Bill Cobbs
Biography
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Bill Cobbs was an American actor who got his start at the Karamu House Theater and made his professional debut with the Negro Ensemble Company in Ride a Black Horse. He moved to New York in 1970 and made his film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). Over the following decades he appeared in The Brother from Another Planet (1984), The Color of Money (1986), New Jack City (1991), The People Under the Stairs (1991), The Bodyguard (1992), Demolition Man (1993), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), That Thing You Do (1996), Night at the Museum (2006), Get Low (2009), and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). On television he was a regular on I'll Fly Away, The Michael Richards Show, and Go On, and his role on Dino Dana brought him a Daytime Emmy in 2020. He died in 2024.
90years old at death
- Born Cleveland
- Died Upland
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Wilbert Francisco Cobbs (birth name)Also credited as William Cobbs and William Francisco Cobbs
Movie Career
- Films
- 49
- Career span
- 45 years1977 to 2022
First and latest
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A change of course
Cobbs was a radar technician in the U.S. Air Force for eight years. He also sold cars in Cleveland, Ohio, and worked in office products at IBM before leaving for New York in 1970, at age 36, to seek work as an actor.
First role
Bill Cobbs credited Reuben Silver with launching his acting career at Cleveland's Karamu House Theatre and African American Performing Arts Center. The Negro Ensemble Company production of Ride a Black Horse gave him his first professional role.
First role
Cobbs had a one-line part in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three in 1974, which was his first appearance in a feature film.
Bill Cobbs movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Shawn Levy directed two of these films, Mario Van Peebles two and John Sayles two. Three actors appear in three of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Wesley Snipes's page
Ali Hillis's page
Lee Meriwether's page
Forest Whitaker's page
Richard Jenkins's page
Robin Williams's page
All films by Shawn Levy
All films by Mario Van Peebles
All films by John Sayles
Also two films together30 more actors
- John TurturroFive Corners (1987) and The Color of Money (1986)
- Ben StillerNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Mickey RooneyNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Paul NewmanThe Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and The Color of Money (1986)
- Steve CooganNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Jack WardenEd (1996) and Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995)
- Sandra BullockHope Floats (1998) and Demolition Man (1993)
- Tim RobbinsThe Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and Five Corners (1987)
- Bruce CampbellOz the Great and Powerful (2013) and The Hudsucker Proxy (1994)
- Clifton JamesSunshine State (2002) and Carolina Skeletons (1991)
- Mario Van PeeblesHard Luck (2006) and New Jack City (1991)
- Bill NunnThings to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) and New Jack City (1991)
- Brett RiceThe Ultimate Life (2013) and The Ultimate Gift (2006)
- Gena RowlandsHope Floats (1998) and Paulie (1998)
- Zack WardBeyond the Law (2019) and Ed (1996)
- John MahoneyThe Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and Suspect (1987)
- Ricky GervaisNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Dick Van DykeNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Rami MalekNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Tomas AranaFirst Kid (1996) and The Bodyguard (1992)
- John WitherspoonFatal Instinct (1993) and Bird (1988)
- Ralph WaiteSunshine State (2002) and The Bodyguard (1992)
- Mary Elizabeth MastrantonioThe January Man (1989) and The Color of Money (1986)
- Patrick GallagherNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- John SeitzThe Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and Five Corners (1987)
- Logan BartholomewThe Ultimate Legacy (2016) and The Ultimate Life (2013)
- Minnie GentryThe Brother from Another Planet (1984) and Greased Lightning (1977)
- Mizuo PeckNight at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014) and Night at the Museum (2006)
- Michael P. ByrneEnough (2002) and I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)
- Rosanna CarterCarolina Skeletons (1991) and The Brother from Another Planet (1984)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Bill Cobbs's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$2.7 billion
32 of the 49 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 49 films: 32 worldwide figure; 4 us gross only; 4 never in cinemas; 9 figure not found.
- 32Worldwide figure
- 4US gross only
- 4Never in cinemas
- 9Figure not found
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 85% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$574M21.0% of the total
- 2$492M18.0% of the total
- 3$411M15.0% of the total
- 4$363M13.3% of the total
- 5$165M6.0% of the total
- 6$159M5.8% of the total
- 7$84M3.1% of the total
- 8$81M3.0% of the total
$406 millionfrom the other 24 films with a worldwide figure, 15% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.