Bill Cosby was a highly successful and influential American comedian, actor and media personality who gained fame for his portrayal of the beloved character Cliff Huxtable on the hit TV sitcom The Cosby Show.
However, his legacy has been significantly tarnished in recent years due to numerous allegations of sexual assault against him by over 60 women.
Amid the allegations, numerous organizations severed ties with Cosby and revoked honors and titles previously awarded to him.
In 2018, he was convicted of three counts of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison, though the conviction was later overturned.
Cosby was known as America’s Dad for his role as Cliff Huxtable on The Cosby Show, which was one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.
Net worth | $400 million |
Profession | Actor |
Date of birth | July 12, 1937 |
Nationality | American |
Background
Cosby was born William Henry Cosby Jr. on July 12, 1937 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
His parents were Anna Pearl (Hite), who worked as a maid, and William Henry Cosby Sr., who was a U.S. Navy sailor.
Cosby grew up in a low-income household and his family lived in the Richard Allen Homes, a public housing project, when money was tight.
His father struggled with alcoholism, which put financial strain on the family.
Despite their hardships, Cosby’s mother stressed the importance of education and reading to her children.
Net worth
Cosby’s net worth is estimated to be $400 million.
He amassed his fortune primarily through his successful career in entertainment, notably as the creator and star of The Cosby Show.
At the peak of the show, Cosby earned $4 million per episode, owning 20% of the show’s equity, which generated significant syndication royalties.
He also earned from endorsements, movie appearances, live comedy shows, and other TV series.
Cosby’s real estate portfolio, valued at over $100 million, and an art collection worth over $150 million further contributed to his wealth.
The Cosby Show salary
At the peak of The Cosby Show, Cosby was the highest-paid television actor in the world, earning a base salary of $1 million per episode.
However, when his producing, creator, syndication and various other income streams were totaled, he earned $4 million per episode, which is equivalent to $8 million per episode today.
Cosby owned 20% of the show’s equity, which generated hundreds of millions in syndication royalties over the decades, though those royalties have mostly dried up in recent years due to his scandals.
His astronomical $4 million per episode salary, combined with his ownership stake in the show, made him one of the highest-paid television actors of all time.
Real estate
Cosby owns several real estate properties, including two Santa Monica properties along Main Street listed for a combined $26 million.
One of these properties is a two-story, 8,668-square-foot brick building at the corner of Main and Hill streets in Santa Monica, currently listed at $20 million and housing a Starbucks on the ground floor.
Additionally, Cosby owns a separate parcel of land up the street at 3016 Main St., a parking lot listed for $5.7 million with the potential for a 4,018-square-foot building.
Art collection
Cosby and his wife Camille have been collecting African American art for over four decades, amassing a collection of more than 300 paintings, prints, sculptures and drawings by African American artists.
The collection includes works by artists like Joshua Johnston, the first known Black professional artist in the United States.
In 2014, Cosby loaned a portion of the collection to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art for a special exhibition, showcasing these artworks to the public for the first time.
The collection features cheerful family portraits and genre scenes, with Camille presenting it as a 50th birthday gift to Cosby.
Despite controversies surrounding Cosby’s sexual assault allegations, the exhibition at the Smithsonian’s African Art museum was able to highlight the historical and cultural significance of the art collection.
Comedy career
Cosby started out as a stand-up comedian in the 1960s, gaining popularity for his observational comedy routines that often touched on racial issues.
He began performing at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village, New York City during his sophomore year at Temple University, where he started to establish his trademark comedic style characterized by a friendly and accessible stage persona and a relaxed, carefully timed delivery.
Throughout the 1960s, Cosby toured major U.S. and Canadian cities, commanding ever-higher performance fees.
In 1965, he made his first appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, which helped further boost his rising fame as a comedian.
Cosby’s stand-up comedy work was seen as influential, with younger, well-established comics like Jerry Seinfeld crediting him as an innovator who paved the way for comics to break into sitcom television.
Comedian Larry Wilmore also noted the connection between Cosby’s stand-up special, Bill Cosby: Himself, and the later success of The Cosby Show.
Film and TV career
In his film career, Cosby found success in movies like Uptown Saturday Night, Let’s Do It Again and California Suite alongside actors such as Sidney Poitier and Richard Pryor.
However, his 1987 film Leonard Part 6, which he produced and wrote, was poorly received, with Cosby himself advising audiences to avoid it.
On television, Cosby’s breakthrough came with the espionage series I Spy from 1965 to 1968, where he became the first Black actor to co-star in a leading dramatic role on network television.
He then starred in his own sitcom, The Bill Cosby Show, from 1969 to 1971.
Cosby also created, produced and hosted the animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, which aired from 1972 to 1985.
His most significant TV success was The Cosby Show, which aired on NBC from 1984 to 1992 and became one of the most popular sitcoms in television history.
Cosby was the creator, producer and star of the show.
Following the conclusion of The Cosby Show, he appeared in other TV series like The Cosby Mysteries, Cosby and Kids Say the Darndest Things.
Throughout his career, Cosby also made regular appearances on children’s educational programs like The Electric Company and Sesame Street.
Awards
Cosby has won 8 Grammy Awards for Best Comedy Album from 1965 to 1970, with a total of 19 Grammy Award nominations.
He was also awarded 1 Golden Globe Award for The Cosby Show in 1984.
Cosby was inducted into the Temple University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from George W. Bush in 2002.
He was included in the book, The 100 Greatest African Americans, by scholar Molefi Kete Asante in 2002, and he was awarded the Lone Sailor Award by the United States Navy Memorial in 2010 as well as the National Football Foundation’s Gold Medal that same year.
Additionally, Cosby has received honorary degrees from 72 institutions since 1985.
These awards and honors reflect the recognition and acclaim Cosby garnered for his contributions to comedy, television and society throughout his career.
Personal life
Cosby’s wife, Camille Cosby, has been married to him since 1964.
She is a philanthropist and has been actively involved in various charitable endeavors alongside her husband.
Together, they have five children, namely Erika, Erinn, Ennis, Ensa and Evin.
Their family has experienced both moments of joy and tragedy, with their children playing different roles in their lives.
Despite facing challenges, the Cosby family remains a significant part of Bill Cosby’s personal life.
Sexual assault
Cosby has been accused by over 60 women of rape, drug-facilitated sexual assault, sexual battery, child sexual abuse and sexual harassment, with allegations spanning back to the mid-1960s.
In 2015, criminal charges were filed against Cosby in a case involving Andrea Constand, who accused him of drugging and sexually assaulting her in 2004.
In 2018, Cosby was found guilty of three counts of aggravated indecent assault against Constand and sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison.
However, in 2021, his conviction was overturned by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court due to a previous prosecutor’s agreement not to charge Cosby.
This ruling prevented any retrial on the same charges.
Despite the criminal conviction being overturned, Cosby faces ongoing civil lawsuits from some accusers, including a 2022 case where he was ordered to pay $500,000 in damages.