The Tragic Losses: Every Actor From The Cosby Show Who Has Passed Away

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Though most members of the show are still alive, a few stars from The Cosby Show, including one of the twin actors, have passed away, sometimes from natural causes and sometimes under more tragic circumstances. The Cosby Show will forever be inextricably linked with Bill Cosby’s sexual assault allegations and convictions that rose to public attention in the mid-2010s. It’s forever tarnished not only Cosby’s legacy but also that of The Cosby Show, which was a hugely popular sitcom in both its prime and in syndication.

Premiering in 1984, The Cosby Show ran for eight seasons and followed the Huxtable family, an upper-middle-class African American family living in Brooklyn Heights, New York. The series was an instant hit and a few of The Cosby Show episodes are some of the most watched of all time. The Cosby Show featured an ensemble cast of the Huxtables and their extended family and neighbors. Most of the cast is still alive, pursuing acting and other careers, but sadly, there have been a few deaths since the series ended.

Actor Character
Earle Hyman Grandpa Huxtable
Ethel Ayer Carrie Hanks
Michelle Thomas Justine Phillips
Everett Wilson Nelson Tibideaux

Earle Hyman As Grandpa Huxtable

Date Of Birth: October 11, 1926

  • Active From: 1943-2001

Actor: Earle Hyman passed away on November 17, 2017, at the age of 91. Though The Cosby Show was his biggest role, he also memorably voiced Panthro/Redeye in the ThunderCats TV series.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Title Role
The Bamboo Prison (1954) Doc Jackson
ThunderCats (1985-1989) Panthro/Redeye
Twice in a Lifetime (2001) Charley Freeman/Jack

Character: Grandpa Huxtable is Cliff Huxtable’s (Cosby) father. A warm and caring patriarch, everyone, except maybe Cliff, was always happy to see Grandpa Huxtable. Hyman earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series for his performance.

Ethel Ayler As Carrie Hanks

Date Of Birth: May 1, 1930

  • Active From: 1957-2006

    Actor: Ethel Ayler passed away on November 18, 2018, at the age of 88. Her notable film credits included The Bodyguard as Emma and To Sleep with Anger as Hattie. On TV, she appeared in Ryan’s Hope as Constance Small and in an episode of 7th Heaven as Mrs. Macaferty​​​​.

    Notable Movies & TV Shows:

    Title Role
    Ryan’s Hope (1981) Constance Small
    The Bodyguard (1992) Emma
    7th Heaven (2006) Mrs. Macaferty

    Character: Ayler played the recurring character Carrie Hanks on The Cosby Show. Carrie is Clair Huxtable’s (Phylicia Rashad) mother, a woman even wiser and more forthright than Clair.

    Michelle Thomas As Justine Phillips

    Date Of Birth: September 23, 1968

    Active From: 1983–1998

  • Actor: Michelle Thomas tragically passed away on December 23, 1998, at the young age of 30, after a bout with a rare form of cancer, DSRCT (via People). Thomas also starred in Family Matters as Myra Monkhouse and appeared in 38 episodes of The Young and the Restless as Callie Rogers.

    Notable Movies & TV Shows:

    Title Role
    Family Matters (1993-1998) Myra Monkhouse
    Thea (1994) Keanda
    The Young and the Restless (1998) Callie Rogers

    Character: Michelle Thomas played Justine Phillips in The Cosby Show. Justine was a recurring character in the show and was Theo Huxtable’s (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) longtime girlfriend, appearing in eight episodes of the series.

    Everette Wilson As Nelson Tibideaux

    Date Of Birth: August 5, 1987

    • Active From: 1989

    Actor: Everett Wilson and his twin brother Ronald only ever had one acting role apiece, as the infant Nelson Tibideaux. Tragically, Everett was killed in an automobile accident on January 8, 2005, at the age of 17, (via FindAGrave).

    Notable Movies & TV Shows:

    Title Role
    The Cosby Show (1989) Nelson Tibideaux

    Character: Everett and Ronald Wilson only appear as Nelson Tibideaux in The Cosby Show season 6, episode 2, “Surf’s Up”, the only episode Nelson appears as an infant. Nelson and his twin sister Winnie (Domonique & Monique Reynolds) were the son and daughter of Sondra Huxtable (Sabrina LeBeauf) and Elvin Tibideaux (Geoffrey Owens).

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