Bill Cobbs, Veteran Actor In ‘The Bodyguard,’ And ‘Good Times’ Dies At 90

In a loss for the cultural community, veteran character actor Bill Cobbs passed away on Tuesday at his home in Riverside, California, at the age of 90, as confirmed by his representative. Cobbs had a prolific 50-year career with nearly 200 film and TV credits.

His notable roles included Alan Tatum in Season 3 of "The West Wing," Moses the clock man in the Coen brothers’ "The Hudsucker Proxy," and manager Devaney in "The Bodyguard" alongside Whitney Houston. Cobbs began his television career with the 1975 educational series "Vegetable Soup" on New York public television and went on to appear in acclaimed shows like "The Sopranos," "Good Times," "Sesame Street," and "My Wife and Kids." In 2020, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in "Dino Dana."

Cobbs made his film debut in 1974 with "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three." His extensive filmography includes "The Hitter" (1979), "Brother From Another Planet" (1984), "Air Bud" (1997), "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" (1998), "The Muppets" (2011), and "Night at the Museum" (2006) where he played security guard Reginald.

Born in Cleveland, Cobbs served as an Air Force radar technician and worked various jobs before moving to New York at 36 to pursue acting. His first professional role was in "Ride a Black Horse" with the Negro Ensemble Company, and he also performed in street theater, regional theater, and at the Eugene O’Neill Theater.

Thomas Cobbs, a relative, commemorated him on Facebook, describing him as a “beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather, and friend.” The family finds comfort knowing that Bill has found peace and eternal rest and asks for prayers and encouragement during this time.