Bill Cobbs, a prolific character actor who had a 50-year profession with nearly 200 movie and TV credit, died Tuesday at his residence in Riverside, California, his rep confirmed. He was 90.
Among his most notable roles have been on Season 3 of “The West Wing,” the place his character Alan Tatum visits the White House together with his son. In the Coen brothers “The Hudsucker Proxy,” Cobbs performed Moses, the clock man who delivers the prologue at the start of the movie.
Cobbs performed supervisor Devaney in “The Bodyguard” starring Whitney Houston.
His first tv credit score was 1975’s “Vegetable Soup,” a New York public tv academic sequence. He went on to seem in exhibits like “The Sopranos,” “Good Times,” “Sesame Street” and “My Wife and Kids.” He additionally received a Daytime Emmy Award for excellent restricted efficiency in a daytime program for the sequence “Dino Dana” in 2020.
In the “West Wing” episode, presidential private aide Charlie Young tells Tatum that that they had rediscovered a letter he had written when he was 9 years previous to President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
He made his characteristic movie debut in 1974’s “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.” He later appeared in 1979’s “The Hitter,” 1984’s “Brother From Another Planet,” 1997’s “Air Bud,” “I Still Know What You Did Last Summer” and 2011’s “The Muppets.” He additionally performed safety guard Reginald in 2006’s “Night at the Museum” starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.
Born in Cleveland, he served as an Air Force radar technician and labored different jobs earlier than leaving for New York at the age of 36 to pursue performing. His first skilled performing function was in “Ride a Black Horse” at the New York City-based theater firm and workshop, Negro Ensemble Company. He later appeared in small theater productions, avenue theater, regional theater and at the Eugene O’Neill Theater.
Cobbs’ relative Thomas Cobbs, posted on Facebook to commemorate Bill Cobbs, calling him a “beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend.”
“As a family we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father,” the submit learn. “We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time.”