Bill Cobbs (born June 16, 1934) is an American actor. As an amateur actor in the city's Karamu House Theater, he starred in the Ossie Davis play "Purlie Victorious". Cobbs was an Air Force radar technician for eight years; he also worked in office products at IBM and sold cars in Cleveland. In 1970, at the age of 36, he left for New York to seek work as an actor. There he turned down a job in the NBC sales department in order to have time for auditions. He supported himself by driving a cab, repairing office equipment, selling toys, and performing odd jobs. His first professional acting role was in "Ride a Black Horse" at the Negro Ensemble Company. From there, he appeared in small theater productions, street theater, regional theater and at the Eugene O'Neill Theater. His first television credit was in Vegetable Soup (1975), a New York public television educational series, and he made his feature film debut in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974). In his free time, Cobbs enjoys music, reading, and playing his drums. He lives in New York City and Los Angeles, California and continues acting.
Known For
Trading Places
(1983)
Bartender
Silkwood
(1983)
Man in Lunchroom
Demolition Man
(1993)
Zachary Lamb - Aged
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
(2014)
Reginald
Night at the Museum
(2006)
Reginald
The Bodyguard
(1992)
Bill Devaney
The Muppets
(2011)
Grandfather
Oz the Great and Powerful
(2013)
Master Tinker
The Ultimate Gift
(2007)
Ted Hamilton
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
(1998)
Estes
Enough
(2002)
Jim Toller
Random Hearts
(1999)
Marvin
Fluke
(1995)
Bert
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
(1995)
Malt
Air Bud
(1997)
Arthur Chaney
That Thing You Do!
(1996)
Del Paxton
Full Filmography
Acting
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
(1974)
Man on Platform
Greased Lightning
(1977)
Mr Jones
The Hitter
(1979)
Louisiana Slim
The Member of the Wedding
(1982)
T.T. Williams
Trading Places
(1983)
Bartender
Silkwood
(1983)
Man in Lunchroom
Rage of Angels
(1983)
Abraham Wilson
The Brother from Another Planet
(1984)
Walter
The Cotton Club
(1984)
Big Joe Ison
The Color of Money
(1986)
Orvis
Suspect
(1987)
Judge Franklin
Five Corners
(1987)
Elderly Man in Bar
Bird
(1988)
Dr. Caulfield
Dominick and Eugene
(1988)
Jesse Johnson
The January Man
(1989)
Detective Reilly
Decoration Day
(1990)
Gee Pennywell
Moe's World
(1990)
New Jack City
(1991)
Old Man
The People Under the Stairs
(1991)
Grandpa Booker
Carolina Skeletons
(1991)
Elijah Crooks
The Hard Way
(1991)
Raggedy Man
The Bodyguard
(1992)
Bill Devaney
Exiled in America
(1992)
Abraham White
Roadside Prophets
(1992)
Oscar
Demolition Man
(1993)
Zachary Lamb - Aged
I'll Fly Away: Then and Now
(1993)
Lewis Coleman
Fatal Instinct
(1993)
Man in Park
The Hudsucker Proxy
(1994)
Moses
Captiva Island
(1995)
Vernon
Tuesday Morning Ride
(1995)
Jeff
Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long
(1995)
Pullman Porter
Man with a Gun
(1995)
Henry Griggs
Fluke
(1995)
Bert
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
(1995)
Caleb
Out There
(1995)
Lyman Weeks
Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead
(1995)
Malt
Divas
(1995)
Sippy
Ed
(1996)
Tipton
Nightjohn
(1996)
Old man
That Thing You Do!
(1996)
Del Paxton
First Kid
(1996)
Speet
Ghosts of Mississippi
(1996)
Charlie Evers
Air Bud
(1997)
Arthur Chaney
I Still Know What You Did Last Summer
(1998)
Estes
Always Outnumbered
(1998)
Right Burke
Hope Floats
(1998)
Nurse
Paulie
(1998)
Virgil the Janitor
Random Hearts
(1999)
Marvin
For All Time
(2000)
Proprietor / Conductor
The Tulsa Lynching of 1921: A Hidden Story
(2000)
A Rugrats Kwanzaa
(2001)
Uncle Charles (voice)
Enough
(2002)
Jim Toller
Sunshine State
(2002)
Dr. Elton Lloyd
A Mighty Wind
(2003)
Blues Musician
Beah: A Black Woman Speaks
(2004)
Self
The Final Patient
(2005)
Dr. Daniel Green
The Derby Stallion
(2005)
Houston Jones
Duck
(2005)
Norman
Night at the Museum
(2006)
Reginald
Hard Luck
(2006)
Cobb
Special Ed
(2006)
Lou
Queen of Swing
(2006)
Narrator
Three Days to Vegas
(2007)
Marvin Jeffries
The Ultimate Gift
(2007)
Ted Hamilton
The Morgue
(2008)
George
This Man's Life
(2008)
Myer Truman
Get Low
(2010)
Rev. Charlie Jackson
The Search for Santa Paws
(2010)
Mr. Stewart
No Limit Kids - Much Ado About Middle School
(2010)
The Tenant
(2011)
Jack Rymer
The Arcadian
(2011)
Charles
The Muppets
(2011)
Grandfather
Lukewarm
(2012)
Thomas
The Undershepherd
(2012)
Dr. Ezekiel Cannon
Oz the Great and Powerful
(2013)
Master Tinker
The Ultimate Life
(2013)
Ted Hamilton
Dear Secret Santa
(2013)
Ted
The Last Letter
(2013)
Pastor
Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb
(2014)
Reginald
Christmas In Palm Springs
(2014)
Gabriel
On Angel's Wings
(2014)
Mr. Dupac
Of Mind and Music
(2014)
Stompleg
A House Is Not a Home
(2015)
Paul
The Great Gilly Hopkins
(2015)
Mr Randolph
The Ultimate Legacy
(2015)
Ted Hamilton
New Life
(2016)
Mr. Charles
Call Me King
(2017)
Malachi
My Christmas Grandpa
(2017)
Fred
Beyond the Law
(2019)
Swilley
Saving Paradise
(2021)
John Thompson
Caroltyn
(2022)
Dr. Mason
Block Party
(2022)
Uncle Jim