‘The Bill Cosby Show’ Actor Passes Away at 95

Lee Weaver, the longtime character actor known for his work on television and in movies, has died at the age of 95. His family announced that he passed away on September 22 at his home in Los Angeles. They said he “wove joy, depth and representation into every role he played and everything he did.”

Weaver is remembered for his role as Brian Kincaid on the 1969-71 series The Bill Cosby Show, where he played the brother of Bill Cosby’s character’s gym teacher. He also appeared on Hill Street Blues and NYPD Blue as the memorable Buck Naked.

In the short-lived NBC comedy Easy Street (1986-87), Weaver and Jack Elam played two down-on-their-luck roommates who move into a mansion inherited by a former Las Vegas showgirl, played by Loni Anderson. That show, created by Hugh Wilson, lasted only one season.

Film audiences also remember Weaver for his part in the Coen brothers’ 2000 movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, where he played a blind man who gives three escaped convicts a ride and some cryptic advice. Over his career, Weaver appeared in many notable films including Vanishing Point, Heaven Can Wait, Bulworth, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Donnie Darko, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

Lee Wellington Weaver was born on April 10, 1930, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was raised by his aunt and uncle until he moved to Tallahassee for high school and later attended Florida A&M. At 22, he joined the U.S. Army and served for four years before moving to New York. There, he worked as a linotype engineer for The New York Times and promoted shows at the famous Birdland jazz club.

Weaver helped book legendary musicians including Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, and Cannonball Adderley, who wrote a song called “The Weaver” in his honor.

Weaver started acting in the mid-1950s, appearing on shows like Sheena: Queen of the Jungle and the 1959 film Al Capone. In the late 1960s, he appeared on I Spy and had recurring bits with Bill Cosby on The Tonight Show. He later returned to Cosby’s projects, including The Cosby Show and A Different World.

Throughout the 1970s, Weaver appeared on popular TV series like Adam-12, Sanford and Son, Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Starsky & Hutch. He also acted in films such as Cleopatra Jones and House Calls. In the 1980s, he lent his voice to the animated series G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero.

His later work included films like The Two Jakes, The Thirteenth Floor, Max Rose, and guest appearances on shows including 227, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Grace and Frankie.

Weaver was married to actress Ta-Tanisha, known for Room 222, and the couple had a daughter, Leis La-Te.

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