Veteran character Bill Cobbs, who appeared in projects such as Night At The Museum and The Sopranos, has died aged 90.
He won a Daytime Emmy Award at the age of 86 for the Canadian television series Dino Dana, playing the title character’s elderly neighbor.
Cobbs began acting when he was in his early 30s and left his career as a car salesman to move to New York and pursue a career in show business.
After starting in the theater, he broke into cinema at the age of 40 with the successful police thriller The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three.
Cobbs died Tuesday at his home in California, according to his brother Thomas, who broke the news Wednesday through his Facebook page.
Veteran character Bill Cobbs, who appeared in projects such as Night At The Museum and The Sopranos, has died aged 90; photographed in 2019
‘We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs. On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California,” the post reads.
“Bill, a beloved partner, older brother, uncle, surrogate father, godfather and friend, recently happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by his beloved loved ones,” the death announcement continued.
‘As a family, we take comfort in knowing that Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father. We ask for his prayers and encouragement during this time.”
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in June 1934, Cobbs originally served in the Army, working as a radar technician for the U.S. Air Force for eight years.
He began his acting career at his hometown’s Karamu House, a historic black theater that hosted the premieres of multiple Langston Hughes plays.
Cobbs eventually moved to New York and worked in the theater before a small role in The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three launched his screen career.
Over five decades, he had supporting roles in a number of iconic films, including The Bodyguard, Air Bud and The Color Of Money.
Night At The Museum fans will recognize him as Reginald, one of three former retired security guards; the other two played by Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney.
Night at the Museum fans will recognize him as Reginald, one of three old retired security guards; the other two are played by Dick Van Dyke (center) and Mickey Rooney (left).
He won a Daytime Emmy Award at the age of 86 for the Canadian television series Dino Dana, playing the title character’s elderly neighbor; In the photo of the program with the protagonist Michela Luci.
Over five decades, he had supporting roles in a number of iconic films, including The Bodyguard, Air Bud and The Color Of Money; photographed in the last of them with Paul Newman
His roles ranged from Louisiana Slim in the 1979 blaxploitation film The Hitter to Master Tinker in the 2013 Disney fantasy Oz The Great And Powerful (pictured with Michelle Williams).
On The Sopranos (pictured), he appeared as an elderly reverend whose son has an under the table deal with an Italian crime family.
Cobbs photographed with Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard
His secured roles in comedies such as Good Times, Baby…I’m Black! and Designing Women and dramas such as Six Feet Under, in which she appears with Rachel Griffiths and Lauren Ambrose.
His roles ranged from Louisiana Slim in the 1979 blaxploitation film The Hitter to Master Tinker in Disney’s 2013 fantasy Oz the Great and Powerful.
He had a no less illustrious career on the small screen, with roles in a wide variety of shows such as One Tree Hill, Star Trek: Enterprise, and The Drew Carey Show.
On The Sopranos, he played an elderly reverend whose son has a clandestine deal with an Italian crime family.
His secured roles in comedies such as Good Times, Baby…I’m Black! and Designing Women and dramas like Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue and Touched By An Angel.
Cobbs continued working until the end, with his IMDb page showing multiple releases yet to come, including the drama film Broken Church starring Eric Roberts.