Dr. William Henry “Bill” Cosby Jr., beloved American comedian, actor, author, television producer and activist, has been awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. WTVP viewers can join an "A-List" cast in saluting this celebrated entertainer in
Bill Cosby: The Mark Twain Prize, Wednesday, November 4 from 7-8:30 p.m. An encore will immediately follow.
Taped at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on October 26, the special features tributes and comic testimonials from a star-studded cast of Cosby’s friends and colleagues, including Len Chandler, James De Priest, Danny Glover, Dick Gregory, Jimmy Heath, Wynton Marsalis, Rita Moreno, Willie Nelson, Phylicia Rashad, Carl Reiner, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Sinbad and Malcolm-Jamal Warner. The program includes an assortment of classic film clips from his career.
Cosby, the 12th recipient of the prize, has profoundly impacted American society. As producer and star of "The Cosby Show," widely considered one of the landmark sitcoms of all time, he has been credited with paving the way for our nation’s first black president. His hit sitcom "A Different World," encouraged young people to obtain a college education. And his work with and for children is on-going—from creating the animated educational series “Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids,” to producing the Emmy® award winning animated series “Little Bill.”
###
For further information contact Linda Miller, WTVP Vice President of
Programming,
at (309) 495-0591 or linda.miller@wtvp.org