17 Things You Never Knew About ‘The Cosby Show’

4. Sondra could not have actually been Clair’s daughter

Sondra was Clair’s daughter on the show, but in real life the actresses were only ten years apart in age. Part of the reason why Sabrina LeBeauf got the role of Sondra, was because she was well educated like the character with a degree from Yale. FYI, a young Whitney Houston almost landed the role.

5. They had to change the name for Italy

The Cosby Show was a hit all over the world, but the Italians had a hard time pronouncing Huxtable so they changed it to The Robinsons for their viewing convenience. The name was chosen in honor of Jackie Robinson, the baseball player who broke the color barrier in the Major Leagues.

6. Some of the family members were named after Bill’s real life family

In 1964 Bill married Camille Olivia Hanks, and his onscreen wife’s maiden name was written as Hanks as well. Denise’s stepdaughter was named Olivia, his real life and onscreen mom were both named Anna, and grandpa Russell got his name from Bill’s real life brother.