Dr. William H. Cosby, Jr. is truly a Renaissance man. In his illustrious career he's enjoyed success in many diverse fields, including stand-up comedy, publishing, feature films, recording, education and, of course, television.

Bill Cosby began developing his knack for comedy at an early age. He based his first routines on his school pals, including "Fat Albert," "Weird Harold," and "Dumb Donald." In the 10th grade, Cosby dropped out of high school to he entered Philadelphia's Temple University. He left school and headed to New York to perform in Greenwich Village nightclubs. By 1963, he won a guest spot on The Tonight Show and shot to almost overnight success. By 1965, Cosby made the jump from stand-up comedy to television when he snagged one of the leading roles in I Spy opposite Robert Culp. His portrayal of the unflappable Alexander Scott won him three Emmy Awards.

In 1969 The Bill Cosby Show premiered, the first of many series bearing his name. Cosby was highly active in television throughout the 1970s, with a stint on The Electric Company, the animated Fat Albert as well as roles in The Cosby Kids, The New Bill Cosby Show and COS. His 1982 comedy performance "Bill Cosby: Himself" was a phenomenal success, garnering numerous awards and breaking a host of sales records. But it was 1984's The Cosby Show which would remain his most successful and beloved achievement. In its eight years on the air, The Cosby Show was a critical and ratings giant. The show single-handedly revived the failing sitcom genre. Cosby also developed and composed the theme music for the successful Cosby Show spinoff A Different World, which ran from 1987 to 1993.

After The Cosby Show, Bill Cosby showed no signs of slowing down. He hosted the short-lived revival of TV's You Bet Your Life, played gumshoe Guy Hanks in The Cosby Mysteries launched yet another self-titled sitcom, Cosby, in 1996 which ran for four seasons. Cosby is the author of the best-selling books Fatherhood, Time Flies and Childhood.