Actor Bill Cobbs, known for his roles in “Night at the Museum” and “The Bodyguard,” as well as television appearances on “The Drew Carey Show” and “JAG,” has passed away, a spokesman confirmed. He was 90 years old.
Cobbs was a prolific actor, playing around 200 roles in television and film over a 50-year span, beginning with the 1974 crime drama “Pelham 1, 2, 3,” starring Robert Shaw and Walter Matthau.
Cobbs only had one line in the film, and joked about it in a 2013 interview with Cleveland.com.
“I went back home to see my parents, and all my friends and neighbors had gone to the movies, and they were all waiting for me to show up. I walked up to a cop on the subway and said, ‘Hey, what’s going on?'” he said of his debut.
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Bill Cobbs, a legendary TV and film actor, has passed away at the age of 90. (Chris Polk/Fox Home Entertainment’s FilmMagic, Leon Bennett/WireImage)
But it led to much more.
According to his IMDb biography, Cobbs was born in Cleveland and served as a radar technician in the Air Force for eight years before trying to make a living as an actor, and also worked in car sales and for IBM.
He traveled to New York at age 36 to try to make it in the industry, turning down a job in sales at NBC to have time to audition.
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To make a living in New York, he worked everything from driving a taxi to repairing office equipment to selling toys before landing his first professional acting job in the Negro Ensemble Company’s “Ride a Black Horse.”
After The Taking of Pelham-1, 2, 3, he had more opportunities to appear in television and films, including Good Times in 1976 and a role as a bartender in Spotting Places opposite Eddie Murphy in 1983.
He had prominent roles in 1993’s Demolition Man, 1994’s The Hudsucker Proxy, 2002’s The Sunshine State, and 1996’s Ghosts of Mississippi.
Bill Cobbs with part of the cast of “Night at the Museum.” (Chris Polk/Fox Home Entertainment FilmMagic)
He played Whitney Houston’s manager in The Bodyguard and the Tin Woodman’s creator in 2013’s Oz the Great and Powerful. He also played a lawyer in Jennifer Lopez’s 2002 film “Enough.”
He told Cleveland.com in 2013 that he loved “The Wizard of Oz” as a child and was excited to be a part of the ever-expanding saga.
“Just being able to be in a film like ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ is something I hope will be as powerful as the original, then ‘The Wiz’ and now ‘Wicked’. It’s just one fun story after another,” he said ahead of the film’s release.
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In “Night at the Museum,” Cobbs starred alongside Mickey Rooney and Dick Van Dyke as a veteran night security guard at the Natural History Museum who gives Ben Stiller a key and makes sure nothing comes in or out. He was outside the building during working hours.
Cobbs was best remembered for his role as Coach in Disney’s 1997 film “Air Buddies.”
“We are sad to announce the passing of Bill Cobbs,” a family member shared on Facebook. “Bill passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 25th at his home in California. A beloved partner, brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend, Bill recently happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by his cherished family. Our family takes comfort in knowing that Bill has found peace and eternal rest with our Heavenly Father. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time.”
At left, Bill Cobbs and Matthew Perry perform “Go On.” (Justin Rubin/NBCU Photobank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Actor Wendell Pierce, who played Cobbs’ son on “The Gregory Hines Show” and “I’ll Fly Away,” wrote X: “A few days after his 90th birthday, Bill Cobbs passed away today. He was a father figure, a griot, an iconic artist, and a mentor to me in the ways of the actor. He played my father twice, once on “I’ll Fly Away” and once on “The Gregory Hines Show.” Each time, he shared words of wisdom along with words of encouragement.”
“Abbott Elementary” star Sheryl Lee Ralph wrote on X, “Emmy Award winner, working actor and incredible human being Bill Cobbs celebrated his 90th birthday on June 16th before moving on to a higher stage of acting on June 25th. Rest in peace.”
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Bill Cobbs from “The Carmichael Show.” (Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Cobbs won a Daytime Emmy Award in 2020 for the series “Dino Dana.”
On television, Cobbs played eight roles on “The Drew Carey Show,” played a man who visited the White House with his son on “The West Wing,” appeared in two episodes of “Sesame Street,” and had appearances on “Good Times,” “LA Law,” “Designing Women,” “Coach,” “Northern Exposure,” “ER,” two episodes of “NYPD Blue,” four episodes of “JAG” and “The Sopranos.”
Bill Cobbs leans against a truck in a scene from the 1988 film “Dominic and Eugene.” (Orion Pictures/Getty Images)
He also had a role in “The Slap Maxwell Story” for 20 episodes, appeared in “Homeroom” and “I’ll Fly Away” for 13 episodes, “The Gregory Hines Show” for 21 episodes, “The Others” for 13 episodes and Matthew Perry’s show “Go On” for nine episodes.
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Cobbs continued to make films throughout his life, with several roles still to be released, according to IMDb.
