Late Actor Bill Cobbs Put Away a Decent Chunk of Change as He's Been Working Since the '70s

On June 26, 2024, it was announced that veteran character actor Bill Cobbs passed away at the age of 90. He died peacefully in his California home where a caretaker had been looking after him for several months leading up to his death.

In August 2010, Cobbs spoke with Black Tree TV at the premiere of his movie Get Low. He was asked about the idea of keeping secrets, to which the actor said that not getting things off one's chest is harmful.

That almost speaks to Cobbs's entertainment career, which didn't begin until he was in his late 30s. Perhaps Cobbs was tired of keeping his desires a secret, so he struck out for New York City in 1970 at age 36. He would go on to work in Hollywood for nearly 50 years.

What does almost five decades of employment get a man like Cobbs? Let's take a look at his net worth.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bill had $2 million to his name, which feels a bit low considering the storied career he had. Because he wasn't bitten by the acting bug until later in life, Bill joined the Air Force after graduating from East Tech High School in Cleveland sometime around 1952, per The Hollywood Reporter.

Although he dipped his toes into the world of standup comedy while in the Armed Forces, Bill found himself at IBM for a spell before he moved onto selling cars in Cleveland, Ohio. It was around that time that he stepped on stage for the 1969 production of Lost in the Stars at Karamu House in Cleveland. Bill is still listed on the theater's website as a notable performer who once graced their hallowed halls.

The year following his stage debut, Bill was off to New York City where he joined the Negro Ensemble Company and worked alongside the likes of Ruby Dee, Adolph Caesar and Moses Gunn. He told PBS in 2015, "Once I realized I could walk on the stage with people like that, I thought, ‘Maybe I can be an actor.'" That was certainly the case.

In 1971 he appeared in two off-Broadway shows but it would be another three years before Bill was on the big screen, and even then it was a small role. Still, that's when he felt like things were finally happening. In 1974's The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, Bill is seen standing on a subway platform. While chatting with Cleveland.com in 2013, he said, "I came back home to see my mom and dad, and all our friends and neighbors went to see the movie, and everyone was waiting for my appearance." It was brief but memorable.

Bill's film career was more than just consistent, though it was certainly that. He made incredible choices that most actors only dream of. Movies like The Cotton Club, The Color of Money, New Jack City, The Bodyguard, and even odd films like The Hudsucker Proxy are still spoken about. Some of these motion pictures are incredibly serious while others, like Air Bud, show that Bill was also willing to be silly. During this time he also had small roles in countless television shows. This man never stopped working.

His manager told Distractify exclusively that they "just don't make them like him," and it's true. Imagine living the kind of life that, in many ways, began at 36. Who does that? Bill Cobbs did. In his interview with Cleveland.com, Bill said he hoped Oz the Great and Powerful, a 2013 movie he starred in, could be as powerful as the original. And while that newer version stood a chance, it's hard to find someone who was as great and powerful as Bill Cobbs was. They just don't make them like that anymore.