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Bill Cosby was the first Black to win a Best Actor Emmy.
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Bill has won three Emmy awards for "Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series" for his role in the television series I Spy. He won the award for three consecutive years (1966-1968).
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Bill has won two Golden Globe awards for "Best Actor in a Television Comedy/Musical". He received one in 1985 and 1986 for his role in The Cosby Show.
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In 1969, Bill received the third in a long line of prestigious "Man of the Year" awards from Harvard University's famed performance group, the Hasty Pudding Theatricals.
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Bill won the 2003 Bob Hope Humanitarian Award.
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In a 2005 British poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, Bill was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by his fellow comedians and comedy insiders.
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Bill has been awarded many honorary degrees from different universities.
- Honorary Doctorate from Haverford College in May, 2002
- Honorary Doctorate from Baylor University, September, 2003
- Honorary Doctorate from West Chester University of Pennsylvania during their 2003 graduation ceremony
- Honorary Degree from the Sisseton Wahpeton College on the Lake Traverse Reservation for his contributions to minority education, presented by President William Harjo LoneFight in 2003
- Honorary Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Cincinnati during the 2001 graduation ceremony
- Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Yale University in 2003
- Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Carnegie Mellon University at the 2007 commencement ceremony, where he was also the keynote speaker
- Honorary Doctor of Music Degree from the Berklee College of Music during the 2004 commencement ceremony
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Bill has been hosting the Los Angeles Playboy Jazz Festival since 1979.
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Bill is a noted pen collector. He is the spokesperson for the Fountain Pen Hospital.
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Bill is a Philadelphia Eagles fan. When both their starting and backup quarterbacks were injured, Bill jokingly sent in some of his old football gear to head coach Andy Reid, telling him he was ready to play when needed.
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Bill is an active alumni supporter of his alma mater, Temple University. He is particularly supportive of their men's basketball team and frequently attends their games.
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Bill met his wife, Camille, while performing stand-up comedy in Washington, D.C.
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While serving in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman for four years, Bill worked in physical therapy.
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In 1997, Autumn Jackson was arrested for attempting to extort 40 million dollars from Bill Cosby. She claimed to be Bill's illegitimate daughter.
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Bill has a BA from Temple University, and a PHD in education from the University of Massachusetts.
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Bill has been a sought-after spokesperson for Kodak film, Coca-Cola, and the now-defunct retail chain Service Merchandise.
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Bill Cosby wrote a story for the book Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul.
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While starring in The Cosby Show, Bill appeared in 4 of NBC's public service announcements, The More You Know. His topics were teacher recruitment, education appreciation, prenatal substance abuse, and violence prevention.
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Bill Cosby loves to smoke cigars. He picked up this habit from Groucho Marx, one of his comedy influences.
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Bill Cosby is against affirmative action.
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In 1998, Bill Cosby was honored with the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2002, he won the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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Bill Cosby was the class president and captain of the baseball and track teams at Mary Channing Wister Elementary School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Bill Cosby is a vegetarian.
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Bill Cosby went to college on an athletics scholarship at Temple University.
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Bill Cosby dropped out of high school after the tenth grade so he could join the Navy. He later completed his high school studies through a correspondence course.
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In June of 2006, Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille, donated $3 million to Atlanta's Morehouse School of Medicine to help aid the study of mental health.
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In 2006, Andrea Constand settled her lawsuit against Bill Cosby out of court. She accused him of sexual harassment.
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His mother's name is Anna Cosby. She died in 1991.
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Much like Bob Newhart's comedic style, Bill Cosby has the ability to be funny without resorting to profanity.
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He was an honoree at the Kennedy Center Awards, and attended the ceremony with Bill and Hillary Clinton.
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In the June 20, 2004 issue of TV Guide, Cliff Huxtable, Cosby's character on The Cosby Show, was ranked #1 in its list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time."
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Many elements of The Cosby Show were references to his own family. Phylicia Rashad's (Clair Huxtable's) maiden name was Hanks, like his wife Camille's maiden name. Also, like he has in real life, the Huxtables had four daughters and one son.
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At one time he expressed a very public interest in purchasing the National Broadcasting Company.
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Bill received a combined score of 500 on his SATs.
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Bill joined the long list of celebrities lampooned by South Park. It happened in South Park episode 77 entitled "Here Comes the Neighborhood".
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Bill's son Ennis, who was murdered in 1997, was affected by dyslexia which runs in Bill's family. Although Bill was not dyslexic, his brother Russell was.
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Bill was once part owner of the "Golden State Warriors" that was a part of the National Basketball Association.
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Bill was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts and Science Hall of Fame in 1994.
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Bill is the oldest of four children.
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Bill was a member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity when he was in college.
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Bill was the Grand Marshal in the Tournament of Roses parade.
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Bill was insistent on The Cosby Show being filmed in New York, because he doesn't like Hollywood.
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Bill's wife Camille Hanks, is a direct descendant of Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln's mother. Camille is also related to actor Tom Hanks.
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Bill's five children are named Erika, Erinn, Ensa, Evin and Ennis. All their names start with the letter E for excellence.
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Bill's son Ennis Cosby lost his life at age 27 when he was shot to death fixing a flat tire in San Diego. The National Enquirer offered $100,000 reward for the capture of the killer of Bill's son, Ennis. In January of 1997, Ennis was buried on the Cosby family estate in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts.
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Bill married Camille Hanks on January 25th, 1964 and are still married today. They have 5 children.
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Bill can be seen doing commercials for Jello pudding and Jello gelatin.
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Bill has won 9 Grammy Awards, in the categories of Children and in categories of Comedy.
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Bill is 6' 1" (1.85 m) tall.