‘Cosby Show’ Grandmother Dies At 93

Clarice Taylor, the actress who played Bill Cosby's mom on 'The Cosby Show' has died at the age of 93. The cause was congestive heart failure.

Taylor initially tried out for the part of Phylicia Rashad's mother, but didn't get the gig. She said she wore tight fitting clothing and got made up so she wouldn't look too old for the part.

When she later auditioned to play Bill Cosby's mom, she went completely the other direction, wearing a gray wig and a shapeless dress to look as old as possible. Cosby saw the effort while she was reading her lines and told her that if she was going to go through all of that, she had the job.

Clarice Taylor enjoyed a long career and played in numerous off Broadway shows, including a role as the witch in a stage production of 'The Wiz'. She was also in the Clint Eastwood movie 'Play Misty For Me' and had a recurring role in 'Sesame Street'. (via ABCnews.go.com)