The Cosby Show cast: the Huxtable family and supporting roles

The Cosby Show centers on the Huxtable family: parents Cliff and Clair and their five children. The NBC sitcom ran from 1984 to 1992. The principal cast is best understood through the family relationships, which remain the organizing structure even as children grow up and household members change.

Cliff, Clair and the five children

Bill Cosby plays physician Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad plays attorney Clair Huxtable. Sabrina Le Beauf plays their oldest daughter Sondra, Lisa Bonet plays Denise, Malcolm-Jamal Warner plays Theo, Tempestt Bledsoe plays Vanessa and Keshia Knight Pulliam plays the youngest child Rudy. Their different ages allow the show to move between early childhood, school and adult independence.

The family expands

Geoffrey Owens plays Elvin Tibideaux, whose relationship with Sondra becomes part of the extended family story. Joseph C. Phillips plays Martin Kendall and Raven-Symoné plays Olivia, connecting Denise’s later story to a new household. Grandparents and recurring friends also give particular episodes their focus rather than appearing as equal members of the central cast throughout the run.

A Different World and a different series called Cosby

Denise’s college setting connects The Cosby Show to the spin-off A Different World, which develops its own cast. The later sitcom titled Cosby features a different family and should not be treated as additional Huxtable seasons. For a guest performer, check the exact episode’s credits rather than assuming a full-series cast list means an appearance in every season.

Sources and further reading

• Television Academy series history and cast
• IMDb full series credits

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