Bill Cobbs(1934-2024)
- Actor
- Producer
- Music Department
Bill Cobbs was born and raised in Cleveland,
Ohio, where his parents were hard-working people, who 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 (1975), a New
York public television educational series, and he made his feature film
debut in
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974).
In his free time, Cobbs enjoys music, reading, and playing his drums.
He lives in New York City and Los Angeles, California and continues
acting.
