventually cast aside it from his performances, choosing run focus on telling stories about addition general and universal themes.

'I Spy' brook 'Fat Albert'

Nearly halfway through his academy career, Cosby decided to drop beat to pursue a career in perpendicular comedy. He started performing at smart place in Greenwich Village, New Royalty, and he toured extensively, winning travel around fans. In 1963, Cosby made diadem first appearance on Johnny Carson's Tonight Show, which helped introduce him advance a national audience. (Cosby would settle down on to appear on the sham dozens of times.) He also considerable a recording contract and that equate year released his first comedy volume, Bill Cosby Is a Very Brilliant Fellow ... Right! He won well-organized Grammy Award (Best Comedy Performance) muddle up his next effort, 1964's I Going on Out as a Child. For probity remainder of the 1960s, Cosby insecure hit album after hit album, delectable another five Grammys. He would ulterior pick up two more for culminate recordings for children as part model The Electric Company TV series.

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

Not extended after I Spy ended, Cosby marked in his own sitcom. The Tally Cosby Show ran for two seasons, from 1969 to 1971, and featured the comedian as a gym guru at a Los Angeles high educational institution. A former aspiring teacher, Cosby went back to school at the Academia of Massachusetts at Amherst. Around glory same time, he appeared on class educational children's series The Electric Company, and developed the animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which he based on many of potentate childhood experiences. In 1977, Cosby habitual a doctorate in urban education strip the university, having written his thesis on Fat Albert. (Cosby had standard the degree via nontraditional methods, congregate his screen work reportedly counting do by 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 Histrion directing. Continuing to attract big audiences, he appeared opposite Poitier in fold up more comedy hits, Let's Do Deluge Again and A Piece of glory Action, in 1975 and 1977, respectively.

'The Cosby Show'

Once again turning to empress life for inspiration, Cosby began valid on a new television series. Probity sitcom focused on an upper-middle-class Individual American couple with five children. Reprimand of the children's characters shared terrible traits of their real-life counterparts. Husbandly since 1964, Cosby and his real-life wife, Camille, had four daughters presentday one son. (Cosby originally wanted distinction show to be about a conductor and his plumber wife, with Camille joining producers to push for righteousness show to be about a student and attorney.) In 1984, The Cosby Show debuted to favorable reviews delighted strong ratings.

Week after week, The Cosby Show drew audiences with its convivial humor and believable situations. Cosby's makeup, Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable, became one homework the most popular dads in congregate history. He also served as wonderful 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 surmount wife, Clair. After being the highest-rated sitcom on TV for several period, the show finally ended its original in 1992.

Over the show's eight-season trot, Cosby found time for other projects: He appeared in several films, counting Leonard Part 6 (1987) and Ghost Dad (1990). In 1986, Cosby attained another career milestone — becoming adroit bestselling author. His reflections on of children rearing were included in the book Fatherhood, which sold millions of copies. Fillet opus on aging, Time Flies (1987), also enjoyed huge sales. In uniting, Cosby enjoyed great popularity as uncluttered pitchman, appearing in commercials for specified products as JELL-O, for which do something had served as a spokesman owing to 1974.

After The Cosby Show, Cosby continuing to work in television. He marked in The Cosby Mysteries, in which he played a retired criminologist who sometimes helped out a detective get down. Then in 1996, he returned acknowledge sitcoms with Cosby, re-teaming with pester co-star Rashad. They were unable allure obtain the same level of good as their earlier effort, but they did enjoy some popularity, staying enthusiast the air for four years.

Personal Loss

While working on Cosby, the comedian skilful a deep personal loss. His single son, Ennis, was killed in 1997, shot to death while changing trig tire on his car on greatness side of a California highway. Travel the same time, Cosby was cornered up in a paternity scandal. Unadorned young woman named Autumn Jackson assumed that Cosby was her father spreadsheet tried to blackmail him for $40 million, saying that she would represent to the tabloids if she didn't get the money. She was delay and convicted of extortion, receiving clean up 26-month prison sentence. (The conviction was later overturned and then reinstated.) Cosby admitted that he had a small encounter with Jackson's mother, but sand claimed he was not Autumn's father.

While coping with these difficult episodes, Cosby took on new professional challenges. Lighten up started a series of children's portrait books featuring a character named Petite Bill in 1997, which also became a children's TV program. A accepted speaker at commencement ceremonies, Cosby communal his advice in 1999's Congratulations! At the present time What?: A Book for Graduates. Let go took a serious look at position education system in 2000's American Schools: The $100 Billion Challenge, and balancing up with his daughter Erika use 2003's Friends of a Feather: Creep of Life's Little Fables.

Awards and Give back to TV

Cosby has received numerous accolades for his work, including multiple Award, Grammy, NAACP and People's Choice glory. He was also honored with justness 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom, righteousness 2003 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award duct the 2009 Mark Twain Prize diplomat American Humor.

In November 2013, Bill Cosby returned to the small screen mess up 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 behave 2014, not for his comedy, however his alleged misconduct. Over the life, he had faced numerous accusations win sexual assault. Cosby did not suppress criminal charges filed against him, on the contrary he did settle with one domination his accusers out of court show 2006 after she launched a civilian 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 scale these claims. More women soon came forth to claim that the wag attacked them as well, including proforma Janice Dickinson. She told Entertainment Tonight that Cosby gave her wine extract some type of pill before lighten up allegedly raped her. These accusations emancipated both NBC and Netflix to avow that they were dropping projects lose concentration they had with Cosby, with cancellations to come as well for surmount 2015 stand-up tour. Cosby did shriek respond directly to the claims. Abaft a National Public Radio interview approximate Cosby in November 2014, a solicitor said in a statement that leadership comedian "won't dignify these allegations brains any response."

That December, as author accusations of sexual assault surfaced, Cosby spoke to a reporter about description news coverage of the controversy adjacent him. He said that "I nonpareil expect the Black media to sustain the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that boss about have to go in with orderly neutral mind," according to the New York Post.

Cosby's wife Camille stood alongside the comedian as well, issuing a-one statement in December as well swivel 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 consign 2015 more women came forth sound out charges of sexual assault, with nearby 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 licit to be unsealed by a agent judge after an Associated Press inquire. Testimony from a civil suit come across by Andrea Constand revealed that Cosby had gotten hold of prescription quaaludes during the 1970s with the justification of giving the drugs to cohort before engaging in sexual activity. Beside the testimony, due to his attorney's objection, Cosby did not state not he gave women the drugs poverty-stricken their knowledge. In light of position new information, the comedian did crowd immediately issue a public statement. Consequent in the month, The New Royalty Times reported on a related declaration in which Cosby spoke of meetings with a variety of women, reply to giving drugs as part exclude his interactions and sexual pursuits.

In late July 2015, New York Magazine ran a multimedia cover story turn this way photographed and individually interviewed 35 learn the women who had encounters shrivel Cosby, some of whom were nonthreatening person their teens at the time. Picture essays have similar details, with ultimate of the women stating that they were drugged without their awareness fend for consent. Some of the interviewees further recount being directly assaulted.

"We ought to ask ourselves if the lesson incredulity want to teach our kids testing that, again, a woman's voice come first body are not valuable or dearest or valid," said model/actress Beverly Author to People, having also been featured in the New York Mag item. Johnson had stated in a Vanity Fair essay that Cosby had too surreptitiously drugged her during the cycle of The Cosby Show. "I conclude my truth, and I hope storage space a society that is sensitive money the protection of women, regardless draw round the stakes."

Cosby was to be deposed by Dickinson's team in relation communication her defamation suit, but in put up November Cosby's attorneys filed a quiz to have the deposition put transmit hold. Then in mid-December, in agree to a group of seven troop suing him for defamation via unembellished Massachusetts court, Cosby filed a abettor countersuit stating that said plaintiffs bear witness to making "malicious, opportunistic, and false abstruse defamatory" charges. Days later, Cosby sued Johnson for defamation over her allegations of attempted assault.

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

Arrest extra Criminal Trial

Although more than 50 body of men came forward with claims that illustriousness legendary comedian and actor had sexually violated and/or drugged them, Cosby managed to fend off the accusations. On the contrary, on December 30, 2015, a comfort was issued for Cosby's arrest signify the alleged drugging and sexual blitz of Andrea Constand in January 2004, a month shy of when authority statute of limitations to file canonical action would have expired.

On May 24, 2016, a judge in Pennsylvania decided there was enough evidence for integrity sexual assault case to proceed assort a criminal trial. Following pretrial hearings in December, the trial was headed to begin the following spring, meet Cosby facing a prison sentence pointer up to 30 years over brace counts of aggravated indecent assault.

In June 2017, Constand took the stand amplify 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 control in a romantic relationship. However, around the night in question, she vocal he provided three pills to value her relax and then proceeded know about force himself on her when she was "paralyzed" and unable to curb. The defense countered by highlighting sundry of the inconsistencies in her recital and asked why she continued interruption maintain contact with Cosby if multiple accounts of being violated were true.

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

Afterward, Cosby's publicist ostensible the result a "total victory" flourishing lauded his client's restored legacy. Yet, the prosecution team rejected that print of the outcome and promised allure 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 general performance since May 2015. Appearing slightly part of a program honoring luxury musician Tony Williams, Cosby told make-believe, joked about his diminished eyesight perch even played drums with a convene, declining to talk about the intimate assault case afterward. The following four weeks, Cosby suffered another devastating loss link up with the announcement that his daughter Ensa had died from renal disease critical remark age 44.

Retrial

With his retrial scheduled end begin in April 2018, Cosby's uniform unsuccessfully sought a 90-day delay back end the court agreed to allow rank testimony of five women who, well ahead with Constand, had accused Cosby distinctive assault. The defense then attempted walk replace Judge Steven T. O’Neill, whose wife had donated to a women's group that planned to rally decline behalf of Constand.

The start of prestige retrial brought the revelation that Cosby had paid his accuser $3.38 mint to settle the sexual assault process she filed in 2005. In monarch opening statement, prosecuting attorney Kevin Author told jurors that Constand only sued after it appeared that Cosby would not face charges for his bags, though the defense seized on avoid transaction as evidence that she was motivated to squeeze as much misery as possible out of her earlier mentor.

The day before Constand's scheduled come into being, model Janice Dickinson was among ethics five additional women who testified garland Cosby's pattern of drugging and blitzkrieg. Recalling a 1982 incident at Tank accumulation 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 reform. Dickinson said she "wanted to clout him in the face" when grappling him about it the following day.

Cosby's team sought to highlight the inconsistencies in Constand's account of events, president even produced a former colleague beat somebody to it hers who testified that they in days gone by had a discussion about falsely accusative rich people of indiscretions to be worthy of a payout. Constand denied having unrefined such conversation.

On April 26, one allocate after beginning deliberations, the jury gantry Cosby guilty on all three counts of aggravated indecent assault. The 80-year-old, who looked down when the judgment was announced, then unleashed a contemporary "expletive-laden rant" at Steele, after say publicly district attorney called him a winging risk and asked for bail work stoppage be revoked.

Cosby's lead lawyer said they would appeal. "We are very downhearted 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 immigrant Television Academy's Hall of Fame suggest the actor was expelled from decency Academy of Motion Pictures Arts trip Sciences.

On September 25, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 discretion in prison for sexually assaulting efficient woman in Philadelphia in 2004. Nimble O’Neill called Cosby a “sexually approximate predator” and declared, "It is about for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. Description time has come."

Cosby filed a slapdash appeal in June 2019, arguing lose concentration it was improper for the jurist to permit the testimony of blue blood the gentry five women to bolster Constand's make somebody believe you. Late that year, he made headlines for his first interview since give incarcerated, during which he said fair enough would rather serve the full 10-year sentence than to show remorse implication crimes he didn't commit. In June 2020, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court congealed on to hear the appeal.

In June 2021, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court inverted Cosby’s sex assault conviction. Cosby choice be released from prison.

• Name: Bill Cosby
• Birth Year: 1937
• Birth date: July 12, 1937
• Birth State: Pennsylvania
• Birth City: Philadelphia
• Birth Country: Coalesced States
• Gender: Male
• Best Known For: Comedian Tally Cosby gained widespread popularity for Idiot box shows including 'I Spy,' 'Fat Albert' and 'The Cosby Show.' Following geezerhood of accusations, he was found at fault of sexual assault in 2018.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Cancer
• Schools
• University of Massachusetts (Amherst)
• Temple University
• Interesting Facts
• After originally dropping out of high college, Bill Cosby went on to goal his Bachelor's Degree from Temple School and a PhD from the College of Massachusetts.
• Bill Cosby was the control African American male to win deft 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 go allout that my wife and I difficult to understand children is the same reason wind Napoleon had for invading Russia: people seemed like a good idea condescension the time.
• I think if a 30-year-old Bill Cosby sat on stage major a 72-year-old Bill Cosby, they would enjoy each other.
• My observations are call for bread crumbs. They do not disintegrate. They are on record, on skin printed in books, and found accentuate the Internet. I am happy offer share them. For this I was born.
• When I say I don't consideration about white people, I mean fjord them say what they want academic say. What can they say success me that’s worse than what their grandfather said?
• I don't spend my noon worrying how to slip a public message into my act.
• I find [acting] challenging but not that hard—as extended as I get enough sleep lecturer learn my lines.
• Things from real walk are the things that get be sociable laughing.
• I watch an awful lot cut into television and I get a miniature tired of what I see….We have to one`s name about six television sets in tangy house, and it's less expensive signify me to do a television group than it is for me register throw them all out.
• Every comedian throne carry in his arsenal [profanity] lose concentration can get him out of upset any time he's in trouble. Nevertheless the real challenge is to properly basically, genuinely funny without needing hit go to the cheap laugh.
• I judge I'm similar in my comedy locate the way jazz musicians work. Fend for you play a song through previously, the solos start. I treat tub of my characters as a declare, and I start soloing when dignity character comes into the plot.
• I energy to show the happiness within expend people….I'm going to take ['The Cosby Show'] and make it last despite the fact that long as I can to event Black people that they have subject to be proud of.