ACTOR
Bill Robinson
1877 - 1949

Bill Robinson
Bill "Bojangles" Robinson (born Luther Robinson; May 25, 1878 – November 25, 1949), was an American tap dancer, actor, and singer, the best known and the most highly paid black entertainer in the United States during the first half of the 20th century. His long career mirrored changes in American entertainment tastes and technology. His career began in the age of minstrel shows and moved to vaudeville, Broadway theatre, the recording industry, Hollywood films, radio, and television. According to dance critic Marshall Stearns, "Robinson's contribution to tap dance is exact and specific. Read more on Wikipedia
His biography is available in 22 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 20 in 2024). Bill Robinson is the 6,090th most popular actor (down from 5,292nd in 2024), the 9,410th most popular biography from United States (down from 7,713th in 2019) and the 2,806th most popular American Actor.
Memorability Metrics
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Among ACTORS
Among actors, Bill Robinson ranks 6,090 out of 13,578. Before him are Junko Takeuchi, Barry Foster, Ray Park, Daniel Henney, Hu Die, and Inge Keller. After him are Jessalyn Gilsig, Lee Jung-eun, Patricia Bredin, Linus Roache, Roy Kinnear, and Mikhail Yefremov.
Most Popular Actors in Wikipedia
Go to all RankingsJunko Takeuchi
1972 - Present
HPI: 53.63
Rank: 6,085
Barry Foster
1931 - 2002
HPI: 53.63
Rank: 6,086
Ray Park
1974 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,087
Daniel Henney
1979 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,088
Hu Die
1908 - 1989
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,089
Inge Keller
1923 - 2017
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,090
Bill Robinson
1877 - 1949
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,091
Jessalyn Gilsig
1971 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,092
Lee Jung-eun
1970 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,093
Patricia Bredin
1935 - 2023
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,094
Linus Roache
1964 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 6,095
Roy Kinnear
1934 - 1988
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 6,096
Mikhail Yefremov
1963 - Present
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 6,097
Contemporaries
Among people born in 1877, Bill Robinson ranks 177. Before him are Jón Þorláksson, Leopold Skulski, Félix Paiva, George Cornet, Karel Absolon, and Lloyd C. Douglas. After him are Marsden Hartley, Ruurd Leegstra, Norman Pritchard, Charilaos Vasilakos, Claire McDowell, and Tom Crean. Among people deceased in 1949, Bill Robinson ranks 169. Before him are William Henry Dean, Léon Frapié, J. Searle Dawley, Robert Ripley, Alexander Drankov, and Linda Arvidson. After him are Jack Lovelock, John Neville Keynes, Gregory Mathews, Clarence Kingsbury, Frank Fetter, and Sidney Olcott.
Others Born in 1877
Go to all RankingsJón Þorláksson
POLITICIAN
1877 - 1935
HPI: 54.01
Rank: 171
Leopold Skulski
POLITICIAN
1877 - 1940
HPI: 54.00
Rank: 172
Félix Paiva
POLITICIAN
1877 - 1965
HPI: 53.95
Rank: 173
George Cornet
ATHLETE
1877 - 1952
HPI: 53.79
Rank: 174
Karel Absolon
ARCHAEOLOGIST
1877 - 1960
HPI: 53.69
Rank: 175
Lloyd C. Douglas
WRITER
1877 - 1951
HPI: 53.68
Rank: 176
Bill Robinson
ACTOR
1877 - 1949
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 177
Marsden Hartley
PAINTER
1877 - 1943
HPI: 53.53
Rank: 178
Ruurd Leegstra
ATHLETE
1877 - 1933
HPI: 53.18
Rank: 179
Norman Pritchard
ACTOR
1877 - 1929
HPI: 53.04
Rank: 180
Charilaos Vasilakos
ATHLETE
1877 - 1964
HPI: 53.02
Rank: 181
Claire McDowell
ACTOR
1877 - 1966
HPI: 53.02
Rank: 182
Tom Crean
EXPLORER
1877 - 1938
HPI: 52.93
Rank: 183
Others Deceased in 1949
Go to all RankingsWilliam Henry Dean
ATHLETE
1887 - 1949
HPI: 54.27
Rank: 163
Léon Frapié
WRITER
1863 - 1949
HPI: 54.24
Rank: 164
J. Searle Dawley
FILM DIRECTOR
1877 - 1949
HPI: 54.17
Rank: 165
Robert Ripley
BUSINESSPERSON
1890 - 1949
HPI: 54.00
Rank: 166
Alexander Drankov
FILM DIRECTOR
1886 - 1949
HPI: 54.00
Rank: 167
Linda Arvidson
ACTOR
1884 - 1949
HPI: 53.87
Rank: 168
Bill Robinson
ACTOR
1877 - 1949
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 169
Jack Lovelock
ATHLETE
1910 - 1949
HPI: 53.27
Rank: 170
John Neville Keynes
ECONOMIST
1852 - 1949
HPI: 53.23
Rank: 171
Gregory Mathews
POLITICIAN
1876 - 1949
HPI: 53.05
Rank: 172
Clarence Kingsbury
CYCLIST
1882 - 1949
HPI: 52.88
Rank: 173
Frank Fetter
ECONOMIST
1863 - 1949
HPI: 52.72
Rank: 174
Sidney Olcott
FILM DIRECTOR
1872 - 1949
HPI: 52.65
Rank: 175
In United States
Among people born in United States, Bill Robinson ranks 9,412 out of 20,380. Before him are Shirley Ann Jackson (1946), Angus King (1944), George Thorogood (1950), Daniel Henney (1979), Jane Irwin Harrison (1804), and John L. Phillips (1951). After him are Robert Pearce (1908), Alfred Mosher Butts (1899), Alfred W. Crosby (1931), James Joseph Dresnok (1941), Chuck Mangione (1940), and Ray Allen (1975).
Others born in United States
Go to all RankingsShirley Ann Jackson
PHYSICIST
1946 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,406
Angus King
POLITICIAN
1944 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,407
George Thorogood
SINGER
1950 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,408
Daniel Henney
ACTOR
1979 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,409
Jane Irwin Harrison
POLITICIAN
1804 - 1846
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,410
John L. Phillips
ASTRONAUT
1951 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,411
Bill Robinson
ACTOR
1877 - 1949
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,412
Robert Pearce
WRESTLER
1908 - 1996
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,413
Alfred Mosher Butts
ARCHITECT
1899 - 1993
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 9,414
Alfred W. Crosby
HISTORIAN
1931 - 2018
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 9,415
James Joseph Dresnok
MILITARY PERSONNEL
1941 - 2016
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 9,416
Chuck Mangione
MUSICIAN
1940 - 2025
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 9,417
Ray Allen
BASKETBALL PLAYER
1975 - Present
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 9,418
Among ACTORS In United States
Among actors born in United States, Bill Robinson ranks 2,807. Before him are Robert Warwick (1878), James Haven (1973), Brooke Burke (1971), Verna Felton (1890), Marguerite Clark (1883), and Daniel Henney (1979). After him are Clarke Peters (1952), Desmond Harrington (1976), Shawnee Smith (1969), David Selby (1941), James Parrott (1897), and Robert Costanzo (1942).
Robert Warwick
1878 - 1964
HPI: 53.64
Rank: 2,801
James Haven
1973 - Present
HPI: 53.64
Rank: 2,802
Brooke Burke
1971 - Present
HPI: 53.63
Rank: 2,803
Verna Felton
1890 - 1966
HPI: 53.63
Rank: 2,804
Marguerite Clark
1883 - 1940
HPI: 53.63
Rank: 2,805
Daniel Henney
1979 - Present
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 2,806
Bill Robinson
1877 - 1949
HPI: 53.62
Rank: 2,807
Clarke Peters
1952 - Present
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 2,808
Desmond Harrington
1976 - Present
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 2,809
Shawnee Smith
1969 - Present
HPI: 53.61
Rank: 2,810
David Selby
1941 - Present
HPI: 53.60
Rank: 2,811
James Parrott
1897 - 1939
HPI: 53.60
Rank: 2,812
Robert Costanzo
1942 - Present
HPI: 53.60
Rank: 2,813


























































