The veteran actor Bill Cobbs died at the age of 90. Cobbs was famous for his various and easily recognizable characters and he passed away in his sleep in his home in Riverside, according to his publicist, Chuck I. Jones.
Early Life and Career
Cobbs was born on June 16, 1934, in Cleveland, Ohio, and he had a very versatile acting career. He was educated in the East Tech High School, and after that, he joined the U. S. Air Force where he worked for eight years. In his service he tried stand up comedy which ignited his passion for performance. Cobbs worked as a saleswoman at IBM and selling cars before she acted on stage for the first time in the 1969 anti-apartheid musical Lost in the Stars at Karamu House.
Film Highlights
Cobbs also had many memorable roles in the films that he acted in. He played Whitney Houston’s manager in The Bodyguard (1992), and the elder brother of Medgar Evers in Rob Reiner’s Ghosts of Mississippi (1996). Cobbs was excellent as a jazz pianist in Tom Hanks That Thing You Do! He starred in the comedy film called The Cable Guy (1996) and played the role of Master Tinker in the movie by Sam Raimi, Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). This is especially so given that his portrayal of a near-retirement security guard Reginald in Night at the Museum is still very dear to him.
Television Appearances
Cobbs also made a lot of contributions in television performances. He appeared in The Slap Maxwell Story, The Drew Carey Show, The Gregory Hines Show, and Star Trek: Business. He was very striking as Moses in the Coen brothers’ The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) in which he portrayed a prophetic clockmaker whose ability to stop time is vital to the plot.
Later Roles and Legacy
Besides the mentioned ones, Cobbs appeared in the 2010 film, The Search for Santa Paws and was featured in the two-part series finale of Agents of S. H. I. E. L. D. in 2020. The acting of the man in the different motion pictures over the decades was a memorable experience for Hollywood.
A Life Remembered
Bill Cobbs’ acting career was active for more than fifty years in the film and television industry. This young man was talented, versatile and gave memorable performances that will be treasured by fans and co-actors. Though we are sad to see him go, we must not forget the wonderful contribution he has made.