Tony Nominee & The Cosby Show Star Earle Hyman Has Died

Screen and stage star Earle Hyman passed away on November 17 at age 91. Known for playing Bill Cosby's father on The Cosby Show, Hyman had numerous Broadway and off-Broadway credits. He received a Tony nomination in 1980 for his performance in The Lady from Dubuque as well as an Emmy nomination in 1986 for his work on The Cosby Show.  

Hyman is celebrated for breaking boundaries by playing many stage roles that had previously been dominantly played by white actors, including Hamlet, Macbeth and Lear. In 1997, he was inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame.

Hyman's extensive Broadway credits include The Master Builder, Saint Joan, Waiting for Godot, The Merchant of Venice, The Climate of Eden and Anna Lucasta. His numerous off-Broadway credits in Three Sisters, Celebration and The Room, Medea, The Cherry Orchard, Long Day's Journey Into Night and of course, Driving Miss Daisy at the John Houseman Theatre.