Bill Cobbs put in the time and the work. He was 90 years old when he passed away June 25 at his home in Riverside, California and leaves behind a career of over 200 screen credits, along with a number of theatrical performances. Born Wilbert Francisco Cobbs in Cleveland, Ohio circa 1934, a time and a place where a Black man wasn’t always assured his dignity and especially not his rights, Cobbs came into this world and grew at a moment where seeing himself on the big screen wasn’t exactly possible .
Sure, there were exceptions with stereotypes played by Stepin Fetchit as well as the grandeur of Paul Robeson, but the idea of being an actor wasn’t one that came automatically for Cobbs. He tried his hand at music, spent eight years in the U.S.
Air Force as a radar technician and occasional stand-up comedian, sold cars, even worked at IBM, but at some point along the way, the acting bug took hold and wouldn’t let go. At 36 years old, Cobbs moved to New York City, providing for himself with a series of random gigs and odd jobs, while his primary focus was shaping himself as an actor. He performed in various forms, from working in the street all the way to the stage of the Eugene O’Neill Theatre.
As he shifted into film , his career became marked by a number of unnamed roles. Man on Platform in “The Taking of Pelham 123” (1974). Man in Lunchroom in “Silkwood” (1983).
Though these background roles didn’t showcase the full range of this tall, charismatic actor’s .
