Biography
William Henry "Bill" Cosby Jr. (born July 12, 1937) is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer and convicted sex offender. He got his start as a nightclub stand-up comic before landing a starring role in the action show I Spy (1965-1968). After various film and television roles, Cosby's greatest success came when he produced and starred in The Cosby Show (1984-1992), a popular sitcom that highlighted the experiences and growth of an upper-middle-class African-American family. Du...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Bill Cosby: Walking Free
2022
as Self (archive footage)
Follow the twists and turns of his life, legacy and legal battle as America's former favourite 'Dad' faces allegations from 60 women, spanning as far ...

Cola Wars
2019
as Self [Archival Footage]
Traces the long and ferocious rivalry between Coke and Pepsi, centered on the “New Coke” debacle of 1985. For almost a hundred years, Coke had been th...

I Am Richard Pryor
2019
as Self - Actor and Comedian (archive footage)
The life story of Richard Pryor (1940-2005), the legendary performer and iconic social satirist who transcended racial and social barriers with his ho...

Bill Cosby: An American Scandal
2017
as Self (archive footage)
A biography of Bill Cosby from young adult to his adult career in the spotlight, his relationships, and evidence of a decades-long propensity for his ...

Bill Cosby: Fall of an American Icon
2017
as Self (archive footage)
The story of how one of American television's brightest and wealthiest stars finally came to face a criminal trial for sexual assault a decade after t...

Nelson Mandela Redrawn
2014
as Self
This fascinating documentary unfolds in reverse telling the story of Mandela from the old man to the rural child. With contributions from storytellers...

Keep On Keepin’ On
2014
as Self
Eighty-nine year old trumpeting legend Clark Terry has mentored jazz wonders like Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, but Terry’s most unlikely friendship i...

Bill Cosby: Far From Finished
2013
as Himself
Bill Cosby shares his hilarious new observations on life and family in this comedy special, his first televised concert in 30 years.

Bill Cosby: Far From Finished
2013
Executive Producer, Writer
Bill Cosby shares his hilarious new observations on life and family in this comedy special, his first televised concert in 30 years.

Whoopi Goldberg Presents Moms Mabley
2013
as Self
A feature documentary about Jackie "Moms" Mabley, an African-American stand-up comic and show-biz pioneer who emerged from the Chitlin' Circuit of Afr...

After Newtown: Guns in America
2013
as Self
Explore America’s enduring relationship with firearms: From the first European settlements in the New World to frontier justice; from 19th Century imm...

B.B. King: The Life of Riley
2012
as Self
Documentary charting the life of blues guitarist B.B. King, with contributions from fellow musicians.

Yo! The Story of ‘Yo! MTV Raps’
2012
as Self
A provocative look into the seven-year history of the series that gave hip hop a voice and broke color barriers, integrating MTV with rap. "Yo! MTV Ra...

Goose
2012
Interspersed with interviews from luminaries including Dr. J, Oscar Robertson, Bill Cosby, Jerry West, Mannie Jackson, Marques Haynes, Ernie Banks, an...

Why We Laugh: Black Comedians on Black Comedy
2009
as Self
Directors Robert Townsend and Quincy Newell offer this comprehensive and hilarious examination of the history, evolution and cultural significance of ...

Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
2008
as Himself
Kind Of Blue: Celebrating A Masterpiece incorporates material from the 2004 mini-documentary, Made In Heaven, including black-and-white still photogra...

Joe Louis: America's Hero Betrayed
2008
as Self
An American story. Traces the career of Joe Louis (1914-1981) within the context of American racial consciousness: his difficulty getting big fights e...

Le Cirque: A Table in Heaven
2007
as Self
At the end of 2005, New York's famed restaurateur, Sirio Maccioni, closed Le Cirque, destination of the rich and famous. During 2006, he and his three...
Cutting Edge Comedians of the '60s & '70s
2007
as Self (archive footage)
In the late 1950s, a fresh, unconventional style of standup comedy emerged in sharp contrast to the standard "Take my wife, please" approach. It tackl...

The Electric Company's Greatest Hits & Bits
2006
as Self
When "The Electric Company" made its television debut in October 1971, it was instantly clear that it would fulfill its mission of helping struggling ...

Buffy Sainte-Marie: A Multimedia Life
2006
as Self
Buffy Sainte-Marie is best known for her protest songs (Universal Soldier) and her love songs (Up Where We Belong). This one-hour documentary chronicl...

The Shame of a City
2006
as Self
In 1904, author Lincoln Steffens wrote, Philadelphia is a city that is corrupt and contented. In 2003 filmmaker Tigre Hill chronicled the Philadelphia...

The Pact
2006
as Himself
A gritty, provocative true-life story of three friends from the 'hood, Rameck Hunt, Sampson Davis, and George Jenkins, who made a pact in high school ...

Class Dismissed: How TV Frames the Working Class
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Based on the forthcoming book by Pepi Leistyna, Class Dismissed navigates the steady stream of narrow working class representations from American tele...

Lipstick & Dynamite
2005
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Ring legends such as The Fabulous Moolah and Gladys "Kill 'Em" Gillem Long provide candid insights into the history of women's professional wrestling.

The Harlem Globetrotters: The Team That Changed the World
2005
as Self
"The Team that Changed the World," investigates the Globetrotters' impact socially and culturally, as well as their lasting effect on the NBA. Featuri...

Fat Albert
2004
as Self
Animated character Fat Albert emerges from his TV universe into the real world, accompanied by his friends Rudy, Mushmouth, Old Weird Harold and Dumb ...

Fat Albert
2004
Writer, Executive Producer
Animated character Fat Albert emerges from his TV universe into the real world, accompanied by his friends Rudy, Mushmouth, Old Weird Harold and Dumb ...

Los Angeles Plays Itself
2004
as Al Hickey in Hickey & Boggs (archive footage)
From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen ...

The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made
2004
as Leonard Parker (archive footage)
There are some movies that are so bad they're good. And there are some movies that are so bad- that they're just bad...

Baadasssss!
2004
as himself
Director Mario Van Peebles chronicles the complicated production of his father Melvin's classic 1971 film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." Playin...

Lightning in a Bottle
2004
as Self
On February 7th, 2003, renowned artists across multiple music genres and generations commandeered the stage at New York City's Radio City Music Hall t...

TV in Black: The First Fifty Years
2004
as Self (archive footage)
Discover how television has reflected the African American experience in this retrospective of the medium's first half-century. Actors, writers and hi...

Jack Paar: Smart Television
2003
as Self
PBS documentary examining the work of Jack Paar.

Comedian
2002
as Self
A look at the work of two stand-up comics, Jerry Seinfeld and a lesser-known newcomer, detailing the effort and frustration behind putting together a ...

The Cosby Show: A Look Back
2002
as Self / Dr. Cliff Huxtable (archive footage)
A retrospective of the phenomenally popular 1984-1992 situation comedy, "The Cosby Show," complete with memorable clips, bloopers and comments from se...

The Cosby Show: A Look Back
2002
Writer
A retrospective of the phenomenally popular 1984-1992 situation comedy, "The Cosby Show," complete with memorable clips, bloopers and comments from se...

NBC 75th Anniversary Special
2002
as Self
A celebration of NBC's 75 year history, featuring clips of special moments.
Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey
2001
Producer
Few remember the name, much less the historical achievements, of Dr. Ralph Johnson Bunche. Yet, this African American mediator and United Nations dipl...

Men of Honor
2000
Executive Producer
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his ...

The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story
2000
Documents the race riot of 1921 and the destruction of the African-American community of Greenwood in Tulsa, Oklahoma. With testimony by eyewitnesses ...

4 Little Girls
1997
as Self - Educator
On September 15, 1963, a bomb destroyed a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls who were there for Sunday school. It was a cri...
Jack Paar: 'As I Was Saying...'
1997
as Self
A PBS American Masters documentary exploring the life and career of Jack Paar, the charismatic host of The Tonight Show on NBC from 1957 to 1962.

Jack
1996
as Lawrence Woodruff
Jack Powell suffers from an affliction that makes him grow four times faster than normal, so the 10 year old boy looks like a 40 year old man. After y...

I Spy Returns
1994
as Alexander Scott
Time passes and things change. So have Scott and Robinson. Scott has become a college professor and Robinson holds a high enough position with the S.S...

I Spy Returns
1994
Executive Producer
Time passes and things change. So have Scott and Robinson. Scott has become a college professor and Robinson holds a high enough position with the S.S...

The Incredible Voyage of Bill Pinkney
1994
as Narrator
From Boston to Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Brazil, South Africa, Tasmania, Uruguay and then back, Bill Pinkney became the first African-Ameri...

The Meteor Man
1993
as Marvin
One night Jefferson Reed gets hit in the chest by a souped-up chunk of meteor. So he can fly, but he's scared of heights. He can master the informatio...

Malcolm X
1992
Thanks
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he b...

The One, the Only... Groucho
1991
as Self
The One, the Only... Groucho is a documentary that celebrates the life and legacy of Groucho Marx, the legendary comedian, actor, gameshow host and ma...

Ghost Dad
1990
as Elliot Hopper
Elliot Hopper, a widower with three children, is working on a business deal to get his family out of financial straits when he is suddenly killed in a...

Nickelodeon Studios Opening Day Celebration!
1990
Hosted by Marc Summers of Super Sloppy Double Dare.

The Earth Day Special
1990
as Dr. Cliff Huxtable
The Earth Day Special is a television special revolving around Earth Day that aired on ABC on April 22, 1990. Sponsored by Time Warner, the two hour s...
Sammy Davis, Jr. 60th Anniversary Celebration
1990
as Self
Celebrating Sammy Davis Jr 's 60th anniversary in show business, including musical,comic and dancing performers.

Sesame Street: 20 Years ... and Still Counting!
1989
as Himself - Host
This one-hour special marks the 20th anniversary of Sesame Street, the ground-breaking educational children's series that has taught numbers and the a...

Leonard Part 6
1987
as Leonard
After separating from his wife, Leonard Parker (Cosby) quit the spy business and became a restaurateur. His wife refuses to speak with him, and his da...

Leonard Part 6
1987
Story, Producer
After separating from his wife, Leonard Parker (Cosby) quit the spy business and became a restaurateur. His wife refuses to speak with him, and his da...

A Different World
1987
as Cliff Huxtable
A Different World is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of The Cosby Show. It aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987, t...

A Different World
1987
Writer
A Different World is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of The Cosby Show. It aired for six seasons on NBC from September 24, 1987, t...

Superstars and their Moms
1987
as Self
Mother's Day special in which celebrities appear with their mothers to relate incidents from their pasts, inspired by the book "Star Mothers" by Georg...

Bill Cosby: 49
1987
as Himself
In this concert film, Bill Cosby muses on his nearing the big 5-0 and how that age affects men, their wives, and their children.

Bill Cosby: 49
1987
Writer
In this concert film, Bill Cosby muses on his nearing the big 5-0 and how that age affects men, their wives, and their children.
Miles Ahead: The Music of Miles Davis
1986
as Self
A documentary on the music of Miles Davis which contains concert footage from the 1986 New Orleans Jazz Festival and interviews with Miles Davis, Bill...

TV's Funniest Comedians - 14 Stars Do Classic Routines
1986
as Self
A compilation film of stand up performances and comedy routines featuring some of the biggest stars in the early years of television. This film was di...

In Remembrance of Martin
1986
as Self
Personal comments from family, friends, and advisors fill this remarkable documentary honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Coretta Scott King joins th...

Kraft Salutes the George Burns 90th Birthday Special
1986
as Self
An all-star cast celebrates George Burn's 90th birthday and showcases highlights in Burns' career.

Bill Cosby: Himself
1983
as Himself
A 1983 stand-up comedy film featuring the comedy of Bill Cosby. Filmed before a live audience at the Hamilton Place Theatre, in Hamilton, Ontario. Cos...

Bill Cosby: Himself
1983
Director, Writer
A 1983 stand-up comedy film featuring the comedy of Bill Cosby. Filmed before a live audience at the Hamilton Place Theatre, in Hamilton, Ontario. Cos...

The Fat Albert Easter Special
1982
as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
Easter is fast approaching, and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids find their efforts to do something nice for Mudfoot thwarted by a practical joke gone ho...

The Fat Albert Easter Special
1982
Executive Producer, Characters
Easter is fast approaching, and Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids find their efforts to do something nice for Mudfoot thwarted by a practical joke gone ho...

The Devil and Max Devlin
1981
as Barney Satin
When Max dies in an accident, he goes straight to Hell. But the Devil Barney makes him an offer: if he manages to get three innocent youths to sell hi...

Playboy's Roller Disco & Pajama Party
1979
as Self (uncredited)
Hugh Hefner invites you to Playboy’s Roller Disco and Pajama Party! With your host, Richard Dawson!

A Walking Tour of Sesame Street
1979
as Self (Twins) (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sesame Street celebrated its 10th anniversary in the spring of 1979 with a half-hour PBS special hosted by James Earl Jones titled A Walking Tour of S...

California Suite
1978
as Dr. Willis Panama
The misadventures of four groups of guests at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

Top Secret
1978
as Aaron Strickland
A hip American agent and his foxy associate try to recover a hundred pounds of stolen plutonium in Italy before it can be used by terrorists.

The Fat Albert Christmas Special
1977
as Fat Albert / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
The Cosby Kids are rehearsing for a Christmas pageant at their junkyard clubhouse, which Tyrone, the mean old junkyard owner, is fixin' to tear down. ...

The Fat Albert Christmas Special
1977
Characters, Executive Producer
The Cosby Kids are rehearsing for a Christmas pageant at their junkyard clubhouse, which Tyrone, the mean old junkyard owner, is fixin' to tear down. ...

The Fat Albert Halloween Special
1977
as Fat Albert Robertson / Bill / Mushmouth / Mudfoot Brown (voice)
It's Halloween for Fat Albert and the Junkyard Gang, and everyone's all set for trick-or-treating. While searching for costumes a store clerk kicks th...

A Piece of the Action
1977
as Dave Anderson
How does retired cop Joshua Burke (James Earl Jones) get two career criminals, Manny Durrell (Sidney Poitier) and Dave Anderson (Bill Cosby), to follo...

Mother, Jugs & Speed
1976
as Mother
To beat out competing ambulance services, an ace driver, an office secretary/paramedic and a suspended cop resort to some outrageous behavior to help ...

Let's Do It Again
1975
as Billy Foster
Clyde Williams and Billy Foster are a couple of blue-collar workers in Atlanta who have promised to raise funds for their fraternal order, the Brother...

Uptown Saturday Night
1974
as Wardell Franklin
Two blue-collar buddies search the underworld for a winning lottery ticket lost in a nightclub holdup.

The Chocolate Princess
1974
as Narrator
Sweet little chocolate-bar shaped Chocolate Princess lives a lonely life in Sugarland. Then one day she meets Sour Ball, a happy, round little boy fro...
The Weird Harold Special
1973
Weird Harold and Fat Albert plan a potentially dangerous go-cart race. After hitting a police squad car after an out-of-control slapstick race, the ki...

Hickey & Boggs
1972
as Al Hickey
Two veteran private eyes trigger a criminal reign of terror with their search for a missing girl. | Al Hickey (Cosby) & Frank Boggs (Culp) are two ja...

To All My Friends on Shore
1972
as Blue
An airport redcap works hard to get his family out of the ghetto, only to discover that his son has sickle-cell anemia.

To All My Friends on Shore
1972
Idea, Music, Executive Producer
An airport redcap works hard to get his family out of the ghetto, only to discover that his son has sickle-cell anemia.
Aesop's Fables
1971
as Aesop
A collection of the classic morality tales narrated by Bill Cosby as "Aesop" that have been passed down from family to family for thousands of years. ...

Goin' Back to Indiana
1971
as Scoop Newsworthy
Jackson 5 TV special featuring comedic skits and live performances

Man and Boy
1971
as Caleb Revers
At the beginning of the 19th century a man and his son settle in Arizona which used to be a frontier state and full of criminals at that time.

Diana!
1971
as Self
Diana! is American singer Diana Ross' first solo TV special, which aired on ABC on April 18, 1971. The program was choreographed by David Winters of W...

Bill Cosby on Prejudice
1971
A man denigrates every conceivable group, including “niggers”, whites, women, children and the elderly.

Bill Cosby on Prejudice
1971
Director
A man denigrates every conceivable group, including “niggers”, whites, women, children and the elderly.

King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis
1970
as Self (archive footage)
Constructed from a wealth of archival footage, the documentary follows Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from 1955 to 1968, in his rise from regional activi...

Hey, Hey, Hey, It's Fat Albert
1969
Writer

Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice
1969
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)
After returning to Los Angeles from a group therapy session, documentary filmmaker Bob Sanders and his wife, Carol, find themselves becoming vigilante...

The Picasso Summer
1969
Executive Producer
A San Francisco couple travels to France in search of Pablo Picasso.

Black History: Lost, Stolen or Strayed
1968
as Self - Host / Narrator
A documentary that reviews the numerous contributions of African-Americans to the development of the United States. From the perspective of the turbul...
Murder at N.B.C.
1966
A comedy classic whodunit with an amazing comedic ensemble group. An hour comedy special in which Bob Hope plays a mad scientist who invents a nuclear...