A Glimpse Behind the Mask: Bill Cosby by Alan P. Sloan

Who is Bill Cosby? Is he a funny, charming performer, doling out sage advice and entertaining children? Or does his warm smile hide a decadent and unrepentant serial rapist? Is he wearing a mask?

On Monday, the Associated Press obtained 2005 documents where Bill Cosby admitted to obtaining quaaludes to give to young women and “other people” for sex.

With at least 42 women accusing Cosby of sexual assault, observers are left with the uncomfortable revelation that this amusing comic that many of us grew up with, was wearing a mask.

With that in mind I want to share an extraordinary excerpt from an upcoming memoir by a long-time Hollywood insider Alan P. Sloan, who worked as a high level executive and producer in Hollywood, recalling a revealing encounter with Bill Cosby.

BILL COSBY

(Excerpted from the memoirs of Alan P. Sloan)

 

The day I spent with Bill Cosby was one of the most unpleasant experiences in my career as a television producer. Unlike the public picture of the witty, relaxed comedian he was a bully who went out of his way to make certain we understood that he was the ”man”.

 

My company was doing two children’s TV programs based on the LIKE YOU/LIKE ME series we had produced for Encyclopedia Britannica. Five of the three minute (or so) cartoon shorts focusing on handicapped children – “they’re just like you and me” – were to be combined into a half hour program with a live host weaving the individual segments together. We had an order from ABC for two, thirty minute, programs and the network wanted a major TV star as host for each. We agreed upon Bill Cosby, comedian and recently awarded Ph.D. in childhood education, and Kate Jackson, star of the mega-hit series Charlie’s Angels. Cosby’s price was $10,000 for one day’s work (about $50,000 in today’s dollars) and that meant that Ms. Jackson would have to be paid a similar amount, even though that was considerably above her usual rate.

 

Kate Jackson was a sweetheart to work with. Her openings were to be filmed at a local playground where the script called for her to start her dialogue with a simple acrobatic move on one of the pieces of equipment – e.g. a “Jungle Jim”. She arrived at the location limping – she had accidentally injured her leg – but insisted on going though with our setups despite her obvious pain and discomfort. We completed the day’s work on schedule, with a minimum of fuss, and at the end of the day Kate thanked us profusely for the opportunity.

 

In contrast Cosby was a problem from the beginning. His agent, Mr. Brokaw at the Morris office, insisted that I meet with Cosby the evening before filming to discuss the “shoot”. He was appearing in Las Vegas so, to accommodate him, we had arranged to film on location at a Day Care Center there with a classroom of kindergartners working busily in the background. Brokaw set up the meeting to take place in Cosby’s dressing room after his late evening performance. It seemed an odd arrangement but this is a strange business so I watched (and enjoyed) his show and then armed with my script and notes went backstage for the meeting.

 

Cosby was having drinks, and deeply engaged in an intimate conversation, with one of the most beautiful young women I had ever seen – certainly a model or an actress. He didn’t seem to know who I was nor why I was there and obviously wanted to get rid of me ASAP. We settled on a time to meet the next morning – we would travel together to the location by limousine – and then he hustled me out the door.

 

At the next day’s filming it was obvious that Cosby was not prepared. He had not read the script and we had to make numerous changes as we went along to accommodate him. Throughout the day he was surly and unpleasant to the crew, but on camera relating to the children, he was the iconic Bill Cosby.

 

When we completed filming the staff of the Day Care Center told us they had a surprise for Mr. Cosby. They brought in juice and cookies for the assembled group and then the children presented Cosby with a Certificate of Appreciation they had all signed and a box of Jell-O (he was the Jell-O spokesman at that time). We were all amused and heart warmed by their gesture. Cosby was funny and gracious as he received the award, but almost immediately signaled me that it was time to leave.

 

The limo had been delayed but he didn’t want to wait and insisted we find a taxi and get out of there. In the cab on the way back to the hotel I tried to strike up a conversation, even willing to lie and compliment him on what a successful day we had just to pass the time, but he simply ignored me. I felt he was being rude to me but he did speak once to the cab driver offering him the box of Jell-O that the children had gifted him.

 

We arrived at the hotel entrance and Cosby stopped, crumpled up his Certificate of Appreciation and threw it into a trashcan outside the front door. For me it was the exclamation point to the day’s events. He waved a half-hearted good bye and left me standing in front of the hotel. To this day I still wonder why he couldn’t have waited to toss the Certificate the children had presented to him until he was alone in his room. I guess that underneath his comic facade he was a very angry man – despite the $10,000 day and whatever had transpired with that very beautiful lady the previous evening.