Biography for
Bill Cobbs More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

Mini Biography

Bill Cobbs was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio where his parents were hard-working people, whom instilled in him a sense of self-reliance and humility. As an amateur actor in the city's Karamu House Theater, he starred in the Ossie Davis play "Purlie Victorious". Cobbs was an Air Force radar technician for eight years; he also worked in office products at IBM and sold cars in Cleveland. In 1970, at the age of 36, he left for New York to seek work as an actor. There he turned down a job in the NBC sales department in order to have time for auditions. He supported himself by driving a cab, repairing office equipment, selling toys, and performing odd jobs. His first professional acting role was in "Ride a Black Horse" at the Negro Ensemble Company. From there he appeared in small theater productions, street theater, regional theater and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater. His first television credit was in "Vegetable Soup" (1976), a New York public television educational series, and he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974) in 1974. In his free time Cobbs enjoys music, reading, and playing his drums.

Trade Mark

Often plays characters older than he is in real life.

Trivia

He was awarded the 1988 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play for "Driving Miss Daisy" in Chicago, Illinois.

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