Photos Of Bill Cosby Through The Years

Bill Cosby‘s television career began in 1965 with the hit series “I Spy.” Over the years, he would become a household name for his family friendly comedy, including, of course, “The Cosby Show,” which aired from 1984 to 1992.

In later years, Cosby became an education activist, but he also received criticism for his biting critiques of the Black community. In his famous “Pound Cake “speech in 2004, he said, “With names like Shaniqua, Shaligua, Mohammed and all that crap and all of them are in jail.”  Also, “Are you not paying attention, people with their hat on backwards, pants down around the crack? Isn’t that a sign of something, or are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up? Isn’t it a sign of something when she’s got her dress all the way up to the crack…and got all kinds of needles and things going through her body? What part of Africa did this come from?”

See Also: Bill Cosby Sentenced To 3 To 10 Years In Prison For Sexual Assault Conviction

By 2014, Cosby’s career changed in an instant when comedian Hannibal Burress made a joke about his rape allegations and encouraged people to do their own research. By December 2015, Cosby was charged with aggravated indecent assault.

Yesterday, the 81-year-old was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for drugging and sexually assaulting Temple University employee Andrea Constand. Montgomery County Judge Steven T. O’Neill sentenced the 81-year-old and said, “It is time for justice. Mr. Cosby, this has all circled back to you. The time has come.”

See Cosby’s life through the years in photos.

1. Bill Cosby With Robert Culp In 1966

2. Bill Cosby in ‘The Bill Cosby Show’ in 1972

3. Emmy Winner Bill Cosby With Camille Cosby And Carol Burnett In 1966

(Photo by Vic DeLucia/New York Post/Photo Archives, LLC via Getty Images)

4. Bill Cosby With Arte Johnson And Betty White On ABC’s ‘Cos’ In 1976

(Photo by ABC via Getty Images)

5. Bill Cosby With Jesse Jackson In 1981

(Photo by Lenore Davis/New York Post/Photo Archives, LLC via Getty Images)

6. Bill Cosby With Patti LaBelle On ABC’s ‘Cos’ In 1976

(Photo by ABC via Getty Images)

7. The Cast Of ‘The Cosby Show’ In 1984

8. Bill Cosby and Harry Belafonte At 70th Annual Spingarn Awards In 1985

(Photo by Ron Galella/WireImage)

9. Bill Cosby Onstage At Radio City in 1986

(Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images)

10. Bill Cosby Receiving The Key To NYC From Mayor Koch In 1987

(Photo by Michael Schwartz/New York Post/Photo Archives, LLC via Getty Images)

11. Bill Cosby, Malcolm Jamal-Warner & Geoffrey Owens In 1987

12. Bill Cosby at the State Theatre in Minneapolis in 1993

(Photo by Jim Steinfeldt/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

13. Bill Cosby With President Bill Clinton In 1996

(Photo by David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images)

14. Cast of ‘The Cosby Show ‘9th Annual TV Land Awards in 2011

(Photo by Andrew H. Walker/FilmMagic)

15. Bill Cosby Charged With Aggravated Indecent Assault For The 2004 Incident Involving Temple University Employee Andrea Constand

(Photo by Gilbert Carrasquillo/WireImage)

16. Famous ‘Ebony Magazine’ Cover In 2015

17. Bill Cosby With Keshia Knight Pulliam At His First Trial in 2017

(Photo credit should read DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty Images)

18. Bill Cosby Arrives at the Montgomery County Court for Sentencing on September 25, 2018

19. Bill Cosby Taken Into Custody After Being Sentenced on September 25, 2018

(Photo by Mark Makela / POOL / AFP) (Photo credit should read MARK MAKELA/AFP/Getty Images)

20. Bill Cosby’s September 2018 Mug Shot