The Cosby Show

The Cosby Show: Where Are They Now?
Though it was a big deal when it first premiered on the NBC network on Sept. 20, 1984, no one could have expected that the groundbreaking sitcom 'The Cosby Show,' would resonate so well with national audiences become one of the most successful TV shows in history. But it did. Revolving around the life and times of The Huxtables, an upper-middle class African-American family living in a brownstone building in Brooklyn, NY, the Bill Cosby-helmed series was TV's biggest hit in the 1980s, according to TV Guide. Blackvoices.com takes a look at what the cast members have been up to since the show ended.

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Phylicia Rashad: Clair Huxtable
After the conclusion of the show, the Houston native would reprise her role as Cosby's wife -- this time playing Ruth Lucas on the CBS series, 'Cosby.' After the show ended in 2000, Rashad would do some work on the animated series 'Little Bill' and ultimately return to her Broadway roots. Most recently, the former 'Dreamgirls' star starred in the 2008 television adaptation of 'A Raisin in the Sun,' along side Sean "Diddy" Combs, Audra McDonald and Sanaa Lathan all stars of the 2002 Broadway production ( for which she won a historic Tony Award). The former wife of NBA commentator Ahmad Rashad, the acclaimed actress starred in the all-black Broadway version of 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' in addition to being the lead spokeswoman for Jenny Craig.

Jenny Craig

Tempestt Bledsoe: Vanessa Huxtable
Following 'The Cosby Show,' the Chicago-born actress was given a major shot to host her own talk show while she was midway through college the very short lived 'The Tempestt Bledsoe Show.' In 2006, she tried her hand at reality TV with stints on 'Celebrity Fit Club' and 'Fear Factor.' Her recent TV roles include the telefilms 'Husband for Hire,' 'The Replacements,' and Fox Reality TV's 'Househusbands of Hollywood.'

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Bill Cosby: Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable
The former 'I Spy' star has had many a television projects following 'The Cosby Show' and has produced several shows. Most recently, though, he is noted for his acerbic diatribes on hip-hop culture and black America in general; all of this coming after a very messy, very public paternity case, and allegations of sexual abuse. Despite the fact that his new tone represents a sharp departure from his Cliff Huxtable persona, the Philadelphia born entertainment legend continues on and has even considered releasing a 'hip-hop' album in hopes of reaching the black community. Until then, Cosby continues to host comedy galas across the globe.

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Malcolm Jamal Warner: Theodore Aloysius "Theo" Huxtable
Following the end of the show, Warner went through several sitcoms and made a variety of guest appearances, including the WB sitcom 'Malcolm & Eddie.' In 2003, the Jersey City native released his debut music project, 'The Miles Long Mixtape' after a brief stint hosting the BET poetry series 'Lyric Café.' Warner followed up with his second CD in 2007 entitled, 'Love & Other Social Issues' before getting back in front of the camera this year playing a Caribbean henchman in the Mathew McConaughey/Kate Hudson romantic comedy 'Fool's Gold.' Warner currently stars in the Lifetime series, 'Sherri.'

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Lisa Bonet: Denise Huxtable
Between her tenure on 'The Cosby Show,' Bonet was also the star of 'A Different World,' when she went to college. In 1987, the San Francisco-raised beauty experienced substantial controversy over her appearance in Alan Parker's dark drama 'Angel Heart' which featured explicit sex scenes that had to be cut down to avoid an X-rating. Since then, Lenny Kravitz's ex-wife and baby's mother has sporadically appeared in acclaimed films, including 'Biker Boyz,' 'Enemy of the State' and 'High Fidelity.' On December 15, 2008, Bonet gave birth to her third son, Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha Momoa.

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Keshia Knight Pulliam: Rudith Lillian "Rudy" Huxtable
After 'The Cosby Show' ended in 1992, Knight-Pulliam returned to regular life and eventually graduated from Spelman College in 2001, where she became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The Newark, New Jersey native came back to television via reality shows, becoming victorious on celebrity versions of 'Fear Factor' and 'The Weakest Link.' She also had roles in the 2005 films 'The Gospel' and 'Beauty Shop.' In 2004, she was photographed for 'Black Men' magazine, which was considered provocative. Her reason; to rid herself of the "baby Rudy" image that came with her 'Cosby' experience. She also appeared in a video for rap artist Chingy and appeared as a prostitute last year in Tyler Perry's movie 'Madea Goes to Jail.'

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Raven-Symone: Olivia Kendall
Striking while the iron was hot, Symone continued in acting well after her tenure on 'The Cosby Show' with roles on the sitcom 'Hangin' With Mr. Cooper' and the 'Dr. Doolittle' movie franchise. She has also been active as singer, releasing three albums between 1993 and 2004, with another due for release in July 2008. The Atlanta native juggles all of this in addition to her long running Disney Channel series 'That's So Raven' and the astounding success of 'The Cheetah Girls' movie and brand. In March of 2007, she was profiled by 'Ebony' magazine, which billed her as "The $400 Million Dollar Woman." Earlier this year, Symone starred in the Martin Lawrence box office hit 'College Road Trip.' In 2008 the media mogul released her fourth studio album aptly titled, 'Raven-Symoné.'

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Sabrina LeBeauf : Sondra Huxtable- Tibideaux
Despite the fact that she is a graduate from UCLA and the Yale School of Drama, LeBeauf has done very little work as far a acting is concerned. But the New Orleans native has her very own interior design business. Her other notable appearances include guest stints on 'Star Trek: The Next Generation,' 'Cosby,' and 'Fatherhood.' A Barack Obama supporter, LeBeauf has done Shakespeare in recent years and even lived in India for a month. The 50-year-old actress is slated to be in a project titled 'The Stalker Within' set to release this year.

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Joseph C. Phillips: Lt. Martin Kendall
Since the end of the show, Philips has maintained a very steady line of work in guest appearances on many shows from 'Martin' to 'General Hospital' to even 'The King of Queens' and 'Without A Trace.' His first taste at fame came in the form of starring opposite Halle Berry in the comedy 'Strictly Business,' which he starred in before 'The Cosby Show.' A longtime stint on the ABC soap opera 'General Hospital' kept him on TV years after the groundbreaking series ended. Recently, the Denver, Colorado native has created a niche for himself, not only as an actor, but also as a social activist as a television and radio commentator. A proud member of the Republican party, the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. member was the National Co-Chair of the African American Steering committee for the "Bush/Cheney '04" campaign and was named a member of the Republican National Committees African American Advisory Board.

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