An Evening with Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby is one of the most influential and successful performers and creative figures in television history. I Spy, which debuted in 1965 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, was the first network series with a black actor in a leading role. It made Cosby one of the most popular actors in television. Cosby then starred as Los Angeles gym teacher Chet Kincaid in The Bill Cosby Show (1969–1971), the first sitcom to provide a genuine portrayal of middleclass life for African-Americans, as well as Asian and Hispanic Americans. The Cosby Show (1984–1992), about the Huxtables, an affluent family living in Brooklyn, was the top-rated show for five consecutive years, and was credited with reviving the sitcom, as well as NBC, while also changing the stereotypical perception of African-Americans. Cosby created the successful series A Different World (1987–1993), a spinoff of The Cosby Show starring Lisa Bonet as Denise Huxtable, a student at a fictional black college. Bill Cosby has also had tremendous success as a comedian, movie actor, educator, musician, and activist. He will be interviewed by the Museum’s chief curator, David Schwartz. 

Tickets: $30 public / $20 Museum members / Free for Silver Screen members and above. Tickets may be purchased by calling 718.777.6800. Silver Screen members may call 718.777.6800 to reserve tickets.