Earle Hyman, a longtime stage and TV actor who was best known for playing Bill Cosby’s father on “The Cosby Show,” died Fri., Nov. 17. Hyman was 91.
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 also frequently appeared from 1984 to 1992 on the “The Cosby Show,” playing Russell Huxtable. Bill Cosby tweeted about the late actor on Sunday night: “Earle Hyman brought love, dignity and integrity to Grandpa Huxtable. Thank you, Earle, you will live forever.”
Hyman was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Comedy Series, for his work on the show in 1984.
Hyman was born Oct. 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 Shakespearean 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.”
