Bill Cobbs Movies
Character actor Bill Cobbs began his acting career relatively late in life after working odd jobs in Cleveland, OH. At the age of 36, he moved to New York and joined the Negro Ensemble Company, making his Broadway debut in First Breeze of Summer. His film career started in the late '70s with small film roles and guest appearances on television. In the early '80s, he worked on several performances for the NBC Live Theatre series and a PBS anthology with Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee. Usually cast as the token old black man dispensing words of wisdom, Cobbs' weathered-yet-honest looks got him several guest spots on TV shows from Good Times to The West Wing. He did end up with a few reoccurring roles on sitcoms like The Slap Maxwell Story, The Gregory Hines Show, and The Michael Richards Show. He even had a part in The Others, the NBC sci-fi drama answer to The X-Files. Perhaps his most memorable television appearance is his role as Regina Taylor's father on I'll Fly Away as well as in the TV movie version I'll Fly Away: Then and Now. Throughout his film career, he has built a long list of credits playing kindly fathers, grandfathers, and even Moses (in The Hudsucker Proxy). He was Whitney Houston's manager in The Bodyguard, an old man in New Jack City, and Grandpa Booker in The People Under the Stairs. Though he appears in nearly all genres of Hollywood films, he occasionally gets meatier roles in made-for-TV dramas like Carolina Skeletons, Nightjohn, and Always Outnumbered. In 2002, he played wisened elders in Sunshine State, Enough, and Sweet Deadly Dreams. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
Filmmaker Michael O. Sajbel explores the relationship between wealth and happiness with this spiritual-minded tale about a privileged young man who receives a most unexpected inheritance. Adapted from the best-selling book by author Jim Stovall, The Ultimate Gift opens as trust-fund baby Jason Stevens (Drew Fuller) prepares to receive a sizable inheritance from his late grandfather Red (James Garner). Though Jason is convinced that the money is about to come flowing in, he receives a sudden shock upon discovering that Red has instead decided to offer him something much more valuable than simple cash. Realizing that his spoiled grandson has lived a sheltered life in which he has always been handed the very best of everything, Red has devised a crash course in living comprised of 12 gifts that will challenge the arrogant young man in ways that he could never have imagined nor anticipated. In the weeks that follow, Jason will befriend a terminally ill child (Abigail Breslin) and her grief-stricken mother (Ali Hillis) while attempting to determine whether it is money or happiness that truly matters in life. Brian Dennehy and Lee Meriwether co-star in an uplifting drama from the director of The Ride and One Night with the King. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Drew Fuller, James Garner, (more)
Peter Falk, Rip Torn, Bill Cobbs, George Segal, and Coolio star in director Charlie Picerni's geriatric road comedy following an adventurous group of four senior citizens as they set out to prevent the daughter of one from marrying the wrong guy. Gus Fitzgerald (Falk)'s daughter is about to tie the knot in Las Vegas; trouble is, she's tying it to a guy who isn't worth the price of your average buffet meal. But regardless of the fact that Gus may be retired and living the life in Florida, by no means is he averse to a little adventure. Now, after rounding up golfing buddies Joe Wallace (Torn), Marvin Jeffries (Cobbs), and Dominic Spinuzzi (Segal), Gus rents "The Ultimate Party Bus" and plots his path to Las Vegas. Along the way, Gus and his crew will dance the night away at a Miami Beach salsa club, give a ride to a rap superstar who goes by the name The Flo (Coolio), and eventually land free rooms at the lavish Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino - located directly in the luminous heart of Sin City. As the hour of the wedding draws near, Gus and his pals attempt to stay out of trouble long enough to break up the ceremony and rescue his daughter from a life of certain unhappiness. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
The new night watchman at New York's Museum of Natural History finds that the job comes with more responsibility than he ever dreamed in this wild fantasy comedy directed by Shawn Levy and starring Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Mickey Rooney, and Dick Van Dyke. Larry Daley (Stiller) is a kind-hearted dreamer who always knew that he was destined for greatness, he just never quite knew how. None of his ideas or inventions has panned out, so with a heavy heart, he takes a regular job as a lowly graveyard-shift security guard at the Museum of Natural History in order to provide a more stable life for himself and his ten-year-old son. His first night on the job, however, he finds that guardianship of the museum is far from stable -- at nightfall, an Egyptian spell brings the artifacts and wax figures to life! With Attila the Hun charging to war through the hallways, the diorama miniatures embroiled in a deadly feud, and a two-ton Tyrannosaurus Rex nagging to play fetch, Larry has half a mind to turn tail and run. On top of cleaning up after two million years of historical chaos every night, he also has to make sure that not a single museum piece leaves the building -- from the bratty Capuchin monkey in the African exhibit, to the life-sized Neanderthal in the prehistoric display -- because if morning light falls on an escaped artifact, it will turn to dust. Larry turns to a wax replica of President Roosevelt (Williams) for a little advice on keeping things in tact, but Teddy seems to think that a man of Larry's greatness needs little help. Larry isn't sure if the former commander in chief is right; this is hardly what he signed up for, but he can't pass up the chance to care for a museum where history really does come to life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Stiller, Carla Gugino, (more)
An aging societal outcast and a motherless duck set out to find shelter and meaning in a future where people are separated by as many degrees as they are connected. The year is 2009, and the last public park in Los Angeles has been closed to the public. The city is a desert, and dispossessed widower Arthur Pratt (Philip Baker Hall) has outlived his usefulness. A retired history professor who spent all of his savings caring for his beloved late wife, Arthur sets out to the park where his son and dearly departed are buried to pay his final respects before ending his own life. Arthur's grim westward march hits an unexpected hitch, however, when an orphaned duckling that has recently cheated death adopts the homeless septuagenarian as a surrogate mother figure. Once again displaced when their park becomes a landfill and their pond is drained, the unlikely pair embarks on a Sisyphean journey to find shelter and meaning in a world where their lives seem to have little value. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philip Baker Hall, Bill Brochtrup, (more)
A teenage boy develops a sense of purpose and some new friends through an unlikely alliance with a aging musician and his horse in this drama for the whole family. Fifteen-year-old Patrick McCardle (Zac Efron) is the son of a former professional football player, Jim (William R. Moses), who wants his boy to follow in his footsteps as an athlete. But Patrick has never had much aptitude or interest in football, baseball, or track, and doesn't feel especially close either to his father or his classmates at school. Patrick has struck up a friendship with Houston Jones (Bill Cobbs), an elderly blues musician who likes to drink and tell stories, but Jim considers Jones a bad influence and Patrick avoids telling his father about the time they spend together. In his younger days, Jones was a jockey and horse trainer, and when he rescues an injured race horse, Jones is convinced the animal has what it takes to be a winner again. Jones sets his sights on entering the horse in the State Cup Steeplechase Race, and Patrick becomes his right hand man, along with Jill (Crystal Hunt) and Chuck (Rob Pinkston), two new kids who have just moved into town from the big city. With only six weeks before the race, can Jones and his three young assistants turn an underdog into a champion? ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cobbs
When a retired physician performs a miraculous feat that catches the attention of two curious medical students, their attempts to discover the secret behind the doctor's unique abilities yields a horrifying discovery. A small boy has become trapped beneath a five-ton tractor. Though the child faces almost certain death, his life is mercifully spared when elderly doctor Daniel Green (Bill Cobbs) somehow manages to lift the massive vehicle off of the boy with ease. How could a mere mortal accomplish such an amazing feat? Realizing that it would take much more than mere adrenaline to move such a foreboding piece of farm equipment, two medical students who happened to be passing through town at the time of the accident travel to Dr. Green's isolated farmhouse to speak with the celebrated hero firsthand. It seems that as the reclusive doctor advanced in years, his fear of death drove him on a desperate search for the fountain of youth. Despite the fact that he was successful in unlocking the key to immortality, Dr. Green's remarkable discovery has come at a horrifying cost. Now, as night falls over the countryside, these two curious medical students are about to discover just how unwise it can be to meddle with Mother Nature. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bill Cobbs, Alex Feldman, (more)
- 2004
Originally telecast in tandem with "The Passion of the Wick", this aptly titled episode marks the series finale of The Drew Carey Show. At virtually the same moment that she agrees to marry Drew (Drew Carey), Kellie (Cynthia Watros) goes into labor. Racing against time so that Kellie's son won't be born a bastard, Drew hastily arranges a hospital-room wedding, then seeks high and low for a priest to perform the ceremony. Unfortunately, the only priest available is currently administering the Last Rites to a dying patient--and he isn't about to be distracted by anything as mundane as marriage until the aforementioned patient expires! In the tradition of Seinfeld, this climactic episode goes full circle by repeating the final gag of the very first episode--just before the "fourth wall" is smashed for the umpteenth time, and the Drew Carey Show cast streams out of the studio to greet their many fans. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
The spotlight is on hitherto unheralded supporting player Bill Cobbs, essaying his familiar role as elderly, philosophical bus driver Tony. Rather than lose his retirement pension, Tony begs Drew (Drew Carey) to keep secret an accident wherein the bus jockey fell asleep and totalled a row of parking meters. Worried about the future safety of Tony's passengers, Drew arranges for the driver to get a job with the Neverending Stores--and ends up being royally shafted for his generous gesture! Meanwhile, it seems like the impossible has finally happened; Lewis (Ryan Stiles) has done something so gross that even Oswald (Diedrich Bader) is disgusted. This episode originally aired back-to-back with "Dog Soup". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2004
In flashback, Drew (Drew Carey) recalls the events surrounding the death of his father George (an event that wouldn't be seen until a few episodes later, indicating that this particular installment was originally broadcast out of sequences). First off, Drew is shocked to discover that his late dad never mentioned him in his diary. But worse is to come when, in his efforts to arrange a US Marine Corps funeral for George, Drew is stymied by a mixup in caskets--and as a result his dad is laid to rest in a coffin embossed with the logo of the rock group KISS (it even plays a rendition of "God Gave Rock and Roll to You". First telecast in tandem with "At Your Cervix", "Sealed in a Kiss" must hold a record for the largest number of bad-taste jokes within a single half-hour, covering everything from Vietnamese war guilt to leaving a baby alone in a hot car! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Sensing that Drew (Drew Carey) is disappointed with the first annual NeverendingStore.com bonus (an enlarged clothespin!), Evan (Kyle Howard) ends up giving Drew his old Rolls Royce. Quickly growing weary of having people resent him because they think he's rich, Drew passes the Rolls on to Lewis--who suddenly undergoes a complete personality change, taking on airs and disdaining his old friends as "bus trash". Eventually, Lewis gets his comeuppance at the hands of an unusually vitriolic Kellie (Cynthia Watros). This episode originally aired in tandem with "Two Days of the Condo". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
A round-robin of practical jokery begins when Drew (Drew Carey) gives away the handmade mugs that were supposed to be Lewis and Oswald's Christmas presents to the Salvation Army. Seeking revenge, Lewis (Ryan Stiles) and Oswald (Diedrich Bader) take advantage of the fact that Drew has gone to the doctor to treat an injured wrist--and by episode's end, our hero has been given a surprise colonoscopy by a Russian veterinarian (played by Charles Fleischer, the voice of "Roger Rabbit")! This episode originally aired in tandem with "A Speedy Recovery". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Baldwin Jones (Henry Simmons) goes after the low-life who may be hiding the identity of the stalker who attacked Valerie Haywood (Garcelle Beauvais-Nilon). A murder brings Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) in contact with a lapsed alcoholic and a former loan shark who claims to have mended his ways. And in her efforts to prevent the parents of her scummy brother-in-law, Frank, from gaining custody of baby Michelle, Connie (Charlotte Ross) tracks down Frank's sister, Adrian (Katy Selverstone), who may have been raped by a member of her own degenerate family. Chandra West makes her first appearance as Dr. Jennifer Devlin. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Henry Simmons
- 2003
Lily (Tammy Lauren) accepts Drew's marriage proposal, just in time for the wedding that Drew (Drew Carey) arranged long before he'd found a wife. But things take an ominous turn when Lily's mother (Jan Devereaux) forbids any member of her family to attend the ceremony; and meanwhile, Kellie (Cynthia Watros) is having a much tougher time than usual suppressing her own feelings toward Drew. Meanwhile, Mr. Wick (Craig Ferguson) resurfaces from obscurity as "Scotty McRaincloud", a born-again Christian weatherman. This episode was originally telecast in tandem with "Love Is in the Air" as the finale of The Drew Carey Show's eighth season. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Actress Lisa Gay Hamilton makes her directorial debut with the documentary Beah: A Black Woman Speaks, a biography of actress and writer Beah Richards, whom Hamilton had worked with on The Practice and Beloved. The production of this project spanned many years; Hamilton realized, early on, that Richards was dying, and thus secured her participation during the actress's final year - though the picture wasn't realized until after three her death. Born in Mississippi, Richards moved to New York City in 1950 to begin acting in off-Broadway productions. In addition to her distinguished acting career, she was also an accomplished poet, playwright, teacher, and social activist. In 1967, she was nominated for an Academy Award for her supporting role in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Shortly before her death in 2000, she won an Emmy for her guest starring role on The Practice. The original musical score is provided by Bernice Johnson Reagon from Sweet Honey in the Rock. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Beah Richards, Marylouise Patterson, (more)
- 2002
With his wedding day rapidly approaching, Drew continues seeking out a bride, turning to his former coworker Larry (Ian Gomez), now a professional matchmaker, for help. Balking at Robin (Lori Loughlin), Larry's choice for the "ideal" mate, Drew wants a girl who will literally make sparks fly--and meets that girl during a bus ride! Meanwhile, the war between Mimi (Kathy Kinney) and Traylor (Kaitlin Olson) heats up over something as trivial as a keyboard. The Goo Goo Dolls make a guest appearance in the opening scene of this, the first episode in a two-part story. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
In the conclusion of a two-part story, Drew (Drew Carey) has fallen in love with Dawn (A.J. Langer), whom he met by chance during a bus ride. Now he must gently let down Robin (Lori Laughlin), the girl chosen as his future bride by professional matchmaker Larry. But there's another problem that needs an instant solution: Drew is never permitted a moment alone with Dawn, thanks to her ex-boyfriends who keep hanging around her house (in fact, one of them is still living above her garage!) And what about Kellie (Cynthia Watros), who still hasn't gotten over her high school crush on our hero? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2002
The new owners of NeverendingStore.com (formerly Winfred-Louder) decide to hire Drew (Drew Carey) back, unaware that his computer-tech prowess is less than zero. Back at home, Drew experiences horrible nightmares about his departed girlfriend Kate and develops insomnia. There is only one cure for this affliction: Drew must make plans to get married--but not to his ex Nicki, who is still living in Drew's house because she is emotionally incapable of leaving. Taking Nicki out on a "pity date", Lewis finds that he and she are on the same wavelength...disturbingly so. Kaitlin Olson joins the cast as prickly computer wonk Traylor. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A Cinderella story turns into a nightmare when a former waitress' perfect marriage gives way to adultery and physical abuse in this combination of domestic drama and revenge thriller. Motherless young woman Slim (Jennifer Lopez) works in a San Francisco diner with her best friend, Ginny (Juliette Lewis). After almost succumbing to the slick flirtation of an insincere customer (Noah Wyle), she is rescued by another dashing diner named Mitch (Bill Campbell). A few years later, the now happily married couple seem to have it all -- a perfect house, a precocious daughter (Tessa Allen), and a comfortable life. Then, Slim discovers that Mitch is actually a lothario who has been sleeping with other women behind her back. When she protests, he slaps her around and uses daughter Gracie as leverage to keep her in line. Slim enlists the help of her friends to escape with her child, though Mitch attacks and very nearly kills her in the process. Going on the lam, Slim adopts a series of new identities, wigs, and residences to avoid the goons Mitch has sent to retrieve her. Along the way, she receives help from Joe (Dan Futterman), a friend and old flame from college. Ultimately, Mitch and his unexpected allies so terrify Slim that she must turn the tables and transform herself from hunted to hunter. In doing so, she receives some surprise assistance of her own -- from Jupiter (Fred Ward), the rich father who abandoned her mother years ago. Although the soundtrack to Enough features the music of star J. Lo, the title song was written especially for the film by Magnolia tunesmith Aimee Mann. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Lopez, Bill Campbell, (more)
Writer and director John Sayles returns with another multi-layered look at an American community, subtly exploring how race, class, economics, and both national and regional history come together to shape people's lives. Plantation Island is a community on the coast of Florida; the island was once a notorious hotbed of segregationists, with most of the African-American population centered in the neighborhood of Lincoln Beach, while Delrona Beach is primarily home to white residents. Marly Temple (Edie Falco) is the sixth generation of her family to live in Delrona Beach, where she helps run a motel and cafe owned by her elderly and ill-tempered father (Ralph Waite) and drama instructor mother (Jane Alexander). Marly's former husband, Steve (Richard Edson), is a scruffy ne'er do well who's a sucker for get-rich-quick scams, while her current boyfriend, Scotty (Marc Blucas), is struggling to make something of himself as a golf pro. Meanwhile, Desiree Perry (Angela Bassett) is an actress who is returning to Lincoln Beach for the first time since she was a teenager, hoping to introduce her new husband, Reggie (James McDaniel), to her mother, Eunice Stokes (Mary Alice). Desiree was the center of a minor local scandal when she became pregnant as a teenager and moved away. Eunice has never quite forgiven her, while Flash (Tom Wright), Desiree's high school boyfriend and the man responsible, hasn't seen her since. Eunice is looking after Terrell (Alex Lewis), a troubled youth recently found guilty of arson, and Desiree and Reggie soon find themselves bonding with the misguided youth. In time, Delrona Beach and Lincoln Beach are brought together by a common concern; Greg (Perry Lang) and Lester (Miguel Ferrer) are representatives from a nearby resort community looking to expand, with Plantation Island looking like their most likely target. As homeowners debate whether to sell or stay put, local government officials and the town's business community argue the merits and faults of the resort's expansion into Plantation Island. Meanwhile, Marly becomes romantically involved with Jack (Timothy Hutton), a landscape architect affiliated with the developers who seems to believe his work is doing more harm than good. Sunshine State also features Mary Steenburgen, Alan King, and Bill Cobbs. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Edie Falco, Angela Bassett, (more)
- 2001
Joel Grey returns as eager, willing but woefully inexperienced angel Ronald, who aspires to bring hope into the life of teenager Alex Wilson (Robert Ri'chard), currently incarcerated for fatally shooting former jazz musician Henry Baldwin (Bill Cobbs) during a botched robbery. Making the youth's plight all the more painful is the fact that Henry had been his mentor and role model, and now Alex feels betrayed--not only by Henry, who was in the wrong place at the wrong time, but by the whole world. Visiting the juvenile detention center where Alex is being temporarily held, Ronald and Monica (Roma Downey) try to help the youngster via the roundabout method of organizing a singing group comprised of Alex's fellow inmates--played by the members of the real-life singing aggregation Plus One (Nate Cole, Gabe Combs, Jeremy Mhire, Jason Perry and Nathan Walters. Songs: "When Your Spirit Gets Weak" and "The Promise". ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
Veteran screenwriters John Brancato and Michael Ferris created this X-Files-esque supernatural thriller series about a group of psychics who help the haunted and the doomed. Each of the group has their own metaphysical strengths: Warren (Kevin J. O'Connor) is a high-strung psychic, Mark (Gabriel Macht) is a med student with an innate empathy for suffering, Satori (Melissa) uses trendy occult imagery to connect to the supernatural, and Albert (John Aylward) is both grumpy and blind with a heightened sixth sense. The pilot opens with university student Marian (Julianne Nicholson) freaking out over visions of her dorm room's dead former resident. She is invited to sit with the "others" along with Elmer Greentree (Bill Cobbs), a sage-like medium who has the ability to see the afterlife. Soon Marian joins the group and starts ghost-busting. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Julianne Nicholson, Gabriel Macht, (more)
- 2000
This made-for-TV fantasy was based on Rod Serling's "A Stop at Willoughby," a 1960 episode of Serling's classic anthology series Twilight Zone. The story begins in the year 2000, with advertising executive Charles Lattimer (Mark Harmon) escaping his hectic professional life and increasingly dissatisfying marriage to wife Kristen (Catherine Hicks) by obsessively tinkering with his elaborate model-train set. Through the aid of a magic stopwatch, Charles boards a real train and is whisked back to 1896, where he inaugurates a romance with attractive widow Laura Brown (Mary McDonnell). Traversing back and forth through the years, Charles ultimately finds that he will never truly be happy until he chooses between the "real" world and the world fashioned by his nostalgic imagination. Filmed in Alberta, For All Time made its CBS network debut on October 18, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2000
According to the original publicity packets, the avowed purpose of the NBC sitcom The Michaels Richards Show was to persuade viewers that there was more to star Richards than his familiar Seinfeld characterization of nutty next-door neighbor Kramer. The first pilot, however -- filmed on location with Richards as the sole star -- was scrapped as insubstantial and unfunny. The second pilot, filmed before a live audience with a strong ensemble cast, fared somewhat better, though the spectators (and the subsequent test audiences) complained that Richards wasn't "being Kramer enough." Accordingly, a third pilot was shot, with all the standard Kramerisms intact. The final product stars Richards as Vic Nardozza, a bumbling ex-security patrolman who launches his own L.A. private-detective agency -- after a six-week crash-course in the P.I. game. Specializing in undercover work, Nardozza adopts a number of baffling disguises -- baffling to him, if not necessarily to those whom he hopes to fool. Most of the episodes focus on the goings-on in Nardozza's seedy offices, populated by such fellow misfits as Brady McKay (William Devane), Stacey Devers (Amy Farrington), Kevin (former Saturday Night Live regular Tim Meadows), and Jack (Bill Cobb. The Michael Richards Show debuted October 24, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Richards, William Devane, (more)
Two people who've known the pain of loss and the sting of betrayal are brought together under trying circumstances in this romantic drama. Dutch van den Broeck (Harrison Ford) is a police detective based in Washington D.C. whose wife works for an upscale department store; flying to Miami on business, she dies shortly after takeoff in one of the worst aviation disasters in the city's history. However, Dutch finds out that his wife wasn't actually traveling on business: Kay Chandler (Kristin Scott Thomas) is a prominent political figure whose husband was also killed in the crash, and Dutch and Kay discover that their spouses were on the plane together because they were having an affair. Random Hearts was directed by Sydney Pollack, who also worked with Harrison Ford on his previous film, Sabrina. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Harrison Ford, Kristin Scott Thomas, (more)
