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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Bill Cobbs, the veteran character actor who played a security guard in Night at the Museum, died on June 25, 2024, at age 90. His family said he died peacefully at home in California. His publicist said natural causes were likely, but no confirmed cause of death was announced.
What role did Bill Cobbs play in Night at the Museum?
Cobbs played a security guard in the 2006 film. It was one of the familiar supporting roles in a career that moved across film, television and stage, often with Cobbs bringing warmth and authority to older characters.
How did Bill Cobbs build his acting career?
Born Wilbert Francisco Cobbs in Cleveland, Ohio, on June 16, 1934, he took a winding route to acting. The Associated Press reported that he served eight years in the Air Force as a radar technician, later sold cars, made his stage debut in Cleveland in 1969, and moved to New York, where he joined the Negro Ensemble Company. ABC News also noted work at IBM before his acting career. Accounts differ in how they describe his early professional steps.
His screen credits included The Taking of Pelham One Two Three (1974), The Color of Money (1986), The Bodyguard (1992), The Hudsucker Proxy (1994), Air Bud (1997), Night at the Museum (2006) and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). In The Bodyguard he played Whitney Houston’s manager; in Air Bud, he was the coach. Television appearances included The Sopranos, The West Wing, Six Feet Under, ER and Star Trek: Enterprise.
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#1 Best Overall
The Associated Press reported that Cobbs won the 2020 Daytime Emmy for outstanding limited performance in a daytime program for Dino Dana. The Television Academy profile notes that its database lists prime-time Emmy information, so its “No Nominations” display does not negate that Daytime Emmy recognition.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What was the cause of Bill Cobbs’s death?
His family’s statement, reported by ABC News, said he “passed away peacefully at his home in California.” It did not give a cause. The Guardian reported that publicist Chuck I. Jones told the Associated Press that natural causes were likely; the AP obituary said the publicist did not provide a cause. Accordingly, natural causes were reported as likely, not confirmed.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- DVD
- Multiple Formats, Color, Widescreen
- Spanish (Published), English (Subtitled), French (Subtitled)
- 1
- 98
Rank #4
Rank #2
![Night at the Museum (Widescreen Edition) [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/512edxYx+HL._SL160_.jpg)
- DVD
- Multiple Formats, Color, Dolby
- French (Published), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
- 1
- 108
Sources
- Television Academy: Bill Cobbs biography
- ABC News: Bill Cobbs dies at 90
- Associated Press obituary, carried by The Washington Post
- The Guardian obituary
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