Bill Cosby Is 75

Bill Cosby's birthday has spiraled out of control. "I'm not in charge of these things anymore," deadpans the actor, who turns 75 on July 12 and recently published his 12th book, I Didn't Ask to Be Born (But I'm Glad I Was). "When you're married and have children, people use birthdays as a time to boss you around."

Sign up for the AARP Leisure Newletter.

Cosby isn't exactly broken up by this turn of events. "I never had a birthday party growing up," he recalls, "because we never had any money." He expects to be banished to his bedroom until dinnertime this year, with instructions from his four kids on what to be wearing when he emerges.

What's on the table when he gets downstairs, however, will definitely be at his direction. Cosby gave up fried food and barbecue eight months ago, lowering his cholesterol to normal. Now an avid juicer with a taste for blends made from collard greens, garlic and ginger, he lives by the mantra: "I ate my way into this, and I'm going to eat my way out of it."

Bill Cosby recently sat down with AARP to describe the view from the three-quarter-century mark.

Q: Is there one birthday you remember in particular?

A: Yeah, my 11th — but not because it was the best. My mother said, "Why don't you go see your Uncle William [her brother] and tell him it's your birthday?" We had no phone — and didn't till I turned 14 — so I walked the 53 blocks from 10th and Parrish in Philadelphia to 57th and Haverford.

When I got to Uncle William's address, all the shades were down to keep the house cool. So I rang the bell and this dude opens the door and I say, "Uncle William?"

And he says, "Well, I don't know."

So I say, "I'm Annie Cosby's son, Billy."

"Oh, Annie!" he says. "Then yes sir, I'm Uncle William."

"She asked me to come by and say it's my birthday."

So he says, "Well, come in."

Funnyman Bill Cosby is still getting laughs after 50 years as an entertainer. — Photo by NBC Universal/Getty Images

It was a nice house — two stories — and he says, "Sit down."

I'm waiting for him to say "Happy birthday," so I say something like "I'm happy to come and see you." Then it gets real quiet and we sit there in silence for I don't know how long. Finally I can't take it any more: "Well, Uncle William, I guess I'll be going."

And he says, "Well, take care of yourself, Billy."

I get to the door and I say, "Uncle William, could you give me carfare so I can ride home?"

The bus was 12 cents and this grown man says, "I don't have a cent."

I couldn't believe it, but I knew he wasn't lying. So I got brave enough to say, "You got any soda bottles?" (You could get a nickel back for each large bottle.)

And Uncle William says, "I don't have a one."

By now I'd had enough, so I go in his kitchen and sure enough there's nothing there. So I left and walked the 53 blocks home in the 90-degree heat.

When I got back, Mom asked me, "How's Uncle William?"

"Well," I said, "he's dead broke."