Bill Cobbs, a prolific movie and TV actor with memorable performances in Night time At The Museum, Brother From One other Planet, Oz The Nice And Highly effective, The Sopranos and dozens of others, died Tuesday, June 25, at his residence in Riverside, California. He was 90.
His loss of life was introduced by relations on Fb. A trigger was not indicated.
“We’re saddened to share the passing of Invoice Cobbs,” wrote brother Thomas G. Cobbs. “On Tuesday, June 25, Invoice handed away peacefully at his residence in California. A beloved accomplice, huge brother, uncle, surrogate guardian, godfather and good friend, Invoice not too long ago and fortunately celebrated his ninetieth birthday surrounded by cherished family members. As a household we’re comforted figuring out Invoice has discovered peace and everlasting relaxation together with his Heavenly Father. We ask to your prayers and encouragement throughout this time.”
Born Wilbert Francisco Cobbs on June 16, 1934, in Cleveland, Ohio, Cobbs started his appearing profession with such stage corporations as Cleveland’s African American Performing Arts Middle and Karamu Home Theatre and, in New York Metropolis, the Negro Ensemble Firm.
His characteristic movie debut got here in 1974 with a small half in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Subsequent roles got here in fast succession, with mid-to-late Seventies appearances on TV’s Good Occasions and in such movies as Greased Lightning and The Hitter. Within the early Eighties he had small roles in Buying and selling Locations and Silkwood, with a extra outstanding efficiency because the character Walter in John Sayles’ groundbreaking indie hit Brother From One other Planet.
Properly on his strategy to changing into an immediately recognizable character actor, Cobbs had roles all through the Eighties in movies (The Cotton Membership, The Colour Of Cash) and TV collection (The Equalizer, Sesame Avenue, Kate & Allie, Spencer For Rent, L.A. Legislation). In 1987, he turned a collection common on The Slap Maxwell Story, a short-lived (one season) however well-regarded sitcom starring Dabney Coleman. (Coleman died last month.)
The Nineties noticed Cobbs preserve a busy schedule, with one-off TV appearances (Designing Girls, The Trials of Rosie O’Neil, Coach, Empty Nest, Northern Publicity, Ed and ER) and movie roles (The Hudsucker Proxy, That Factor You Do! and Air Bud). In 1992 he was featured within the hit Whitney Houston-Kevin Costner movie The Bodyguard, and in 1996, he performed Medgar Evers’ older brother Charles Evers in Rob Reiner’s Ghosts of Mississippi.
Cobbs was a recurring character all through each seasons of the acclaimed 1991-93 TV collection I’ll Fly Away, and returned for the 1993 TV reunion film. He was a essential forged member on the 1997-99 collection The Gregory Hines Present, and in 2000 was a daily on the supernatural collection The Others in addition to the eight-episode The Michael Richards Present sitcom.
Different TV credit embody The Sopranos, JAG, The Drew Carey Present, One Tree Hill, Star Trek: Enterprise, Sure, Expensive, Go On (recurring), The West Wing, NYPD Blue, Misplaced, Military Wives, The Glades, The Bay, and lots of others.
In 2020, he visitor starred within the two-part collection finale of Brokers of S.H.I.E.L.D. That very same 12 months, he received a Daytime Emmy Award for Excellent Restricted Efficiency in a Daytime Program for his position on youngsters present Dino Dana.
Certainly one of Cobbs’ most memorable performances got here within the 2006 hit Ben Stiller comedy Night time on the Museum, by which he performed safety guard Reginald. He reprised the position in 2014’s Night time on the Museum: Secret of the Tomb.
Full info on survivors was not instantly accessible.
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