William Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr., Ed.D. (born July 12, 1937) is
an American comedian, actor, television producer, activist, and
luminary. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various
clubs, and then landed a vanguard role in the 1960s action show I
Spy. He later starred in his own series, The Bill Cosby Show, in
the late 1960s. He was one of the major characters on the
children's television show for its first two seasons, and created
the humorous educational cartoon series Fat Albert and the Cosby
Kids, about a group of young friends growing up in the city. Cosby
also acted in numerous films, although none has received the
acclaim of his television work.
During the 1980s, Cosby produced and starred in what is
considered one of the decade's defining sitcoms, The Cosby Show,
which aired from 1984 to 1992. The sitcom featured an upper-middle
class African-American family without resorting to the kinds of
stereotypes previously seen among African-Americans in prime-time
television. While some argued that The Cosby Show ignored the
issues of racial inequity still prevalent in society, many agreed
that it showcased positive role models.
Cosby was active in showbusiness in the 1990s, starring in
Cosby, which first aired in 1996, and hosting Kids Say the Darndest
Things, which began in 1998, as well as making more movies. He has
also continued appearing on the stand-up circuit. His material
consists mainly of anecdotal tales, often dealing with his
upbringing and raising his own family, and he is known for having a
clean, family-friendly routine.
His good-natured, fatherly image has made him a popular
personality and earned him the nickname of "America's Dad," and he
has also been a sought-after spokesman for products like Jell-O
Pudding, Kodak film, Coca-Cola, and the defunct retail chain
Service Merchandise
