Bill Cobbs, the veteran character actor who rose to prominence as an elderly guy in cinema, has passed away. He was ninety years old.
Cobbs' manager Chuck I. Jones claimed that the actor passed away on Tuesday at his Inland Empire, California, home in the company of family and friends. According to Jones, the most likely cause of death is natural causes.
Cobbs, a native of Cleveland, starred in movies including "The Bodyguard," "The Hudsucker Proxy," and "Night at the Museum." In a brief cameo, he made his big-screen debut in 1974's "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three."
Approximately 200 film and television credits later, he made a career out of acting. The majority of those came in his 50s, 60s, and 70s as TV producers and directors frequently looked to him to give small but crucial roles a worn-out and wise soulfulness.
Cobbs had appearances on several television programs, such as "Good Times," "The West Wing," "The Sopranos," and "Sesame Street." He portrayed Whitney Houston's manager in the 1992 film The Bodyguard, the mysterious clock man in the Coen brothers' 1994 film The Hudsucker Proxy, and the doctor in John Sayles' 2002 film Sunshine State. In the films "Air Bud" (1997), "Night at the Museum" (2006), and "The Gregory Hines Show," he portrayed a parent, a coach, and a security guard.
Cobbs hardly had the kind of big roles that are memorable and win awards. Instead, regardless of screen time, Cobbs was a recognizable and unforgettable everyman who affected audiences. For the series "Dino Dana," he was awarded a Daytime Emmy Award in 2020 for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program.
