Bill Cosby
William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American convicted sex offender. He got his start as a nightclub stand-up comic before landing a starring role in the action show I Spy (1965-1968). After various film and television roles, Cosby's greatest success came when he produced and starred in The Cosby Show (1984-1992), a popular sitcom that highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper-middle-class African-American family. Due to this role, he was widely dubbed "America's Dad." After the show ended, he produced and starred in multiple other shows and films. He was a sought-after spokesman from the 1960s until the early 2000s, endorsing a number of products including Jell-O, Kodak film, Ford, Texas Instruments, and Coca-Cola. Cosby has received several awards including 5 Primetime Emmy Awards, 2 Daytime Emmy Awards, 9 Grammy Awards, 2 Golden Globe Awards, the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to television (2002), and several honorary degrees from colleges and universities. Many of his awards have been rescinded due to numerous sexual assault allegations, including the 1998 Kennedy Center Honor, the 2009 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, and all but 10 of 72 honorary degrees. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences expelled him as a member of the Actors Branch in May 2018. Approximately 60 women have accused Cosby of various forms of sexual assault in alleged incidents spanning from 1965 to 2008. These allegations became highly publicized in 2014, leading to several civil suits and criminal investigations for cases that had not yet reached the statute of limitations. Many networks, including NBC, removed reruns of The Cosby Show from their schedules. In April of 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to ten years in prison for multiple counts of aggravated indecent assault. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned the conviction in June 2021 due to violation of a prior prosecutorial agreement that Cosby's previous civil suit testimony—in which he admitted to giving drugs to women he wanted to have sex with—would not be used in the criminal trial. He was released from prison later that month after serving almost three years of the sentence and maintains his innocence in all accusations. As of August 2021, there is still one known active civil suit against Cosby.
Filmography
Bill Cosby: Walking Free
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: Walking Free
as Self (archive footage)
Cola Wars
as Self (archive footage)
Cola Wars
as Self (archive footage)
I Am Richard Pryor
as Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage)
I Am Richard Pryor
as Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: An American Scandal
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: An American Scandal
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon
as Self (archive footage)
Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon
as Self (archive footage)
Nelson Mandela Redrawn
as Self
Nelson Mandela Redrawn
as Self
Keep on Keepin' On
as Self
Keep on Keepin' On
as Self
Bill Cosby: Far From Finished
as Self
Bill Cosby: Far From Finished
as Self
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
as Self
Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
as Self
After Newtown: Guns in America
as Self
After Newtown: Guns in America
as Self
B.B. King: The Life of Riley
as Self
B.B. King: The Life of Riley
as Self
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
as Self
Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
as Self
Goose
Goose
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
as Self
Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
as Self
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
as Self
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
as Self
Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
as Self
Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
as Self
Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven
as Self
Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven
as Self
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
as Self (archive footage)
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
as Self (archive footage)
The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits
as Self
The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits
as Self
Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life
as Self
Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life
as Self
The Shame of a City
as Self
The Shame of a City
as Self
The Pact
as Self
The Pact
as Self
Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class
as Self (archive footage)
Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class
as Self (archive footage)
Lipstick & Dynamite
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Lipstick & Dynamite
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World
as Self
The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World
as Self
Fat Albert
as Self
Fat Albert
as Self
Baadasssss!
as Bill Cosby
Baadasssss!
as Bill Cosby
Lightning in a Bottle
as Self
Lightning in a Bottle
as Self
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
as Self (archive footage)
Jack Paar: Smart Television
as Self
Jack Paar: Smart Television
as Self
Comedian
as Self
Comedian
as Self
The Cosby Show: A Look Back
as Self / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage)
The Cosby Show: A Look Back
as Self / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage)
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
as Self
NBC 75th Anniversary Special
as Self
The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story
The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story
Playboy: Playmate Pajama Party
Playboy: Playmate Pajama Party
Playmate Pajama Party
as self
Playmate Pajama Party
as self
4 Little Girls
as Self - Educator
4 Little Girls
as Self - Educator
Jack Paar: 'As I Was Saying...'
as Self
Jack Paar: 'As I Was Saying...'
as Self
Jack
as Lawrence Woodruff
Jack
as Lawrence Woodruff
I Spy Returns
as Alexander Scott
I Spy Returns
as Alexander Scott
The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney
as Narrator
The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney
as Narrator
The Meteor Man
as Marvin
The Meteor Man
as Marvin
Malcolm X
as Self (uncredited)
Malcolm X
as Self (uncredited)
The One, the Only... Groucho
as Self
The One, the Only... Groucho
as Self
Ghost Dad
as Elliot Hopper
Ghost Dad
as Elliot Hopper
Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration!
Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration!
Happy Birthday, Bugs! 50 Looney Years
as Self
Happy Birthday, Bugs! 50 Looney Years
as Self
The Earth Day Special
as Cliff Huxtable
The Earth Day Special
as Cliff Huxtable
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
as Self
Sesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
as Self – Host
Sesame Street: 20 Years & Still Counting! 1969-1989
as Self – Host
Creole Giselle
as Self - Host
Creole Giselle
as Self - Host
Leonard Part 6
as Leonard
Leonard Part 6
as Leonard
Superstars and their Moms
as Self
Superstars and their Moms
as Self
Bill Cosby: 49
as Self
Bill Cosby: 49
as Self
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
as Self
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
as Self
TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines
as Self
TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines
as Self
In Remembrance of Martin
as Self
In Remembrance of Martin
as Self
An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
as Self
Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
as Self
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
The NBC All Star Hour: Let's All Be There
Motown Returns to the Apollo
Motown Returns to the Apollo
Bill Cosby: Himself
as Self
Bill Cosby: Himself
as Self
The Devil and Max Devlin
as Barney Satin
The Devil and Max Devlin
as Barney Satin
Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party
as Self (uncredited)
Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party
as Self (uncredited)
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
as Self (Twins) (archive footage) (uncredited)
A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
as Self (Twins) (archive footage) (uncredited)
California Suite
as Dr. Willis Panama
California Suite
as Dr. Willis Panama
The Fat Albert Christmas Special
as Fat Albert / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
The Fat Albert Christmas Special
as Fat Albert / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
The Fat Albert Halloween Special
as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
The Fat Albert Halloween Special
as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
A Piece of the Action
as Dave Anderson
A Piece of the Action
as Dave Anderson
Playboy's Playmate Party
Playboy's Playmate Party
Mother, Jugs & Speed
as Mother
Mother, Jugs & Speed
as Mother
Let's Do It Again
as Billy Foster
Let's Do It Again
as Billy Foster
Uptown Saturday Night
as Wardell Franklin
Uptown Saturday Night
as Wardell Franklin
Bicycles are Beautiful
as Self - Host
Bicycles are Beautiful
as Self - Host
The Weird Harold Special
The Weird Harold Special
Hickey & Boggs
as Al Hickey
Hickey & Boggs
as Al Hickey
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana
as Scoop Newsworthy
The Jackson 5: Goin' Back to Indiana
as Scoop Newsworthy
Diana!
as Self
Diana!
as Self
Bill Cosby on Prejudice
Bill Cosby on Prejudice
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
as Self (archive footage)
King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
as Self (archive footage)
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed
as Self - Host / Narrator
Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed
as Self - Host / Narrator