Bill Cobbs, Air Bud and Night at the Museum Star, Dies at 90

The sad news broke today that legendary character actor, Bill Cobbs, has passed away at age 90. Cobbs’ publicist, Chick I. Jones, informed The Hollywood Reporter that the actor died of natural causes at his home in Riverside. Cobbs lived quite a life before he moved to New York to become an actor when he was 36. Born in Cleaveland, Ohio, Cobbs served in the U.S. Air Force as a radar technician for eight years, worked at IBM, and sold cars before pursuing his creative career. While trying to make it in New York, he worked multiple jobs, including driving a cab and selling toys until he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in 1974.

“Once I realized I could walk on the stage with people like that, I thought, ‘Maybe I can be an actor,’” Cobbs shared in 2015. “I came back home to see my mom and dad, and all our friends and neighbors went to see [The Taking of Pelham One Two Three], and everyone was waiting for my appearance,” he shared in another interview in 2013. “I walk up to a policeman in the subway and say, ‘Hey, man. What’s goin’ on?’”

Once Cobbs’ acting career kicked off, he spent the rest of his life building a massive filmography. At the time of his death, he had 195 onscreen acting credits to his name. His film credits included Greased Lightning (1977), The Hitter (1978), Trading Places (1983), Silkwood (1983), The Cotton Club (1984), The Color of Money (1986), New Jack City (1991), The Hard Way (1991), The People Under the Stairs (1991), The Bodyguard (1992), Demolition Man (1993), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead (1995), That Thing You Do! (1996), Ghosts of Mississippi (1996), Air Bud (1997), I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998), A Mighty Wind (2003), Night at the Museum (2006), The Muppets (2011), Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and more. 

Cobb’s television credits included episodes of Good Times (1976), The Equalizer (1985), One Life To Live (1986), Sesame Street (1985 & 1986), L.A. Law (1988), Designing Women (1990), Coach (1993), Northern Exposure (1994), ER (1996), Walker, Texas Ranger (1997), The Wayans Bros. (1997), The Sopranos (2000), Six Feet Under (2001), The West Wing (2002), NYPD Blue (1996 & 2003), JAG (2001-2003), The Drew Carey Show (2002-2004), Star Trek: Enterprise (2005), One Tree Hill (2008), Greenleaf (2016 & 2017), Agents of SHIELD (2020), and more. He also starred in the short-lived sitcom Homeroom in 1989. 

Cobbs also had a history with theatre, joining the Negro Ensemble Company when he lived in New York. He also appeared off-Broadway in Ride a Black Horse in 1971 and then in Black Visions at the Joseph Papp Public Theater. He was also an understudy in Black Picture Show and The First Breeze of Summer on Broadway in 1975.

Our thoughts are will Bill Cobbs’ friends and family at this difficult time.