Earle Hyman, a longtime stage and TV actor who was best known for playing Bill Cosby’s father on “The Cosby Show,” died Friday at the age of 91.
According a family member he died at the Lillian Booth Actors Home in Englewood, New Jersey, according to Jordan Strohl, a representative for The Actors Fund.
Hyman enjoyed an international theater career that spanned decades.
He often appeared from 1984 to 1992 on the “The Cosby Show,” playing Russell Huxtable. Bill Cosby tweeted about the late actor on Sunday night:
In a Sunday night tweet, actor/comedian Bill Cosby had the following to say about the late actor:
“Earle Hyman brought love, dignity and integrity to Grandpa Huxtable. Thank you, Earle, you will live forever.”
— Bill Cosby (@BillCosby) November 20, 2017
Hyman was born in October 11, 1926, in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. When he was a teenager, he fell in love with the theater especially after seeing a Henrik Ibsen play, according to IMDb. Hyman learned Norwegian and later in life, maintained a second home there, where he also enjoyed a stage career.
Hyman performed in several Shakespeare plays in the titular roles of Othello and Hamlet. In 1980, he was nominated for a Tony for his performance in Edward Albee’s play “The Lady from Dubuque.”
Source: CNN/Hollywood Reporter/Youtube/Getty Images
