All My Children

Background:

American classic, consistent character actor Keith Hamilton Cobb is famous among television audiences as Noah Keefer on the daytime series “All My Children” (1995-1996), from which he won two Soap Opera Digest Awards, a Daytime Emmy nomination and two Image nominations, and the ruthless Nietzschean mercenary Tyr Anasazi in the sci-fi series “Andromeda” (2000-2003). He also portrayed Damon Porter on the soap opera “The Young and the Restless” (2003-2005), in which he earned a Soap Opera Digest nominations and two Image nominations, and Quincy in four episodes of “Noah's Arc” (2006). In addition to television, Cobb also has acted in several stage productions and a few films, including 1995's “Eyes Beyond Seeing.”

One of People magazine's “50 Most Beautiful People in the world” (1996), Cobb spends his spare time becoming a theatrical consultant at Youth Theatre Interactions, Inc., a youth theatre performing arts school in Yonkers, New York. His bobbies include renovating home, writing , photography, cycling, swimming and fencing. He mentions French author Guy de Maupassant as his favorite writer and Montgomery Clift as his favorite actor.

Tyr Anasazi

Childhood and Family:

Keith Hamilton Cobb was born on January 28, 1962, in North Tarrytown (now Sleepy Hollow), New York, to James Cobb, a mechanical engineer, and Mary Lane Cobb, a retired physician. He has two sisters, Pamela and Lane, both of whom are physicians. Keith has frequently stated that his hard working African American parents are his biggest inspirations.

Keith graduated from Sleepy Hollow High School and Westchester Community College. In 1987, he received a B.A. degree from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts. He also attended Circle in the Square Theatre School and Playwrights Horizons Theater School.

Keith Hamilton Cobb, whose first name means “wood dweller” in Celtic, has the nickname Tyr Anasazi, his character on the TV series “Andromeda.”

Andromeda

Career:

A fresh graduate of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Keith Hamilton Cobb made his feature film acting debut in a small role as Simon in the independent movie “Astonished” (1988), which was jointly directed by Jeff Khan and Travis Preston. He followed it up with an uncredited part in the English short film “Cold Light of Day” (1989), but he then disappeared from the scene for many years. A classical trained actor, Cobb found himself honing his crafts on the New York stage with the Shakespeare Theatre in such productions as “Romeo and Juliet” and “Julius Caesar,” where he portrayed Tybalt and Octavius, respectively. Other stage credits include “Othello,” “Hamlet,” “The Beaux Stratagem,” “Coriolanus” and “Cymbeline.”

Cobb did not return to film until the mid-1990, when he starred as a puzzling mental patient who claims to be Jesus Christ on 1995's “Eyes Beyond Seeing.” The same year, he also broke into the small screen with a guest spot in the “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” episode of “As the Will Turns.” Cobb's first major role arrived later that same year when he won the role of Noah Keefer on the daytime soap opera “All My Children,” which he portrayed from 1995 to 1996. For his bright performance, the actor picked up two Soap Opera Digests in the categories of Outstanding Male Newcomer (1995) and Hottest Romance (1996), the latter of which he shared with co-star Sydney Penny, as well as such nominations as a Daytime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series and two Image nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series. In the height of his success, Cobb was chosen as one of People magazine's “50 most beautiful people” in 1996.

After leaving “All My Children,” Cobb joined the cast of the sci-fi series “Total Recall 2070” in 1999, playing Dilah. Although the show proved outstanding, it was canceled after 22 episodes. Cobb also made guest appearances in series like “Suddenly Susan” (1999) and “BeastMaster” (2 episodes, 1999-2000). It was in October 2000 that the New York native began his regular gig on the science-fiction series “Andromeda.” He portrayed the merciless Tyr Anasazi until after its third season in 2003, when he decided to quit the show due to the disagreement over the development of his character.

Next, Cobb returned to the daytime realm by joining the cast of the long-running series “The Young and the Restless” in the role of Damon Porter from 2003 to 2005. He was nominated for a 2005 Soap Opera Digest Award for Favorite Return, and Image Awards for Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series in 2004 and 2005.

2006 saw Cobb take on the recurring role of Quincy on LOGO Network's comedy series, “Noah's Arc,” starring Darryl Stephens in the title character. More recently, in October 2007, he appeared as Aries Spears' lawyer in an episode of “CSI: Miami.”  

Awards:

• Soap Opera Digest: Hottest Romance, “All My Children,” 1996

• Soap Opera Digest: Outstanding Male Newcomer, “All My Children,” 1995