Photo: The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Bill Cosby is the hardest kind of figure to write about honestly. His impact is undeniable: he broke barriers for Black performers, and The Cosby Show reshaped what American television believed a family sitcom could be. The honors—a Presidential Medal of Freedom, Kennedy Center Honors, the Mark Twain Prize—reflect how central he once was to the culture. But the dozens of assault allegations that surfaced later, and the conviction that followed before being overturned on procedural grounds, permanently changed how that legacy must be read. I think both truths belong on the record: the trailblazing achievement and the profound harm alleged. Neither erases the other.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Bill Cosby
- Name (Japanese)
- ビル・コスビー
- Reading
- びる・こすびー
- Born
- July 12, 1937 (age 89)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Ox
- Origin
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Height
- 185 cm
- Occupation
- television actor / comedian / writer / dub actor / composer
2. Background
- High school
- Germantown High School
- University
- University of Massachusetts Amherst
Awards & achievements
- 1985 Spingarn Medal
- 2002 Presidential Medal of Freedom
- 2009 Marian Anderson Award
- Daytime Emmy Award
- Library of Congress Living Legend
- 1982 Theodore Roosevelt Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 2009 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
4. Personality
Motto
Private
5. Works & records
| Category | Title | Role | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notable work | The Cosby Show | — |
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Bill Cosby born?
Born July 12, 1937 (age 89).
Where is Bill Cosby from?
Bill Cosby is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States.
What does Bill Cosby do?
Bill Cosby works as television actor, comedian, writer, dub actor, composer.
How tall is Bill Cosby?
Bill Cosby is 185 cm.
What is Bill Cosby known for?
Notable works include The Cosby Show.
Television actor — see all → · Comedian — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-11
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.