Bill Cobbs dead at 90: Veteran character actor who appeared in Night At The Museum and The Sopranos passes away in California

Veteran Bill Cobbs, who appeared in projects such as Night At The Museum and The Sopranos, has died at the age of 90.

He won a Daytime Emmy Award at the age of 86 for the Canadian television series Dino Dana, in which he played the title character’s older neighbor.

Cobbs began acting in his mid-30s, giving up his career as a car salesman to move to New York and pursue a career in show business.

After starting out in theatre, he made his breakthrough in films at the age of 40 with the popular crime thriller The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three.

Cobbs died Tuesday at home in California, according to his brother Thomas, who broke the news through his Wednesday Facebook page.

“We are saddened to share the passing of Bill Cobbs. On Tuesday, June 25, Bill passed away peacefully at his home in California,” read the post.

“A beloved partner, big brother, uncle, surrogate mother, godfather and friend, Bill recently and happily celebrated his 90th birthday surrounded by cherished loved ones,” the death announcement continued.

“As a family, we are comforted knowing that Bill has found peace and eternal rest with his Heavenly Father. We ask for your prayers and encouragement during this time.”

Born in June 1934 in Cleveland, Ohio, Cobbs originally served in the Army, working for eight years as a radar technician for the U.S. Air Force.

He started out as an actor at the Karamu House in his hometown, a historic black theater that hosted the premieres of several works by Langston Hughes.

Cobbs eventually moved to New York and worked on stage before a small role in The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three launched his on-screen career.

Over the course of five decades, he had supporting roles in a string of iconic films, including The Bodyguard, Air Bud and The Color Of Money.

Fans of Night At The Museum will recognize him as Reginald, one of the three old, retired guards – the other two played by Dick Van Dyke and Mickey Rooney.

Fans of Night At The Museum will recognize him as Reginald, one of three retired wardens – the other two played by Dick Van Dyke (center) and Mickey Rooney (left)

He won a Daytime Emmy Award at the age of 86 for the Canadian television series Dino Dana, in which he played the title character’s elderly neighbor; depicted in the show with lead actress Michela Luci

Over five decades he played supporting roles in a series of iconic films, including The Bodyguard, Air Bud and The Color Of Money, the latter of which co-starred Paul Newman.

His roles ranged from Louisiana Slim in the 1979 blaxploitation film The Hitter to the Master Tinker in the 2013 Disney fantasy Oz The Great And Powerful (pictured with Michelle Williams)

In The Sopranos (pictured) he played the role of an elderly pastor whose son has an under-the-table deal with an Italian crime family

Cobbs pictured with Kevin Costner in The Bodyguard

His secured roles in sitcoms such as Good Times, Baby…I’m Black! and Designing Women and dramas such as Six Feet Under, in which he is portrayed opposite Rachel Griffiths and Lauren Ambrose

His roles ranged from Louisiana Slim in the 1979 blaxploitation film The Hitter to the Master Tinker in the 2013 Disney fantasy Oz The Great And Powerful.

He had an equally illustrious run on the small screen, with roles in a wide range of shows such as One Tree Hill, Star Trek: Enterprise and The Drew Carey Show.

On The Sopranos, he played the role of an elderly pastor whose son has an under-the-table deal with an Italian crime family.

His secured roles in sitcoms like Good Times, Baby…I’m Black! and Designing Women and dramas such as Six Feet Under, NYPD Blue and Touched By An Angel.

Cobbs kept working until the end, with his own IMDb page with multiple releases still to come, including the drama film Broken Church starring Eric Roberts.