Cosby, William Henry Jr.
1937- · Contribution: 1984-1992
Comedian & Producer
Created and starred in 'The Cosby Show,' which revived the television sitcom format and became the most-watched program in America for five consecutive years; criminally convicted in 2018 of drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand, a conviction later vacated in 2021 on procedural due-process grounds unrelated to the underlying facts, with civil juries subsequently finding him liable for sexual assault in two separate cases involving other accusers
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1937
- Active since
- 1984
- Category
- Arts, Music & Entertainment Tech
- Best known for
- Created "The Cosby Show"Revived the TV sitcomConvictions later vacated on procedural grounds
Impact on the world
Cosby's sitcom reshaped American television and the depiction of Black family life, an influence that is inseparable from the sexual-assault findings that later defined his public legacy. Both are part of the record.
Sources
- CBS Philadelphia
3 more sources and references are available to members.
Related visionaries
Foxx, Redd (John Elroy Sanford)
1922-1991
Star of 'Sanford and Son,' one of television's first sitcoms built around a predominantly Black cast; pioneered the raunchy 'party record' comedy album format and personally mentored Flip Wilson and Richard Pryor
Wilson, Flip (Clerow Wilson Jr.)
1933-1998
First African American to host a successful weekly network variety show; his 'Geraldine' character's catchphrase 'What you see is what you get' inspired the computing term WYSIWYG
Pryor, Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas
1940-2005
Transformed American stand-up comedy by bringing unflinching honesty about race, addiction, and his own troubled life to the stage; first recipient of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
Poitier, Sidney
1927-2022
First Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor