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
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
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
- 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)
Michael Apted (Gorillas in the Mist) directed this Walter Mosley script adaptation of Mosley's short story collection, Always Outnumbered, Always Outgunned. Ex-con Socrates Fortlow (Laurence Fishburne) returns to L.A., looks for work, becomes friends with Right Burke (Bill Cobbs), is told he's too old for a construction job, helps youngster Darryl (Daniel Williams), and romances cafe-owner Iula Brown (Natalie Cole). Socrates provides a moral uplift to the neighborhood, while Burke's voiceover narration has a Sunset Boulevard twist. The TV movie premiered March 21, 1998 on HBO. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Laurence Fishburne, Bill Cobbs, (more)
- 1996
Having missed a bone tumor on a child's x-ray, Ross (George Clooney) is none too anxious to tell the patient's grandfather (Bill Cobbs) about the mistake -- especially since four months have elapsed and the tumor has gotten worse. Meanwhile, Chloe (Kathleen Wilhoite) sweeps back into Lewis' (Sherry Stringfield) life, insisting upon full custody of little Suzy. Carter (Noah Wyle) worries himself into a stomach ache over his much-anticipated residency at County General. And Greene (Anthony Edwards), newly shed of his marital status, radically changes his image. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
In this nail-biter, an engineer endures many ups and downs while trying to figure out how to save people aboard a runaway rollercoaster that is loaded with explosives. His daughter is among the passengers. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antonio Sabato, Jr., Stephanie Kramer, (more)
- 1996
Several people offer advice when it looks as though Adrianne (Justine Miceli) is ready for a night of passion with Martinez (Nicholas Turturro). Tracking a suspected serial killer to Atlantic City, Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) goes ballistic when he hears the possible perp's zany "alibi." And when an arrogant surgeon (Richard Kline) is shot, his wife (Karen Austin) does everything she can to implicate the doctor's mistress. Future Dharma & Greg star Jenna Elfman makes an impressive guest appearance. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1992
Carolina Skeletons is based on a prize-winning novel by David Stout. Louis Gossett Jr. plays a former Green Beret colonel who returns to his home town after thirty years. As a child, Gossett was forced to look on in horror as his brother was tried and executed on a trumped-up murder charge. Now that he's back, Gossett seeks out new evidence, intending to bring the real killer to justice. Unfortunatel, there are several people in town who'd prefer that the past remained buried-and aren't averse to burying Gossett should the need arise. Made for television, Carolina Skeletons debuted September 30, 1991. An R-rated version was later prepared for cable TV. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1990
This political drama takes a look at the underground network that helps South American refugees travel safely to the US. The story centers on a freedom fighter from Central America who uses the underground to get to the US and settle in a small town. His wife lies to a restaurant owner, telling him her husband is dead, and gets a job as a waitress. Soon after, the owner's son falls in love with her. Meanwhile a crooked CIA agent leads a death squad in pursuit of the former freedom fighter and things get worse when the local sheriff threatens to reveal his hideout to the hunters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
