'Air Bud,' 'Night at the Museum' Star Bill Cobbs Dead at 90
Bill Cobbs entertained audiences for decades in his roles in movies like The Bodyguard and the original The Taking of Pelham One Two Three and more recent beloved flicks like Air Bud and Night at the Museum. Just days after celebrating his 90th birthday, the Emmy-winning actor has died, leaving behind a legacy of unforgettable movies and TV shows in his wake.
"We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs. On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California," his brother Thomas G. Cobbs posted on Facebook, per Deadline. "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. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time."
Cobbs had half a century's worth of experience in Hollywood with more than 200 movie and TV credits to his name. This included roles alongside stars like Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard and Wesley Snipes and Chris Rock in New Jack City. He reprised his Night at the Museum role in the 2014 sequel Secret of the Tomb and played the Master Tinker in 2013's Oz the Great and Powerful. His TV work was similarly varied with roles on shows from Good Times and Designing Women to The Equalizer and NYPD Blue.
In 2020, Cobbs earned a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Performance in a Daytime Program for his role in the Canadian children's show Dino Dana. His accolades, like his work, will live on past his death.