Cobbs’ death was confirmed by his brother, Thomas G. Cobbs, who wrote on Facebook:
“We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs,” his family said in a statement shared by his rep. “On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California. A beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend, Bill recently and happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by cherished loved ones.”
“As a family, we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father,” the statement from his family continued. “We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time.”
Cobbs got his start in acting when he was 36. Before acting, he served in the U.S. Air Force, worked at IBM, and sold cars. His first professional acting role was in “Ride a Black Horse” at the Negro Ensemble Company. He continued to star in small theater productions before landing his first television role on “Vegetable Soup,” a New York public television educational series.
Cobbs was known for such film roles as Louisiana Slim in “The Hitter” (1979), Walter in “The Brother from Another Planet” (1984), Reginald in “Night at the Museum” (2006) and Master Tinker on “Oz the Great and Powerful” (2013). He also played Lewis Coleman on “I’ll Fly Away,” (1991–1993), Jack on “The Michael Richards Show” (2000), and had guest appearances on “Walker, Texas Ranger” and “The Sopranos.” In 2012, he had a recurring role as George in the sitcom, “Go On.” In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award® for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for the series “Dino Dana.”
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