I’m the boy right next to Bill Cosby, 1983. I’m eleven. I believe I was paid $50 to be in this ad.
We spent one evening getting measured and clothed. I got to keep the suit. Day of the shooting, all the kids met at this table in a banquet room in a South Lake Tahoe casino. Before Mr. Cosby came in, the camera man prepped us how we would take photos with the cup of pudding – No, DON’T EAT IT YET! – THEN take photos of us SLOWLY eating the pudding, THEN take photos with the empty cups. Some kids were swapped out between shots, but I remained for everything.
Finally, Bill Cosby arrived in his tie and jacket, a cigar, and with only red boxing shorts and beach thong sandals. I think it was supposed to be a joke to make it fun, but I somehow didn’t process it as particularly funny or unusual at the time.
Even at this young age, I distinctly remember thinking Mr. Cosby seemed serious and NOT funny, not smiling, and not particularly excited to be there, and then he would put down his cigar and all of a sudden turn on his “entertaining, fun with kids” persona and crack some jokes and give that smile we know.
The adorable little African American girl refused to do anything they asked, and I remember Mr. Cosby spending a lot of time trying to joke with her and get her to hold up the cup, or smile, or keep her head up, or look at the camera, and so on. I don’t know exactly how to express my conflicted feelings about having done this ad with Bill Cosby.