One of the most renowned American comedians, actor and producer who has been responsible for numerous rib-tickling sessions for people around the world is Bill Cosby. He has played a major role in developing a positive picture of African Americans on television.

Fact 1 His Early Life

His full name was William Henry Cosby, Jr. He was born in 1937 on the 12^th of July in the German town district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His father William Henry Cosby, Sr. was a sailor of the U.S Navy and his mother was Anna Pearl (Hite). He completed his 12th grade through correspondence and took up job in the Navy thereafter. He started his career as a stand-up comedian after being encouraged by his clients at a bar where he worked. His exclusive style of presenting simple jokes amused all present at the bar. He made up his mind to make use of his talent and soon the famous Carl Reiner discovered him.

Fact 2 Bill Cosby’s Shows

Cosby was perhaps the first black to rule the entertainment industry with his unique talent. His humor was based mainly on the absurdities of life. Bill Cosby took part in many famous programs during his early twenties like The Ed Sullivan Show (1948). His exceptional performance in I Spy where he played the role of Alexander Scott in 1965 was a great success for him. This was the beginning of a successful career for Corby. He won many Emmys for his outstanding performance. In 1969, he was a part of The Bill Cosby Show where he played the part of a teacher. It was aired for two years. Cosby’s cartoon creation based on his school friends named Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids (1972) was one of his other creations. Although it was a humorous theme, it portrayed Cosby’s educational side. During 1974 and 1975, Cosby starred in successful movies also like Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again and others. His comedy albums sold very well during the early years. The most famous comedy song was “Little Old Man”. He was part of the series entitled Pinwheel and also The Devil and Max Devlin in 1981.

Fact 3 Other Sides Of His Character

Although Cosby did not complete his schooling in a formal institution, he was interested in studies. He managed to study during his career between 1960 and 1970 and received a doctorate in Education from the University of Massachusetts. His knowledge and wisdom clearly reflects in his shows and films. The behavior towards the minorities as shown on television dissatisfied him. He insisted that the TV series produced by him – A Different World, in 1987, be aired just after the Cosby Show. The theme of A Different World was based on a historical background about the college of the Black and education of young people. The show received great response and it had 70 million viewers approximately.

Fact 4 His Later Works

Cosby had to compete with other shows like The Simpsons in 1989. But due to rescheduling and reshuffling of the shows, his show lost the immense fan following it had gained so far. In 1992 The Cosby Show came to an end and it was the most popular shows of that season. He was seen pleading for peace in Los Angeles, during the riots of Rodney King. However, his film-making career was not successful. Leonard Part 6 in 1987 was a complete failure. This perhaps was the cause of his downfall. He could not fare well in Ghost Dad in 1990 also. He later starred in Robin Williams’ film Jack and some others. After that he produced shows like Little Bill in 1999 and other films like Men of Honor in 2000.