Even if you’ve never heard of Bill Cobbs, you have surely seen Bill Cobbs. He was a long-time actor and known for roles on Air Bud, Night at the Museum, Walker, Texas Ranger, and many, many more. In fact, he has taken part in approximately more than 150 film and television roles.
His career began as early as the 1970’s. Before he began in acting, he worked as a radar technician for the United States Air Force. Following that, he worked as a car salesman in Cleveland. It wasn’t until the ripe age of 36 when he decided to take a shift in his career and focus on acting. He left for New York, where he began performing odd jobs in between acting gigs. He got his first acting breakthrough in 1974, where he played a role in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The rest is, as they say, history.
From there, Cobbs played many roles throughout his career, with appearances in many major shows such as The Sopranos, Walker, Texas Ranger, and starred consistently on I’ll Fly Away. He featured in other major films such as The Ultimate Gift, The Bodyguard, The Derby Stallion, and many more. For his acting efforts, Cobbs won accolades such as the Daytime Emmy Award.
He also played as coach Arthur Chaney in Air Bud, where he made the bold choice (that perhaps no coach has ever dared before) to play a dog on the roster. The move worked spectacularly, and Air Bud went on to become an international success. Cobbs’ final appearance on screen was in the miniseries Incandescent Love, where he played Daddy-D Usher in a series about a family who must deal with affairs in both the past and present.
Ultimately, what drew Cobbs to acting was the joy it brought him, and those in his family. He would recount tales of when he first started acting in the 70’s, and bringing his family together to watch his performances. In a 2012 interview, he simply stated “I enjoy what I do, I really enjoy it.”
