Bill Cobbs, the celebrated American actor known for his roles in films like The Hitter, The Brother from Another Planet, and Night at the Museum, has died at 90. According to his publicist, Chuck I. Jones, Cobbs passed away of natural causes at his home in Riverside. Born on June 16, 1934, in Cleveland, Cobbs had an extensive career that spanned decades, including notable performances in The Bodyguard, Ghosts of Mississippi, That Thing You Do!, and Oz the Great and Powerful.
Cobbs also made a significant impact on television, with appearances in The Slap Maxwell Story, The Drew Carey Show, The Gregory Hines Show, and Star Trek: Enterprise. One of his memorable roles was Moses in the Coen brothers’ 1994 film The Hudsucker Proxy, where he played a mystical clockman with the power to freeze time. He also portrayed Reginald, a retiring security guard, in Night at the Museum and Del Paxton, a fictional jazz pianist, in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do!.
Before starting his acting career, Wilbert Francisco Cobbs served for eight years in the U.S. Air Force and dabbled in stand-up comedy. He worked for IBM and sold cars before his stage debut in 1969 in the anti-apartheid musical Lost in the Stars at Karamu House in Cleveland. Cobbs’ legacy in film and television remains influential, marking him as a versatile and talented performer whose contributions will be remembered.
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