BILL COSBY

Comedian and Actor

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001070/ William H. Cosby has become America's most beloved "father figure". He was born in Philadelphia, PA, on July 12, 1937. Cosby had a lot of sadness in his childhood. When he was 8 years old his brother James died. The next year his father joined the Navy and his mother went to work. Bill had to earn money shining shoes. He also had to watch his younger brothers. But instead of feeling sorry for himself he concentrated on the good times. He would cook for his brothers - including making waffles which he would color green or red! But mostly he would tell jokes and funny stories based on what was going on around him.

He was quite intelligent, but didn't take his school work seriously. He was good in sports, but would rather get a laugh than study. He dropped out of high school and joined the Navy. Later he realized his mistake, and would go to college on a football scholarship. He graduated from Temple University in Philadelphia, and would earn a PhD from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst.

Cosby became famous as a stand-up comedian, and later turned to acting. From 1965 to 1968 he co-starred with Robert Culp in the adventure series I Spy, for which he won three Emmy Awards. He broke new ground as the first Black actor in a starring role, other than comedy.

Cosby starred in several television series, most notably the 1980's smash hit The Cosby Show. He had grown dissappointed with most television offerings, and set out to make a worthy, entertaining, show suitable for children as well as adults. It lacked the violence and superficiality that he disliked. In this show, he also portrayed the head of a middle-to-upper class African-American family. Many critics called it the saviour of the situation comedy on television. It was the #1 ranked show for four consecutive years, and was nominated for eight Emmy Awards. All together, he won eight Grammy awards and four Emmy Awards, and was presented with a Kennedy Center Honor Award in 1998.

Education is a high priority for Cosby. He has woven many of the things he has learned into his shows. Also, he and his wife Camille, who also holds a PhD., have given a lot of money for educational causes, including twenty million dollars to Spelman College.