Description: Bill Cosby was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Navy, and later dropped out of college to become a stand-up comedian. Cosby's first acting assignment, in the espionage series I Spy (1965-68), made him the first black actor to co-star in a leading dramatic role on network television, as well as the first to earn an Emmy Award. His most successful work, The Cosby Show, appeared on NBC from 1984 to 1992, and was the highest-rated sitcom for several consecutive years. Cosby’s legendary status was tarnished when numerous accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced in Bill Cosby was born on July 12, 1937, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He dropped out of high school to join the U.S. Navy, and later dropped out of college to become a stand-up comedian. Cosby's first acting assignment, in the espionage series I Spy (1965-68), made him the first black actor to co-star in a leading dramatic role on network television, as well as the first to earn an Emmy Award. His most successful work, The Cosby Show, appeared on NBC from 1984 to 1992, and was the highest-rated sitcom for several consecutive years. Cosby’s legendary status was tarnished when numerous accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced in 2014. His trial for three counts of aggravated indecent assault ended with a deadlocked jury in June 2017, but he was found guilty after a retrial in April 2018. On September 25, 2018, Cosby was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in Philadelphia in 2004.

Personal Loss

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

While coping with these difficult episodes, Cosby took on new professional challenges. He started a series of children's picture books featuring a character named Little Bill in 1997, which also became a children's TV program. A frequent speaker at commencement ceremonies, Cosby shared his advice in 1999's Congratulations! Now What?: A Book for Graduates. He took a serious look at the education system in 2000's American Schools: The $100 Billion Challenge, and paired up with his daughter Erika for 2003's Friends of a Feather: One of Life's Little Fables.

Awards and Return to TV

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

In November 2013, Bill Cosby returned to the small screen with a new special on Comedy Central, Far From Finished. Directed by Robert Townsend, the production marked the comedian's first concert special in three decades. ... (more)

Tags: Actor (9), Rapist (3), Comedian (3), Born 1937 (3), American (3), Black (2), Incarcerated (2), Overrated (2), Still Living (1), Born In Philadelphia (1), Fairly Hated (1), Born In Pennsylvania (1), July 12 (1), Privileged (1), Born In July (1), Born July 12 (1), Hates Black People (1), Distinct Voice (1), USN (1), Felon (1)

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TV

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1. The Daily Show (1996)

Rating:

7.7

1214 Watched

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2. The Cosby Show (1984)

Rating:

6.6

1031 Watched

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3. Sesame Street (1969)

Rating:

7.1

939 Watched

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4. The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003)

Rating:

6.4

908 Watched

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5. The Colbert Report (2005)

Rating:

7.6

740 Watched

View all Bill Cosby TV (84 more)

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1. The Dean Martin Show (1965-1974)

Rating:

35 Watched

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2. The Ed Sullivan Show

Rating:

8.9

45 Watched

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3. Behind the Music (1997)

Rating:

8.5

43 Watched

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4. Biography (1987)

Rating:

8.4

102 Watched

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5. The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962)

Rating:

8.4

106 Watched

View all Bill Cosby TV (84 more)

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1. Bill Cosby: Far from Finished (2013)

Rating:

7.3

7 Watched

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2. The Sixties (2013)

Rating:

8.3

4 Watched

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3. The Arsenio Hall Show (2013)

Rating:

6.9

19 Watched

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4. For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots

Rating:

1 want to see

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5. Unsung (2008)

Rating:

2 Watched

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Movies

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1. Jack (1996)

Rating:

5.6

1200 Watched

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2. Malcolm X (1992)

Rating:

7.3

672 Watched

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3. Ghost Dad (1990)

Rating:

4.6

159 Watched

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4. Fat Albert (2004)

Rating:

4.7

144 Watched

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5. The Meteor Man (1993)

Rating:

4.4

116 Watched

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1. Malcolm X (1992)

Rating:

7.3

672 Watched

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2. Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1970)

Rating:

6.6

57 Watched

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3. California Suite (1978)

Rating:

6.1

68 Watched

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4. Jack (1996)

Rating:

5.6

1200 Watched

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5. Fat Albert (2004)

Rating:

4.7

144 Watched

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1. Recorder: The Marion Stokes Project (2019)

Rating:

4 Watched

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2. What's My Name: Muhammad Ali

Rating:

7.4

5 Watched

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3. Seeing Allred

Rating:

5.3

6 Watched

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4. Keep on Keepin' On (2014)

Rating:

6.3

4 Watched

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5. Richard Pryor: Omit the Logic (2013)

Rating:

6.5

15 Watched

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1. The Cosby Show (1984)

Rating:

6.6

1031 Watched

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2. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972)

Rating:

5.8

158 Watched

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3. A Different World (1987)

Rating:

6.2

134 Watched

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4. Little Bill (1999)

Rating:

5.7

35 Watched

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5. The Bill Cosby Show

Rating:

7.1

19 Watched

View all Bill Cosby tv (1 more)

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1. The Cosby Show (1984)

Rating:

6.6

1031 Watched

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2. A Different World (1987)

Rating:

6.2

134 Watched

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3. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972)

Rating:

5.8

158 Watched

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1. Bill Cosby: Far from Finished (2013)

Rating:

7.3

7 Watched

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2. Fatherhood

Rating:

1 want to see

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3. A Different World (1987)

Rating:

6.2

134 Watched

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4. The Cosby Show (1984)

Rating:

6.6

1031 Watched

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5. Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972)

Rating:

5.8

158 Watched

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1. Fat Albert (2004)

Rating:

4.7

144 Watched

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2. Leonard Part 6 (1987)

Rating:

2.1

39 Watched

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3. Bill Cosby: Himself (1983)

Rating:

7.2

34 Watched

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1. Fat Albert (2004)

Rating:

4.7

144 Watched

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1. Fat Albert (2004)

Rating:

4.7

144 Watched

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2. Bill Cosby: Himself (1983)

Rating:

7.2

34 Watched

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3. Leonard Part 6 (1987)

Rating:

2.1

39 Watched

Music

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1. Bill Cosby Is A Very Funny Fellow Right!

Rating:

8.3

4 own

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2. The Original Jam Sessions 1969

Rating:

1 own

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3. More of the Best of Bill Cosby

Rating:

1 own

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4. To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With

1 own

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5. 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Cosby

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1. Revenge (2009)

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2. Wonderfulness (2009)

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3. Fat Albert

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4. The Original Jam Sessions 1969

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5. 20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: The Best of Bill Cosby

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1. Bill Cosby: Himself (1983)

Rating:

7.2

34 Watched

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2. Bill Cosby on Prejudice (1971)

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1. Bill Cosby: Himself (1983)

Rating:

7.2

34 Watched

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2. Bill Cosby on Prejudice (1971)

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1. The Bill Cosby Show

Rating:

7.1

19 Watched

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1. The Bill Cosby Show

Rating:

7.1

19 Watched

Books

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1. I Am What I Ate...and I'm Frightened!!! (2003)

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2. Fatherhood (1987)

1 own

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3. Time Flies (1988)

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1 own

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4. Bill Cosby on Fatherhood (Charming Petites)

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5. Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates (1999)

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1. I Am What I Ate...and I'm Frightened!!! (2003)

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2. Bill Cosby on Fatherhood (Charming Petites)

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3. Congratulations! Now What? A Book for Graduates (1999)

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4. Money Troubles (Little Bill Books for Beginning Readers)

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5. The Meanest Thing To Say: A Little Bill Book for Beginning Readers, Level 3 (Oprah's Book Club)

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"A year after the expulsion of Harvey Weinstein, similar allegations started coming to light about Bill Cosby. Over 60 women came forward to speak against the member of the Academy. He was also convicted of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, an ex-basketball player, in 2004. He was expelled within a month just like Weinstein following the new rule made by the Academy after the latter’s expulsion. The rule says that the Academy would ban “people who abuse their status, power or "

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"Starring as Alexander “Scotty” Scott, Bill Cosby made history as the first Black actor to have a leading role in a television series with ‘I Spy’. The one-hour drama adventure series, which was Cosby’s first television role, ran for three seasons on NBC and earned him three Primetime Emmy Awards from 1966 to 1968."

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