William Henry “Bill” Cosby Jr., commonly known as Bill Cosby, is an American actor, activist, author and a stand-up comedian. He started his career with ‘Hungry I’, ‘I Spy’ and ‘The Electric Company’, and is best known for his ‘The Cosby Show’ and ‘Kids Say the Darndest Things’.
Although he has been accused of sexual assaults by many, he has never been legally charged, and he has always denied any such accusations.
Achievements
In 2002, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his TV contributions. His ‘I Spy’ received Emmys in the 1966, 1967 and 1968 for his outstanding performance in a leading role. He also received a Primetime Emmy for his The Bill Cosby Special in 1969.
His ‘I Started out as a Child’, ‘Why is There Air?’, ‘Wonderfulness’, ‘Revenge’, ‘Sports’, ‘To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With’ and ‘Those of You with or Without Children, You’ll Understand’ have also won him several Grammy Awards for best comedy performances.
Childhood
Born in Pennsylvania in 1937, his mother was a maid and his father was a cook in the US Navy. His father was almost always away in the US armed forced for fighting in a 2nd World War. During his school years, he describes himself as the clown of the class, and in his junior high school, he started acting in school plays.
After repairing shoes for some time, he joined Navy and served at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. During his college years, he honed his comedy talent and became an expert at making others laugh. Gradually, he took this talent to stage, and the rest is history.
Spouse
Bill Cosby married Camilla Olivia Hanks in 1964, who herself is an American TV producer, philanthropist and author. She also inspired the character of Clair Huxtable in ‘The Cosby Show’.She supports American African literature by writing forewords for a number of authors, including Thelma Williams, Dr. Michele R. Wright and Edward Lewis. She co-produced Having Our Say:
The Delany Sisters’ First 100 Years, and then acquired its TV, film and stage rights to make a made-for-TV movie. Howard University awarded her a Doctor of Humane Letters in 1987. Amidst the multitude of sexual assault accusations against her husband, she has always stood by his side, and never accepted him as a rapist.
Children
Bill Cosby and Camilla Cosby have 5 children: Ennis, Evin, Ensa, Erinn and Erika. Ennis was their only son, but he was murdered on 1997 while changing flat tire in Los Angeles. Erika Cosby is their eldest daughter, who is a renowned American painter, and adjunct art professor at the New York University.
Her painting, ‘Hanging Out to Dry’, was seen at the golden anniversary of Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art. In addition, many of her works have also featured in different galleries, including Artspace in New Haven, Slate Gallery, The Last Brucennial, SALTWORKS Contemporary Art and the Arlington Arts Center.
Net worth
Bill Cosby has a net worth of US $ 400 million