Bill Cobbs was an actor known for many of his nearly 200 roles on film and TV, including parts in “Night at the Museum,” “Demolition Man,” “The Bodyguard,” “The West Wing,” and “I’ll Fly Away.”
- Died: June 25, 2024 (Who else died on June 25?)
- Details of death: Died in Riverside, California at the age of 90.
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Bill Cobbs’ legacy
Cleveland-born Bill Cobbs did not begin his adult life on stage. Instead, he worked as a radar technician in the U.S. Air Force, then later for IBM. It wasn’t until he was 36 that he decided to pursue acting. Cobbs landed a role in “Ride a Black Horse,” produced by the Negro Ensemble Company in Cleveland, and soon began to move his way through the regional theater scene.
Cobbs made his film debut in 1974’s “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three,” his first in what would become nearly 200 roles for the veteran actor. He was in films like “The Hudsucker Proxy,” “Night at the Museum,” “Demolition Man,” “Oz the Great and Powerful,” “The Bodyguard,” “That Thing You Do,” “The People Under the Stairs,” and dozens of others. He was also a common sight on television for years, appearing on “The West Wing,” “The Sopranos,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” and many more shows. The short-lived early ’90s drama, “I’ll Fly Away,” on which he was cast, earned two Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes and two NAACP Image Awards among its acclaim, along with three Humanitas Prizes and a Peabody Award.
Cobbs won Best Actor at the Trenton Film Festival for his role in 2005’s “The Final Patient,” and he won a 2020 Daytime Emmy for his work on “Dino Dana.”
On The Wizard of Oz introducing him to drama:
“The excitement of Dorothy being swept away by that tornado and winding up in a strange place. Looking back at it, I know it impressed me with the idea that you already have the things in life that you are looking for. You have great capabilities within yourself, and you just need to be made aware of that.” — Interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2013
Tributes to Bill Cobbs
Full obituary: Variety
