Bill Cobbs, 'Air Bud' and 'The Bodyguard' actor, dies at 90
Bill Cobbs, who acted in “Air Bud,” “New Jack City” and “The Bodyguard,” has died.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press)
Bill Cobbs, a seasoned character actor with nearly 200 film and television credits, has died at age 90.
Cobbs’ death was confirmed by his brother, Thomas G. Cobbs, who wrote on Facebook: “We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs. On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California. A beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate parent, godfather and friend, Bill recently and happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by cherished loved ones.”
“As a family we are comforted knowing Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time,” the post continued.
TMZ reported that the cause of death was pneumonia.
Cobbs’ publicist did not reply immediately Wednesday to The Times’ request for comment.
Bill Cobbs was born June 16, 1934, and raised in Cleveland. He served in the Air Force for eight years and worked at IBM and as a car salesman before moving to New York at 36 to pursue acting, according to IMDb. He acted in several small television and theater roles before making his feature film debut in the 1974 crime thriller “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three.”
Cobbs is known for films including 1997’s “Air Bud” and 1993’s “Demolition Man” and starred opposite Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner in 1992’s “The Bodyguard.” He also played Reginald in the “Night at the Museum” films,” forming a trio of antagonistic security guards alongside Mickey Rooney, who died in 2014, and Dick Van Dyke. In “New Jack City” (1991), he played the key role of the Old Man.
In 2020, the seasoned actor won a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for his portrayal of Mr. Hendrickson on the series “Dino Dana.”
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Malia Mendez began writing for the Los Angeles Times in 2023. A previous summer intern on the Entertainment and Arts Desk, she graduated from Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in journalism. Mendez got her start in journalism at the Stanford Daily, where she worked as managing editor of the newspaper’s Arts & Life section. Her byline can be found in Los Angeles Magazine, the Orange County Register and the Peninsula Press. She is from Irvine.
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