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Rudy Huxtable

October 27, 2023

Rudith Lillian "Rudy" Huxtable[1][2][3][4] is a fictional character who appears on the American sitcom The Cosby Show (1984–1992). Portrayed by actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, Rudy is the youngest child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable. First appearing alongside her family in the pilot episode "Theo's Economic Lesson", which premiered on September 20, 1984, Rudy matures from a precocious five-year-old girl into a teenager longing for independence throughout the course of the series' eight year-long run.

Rudy Huxtable
The Cosby Show character
Actress Keshia Knight Pulliam in character as Rudy Huxtable.
First appearance"Pilot" (September 20, 1984)
Last appearance"And So We Commence" (April 30, 1992)
Created byBill Cosby
Portrayed byKeshia Knight Pulliam
In-universe information
Full nameRudith Lillian Huxtable
OccupationStudent
FamilyCliff Huxtable (father)
Clair Huxtable (mother)
Sondra Huxtable (sister)
Denise Huxtable (sister)
Theo Huxtable (brother)
Vanessa Huxtable (sister)
Relatives
  • Russel Huxtable (paternal grandfather)
  • Anna Huxtable (paternal grandmother)
  • Al Hanks (maternal grandfather)
  • Carrie Hanks (maternal grandmother)
  • Pam Tucker (cousin)
  • Olivia Kendall (step-niece)
  • Nelson Tibideaux (nephew)
  • Winnie Tidideaux (niece)
NationalityAmerican

Created by comedian Bill Cosby, Rudy was originally intended to be a boy; actor Jaleel White had been considered the first choice for the role until Knight Pulliam impressed the show's producers once auditions had finally been opened to girls. Having originally been opposed to the idea of featuring young children, particularly young girls, on his show because he feared that they would prove difficult to work with, Cosby was initially hesitant to cast Knight Pulliam due to her young age at the time. However, he was ultimately impressed by both her maturity and ability to memorize lines, subsequently re-writing the character into a younger, female role but refused to change her name from the more masculine-sounding "Rudy". By the second season, Cosby began entrusting Knight Pulliam with more mature material. Rudy was inspired by Cosby's youngest daughter Evin.

Both the character and Knight Pulliam's performance immediately garnered widespread acclaim from entertainment critics. Knight Pulliam was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1986, becoming the youngest performer to be nominated for an Emmy Award; the scene in which she lip-syncs to Ray Charles' "Night Time is the Right Time" has garnered significant attention. Her role as Rudy eventually established her as a child star. However, critics have observed that Knight Pulliam's once-reliable "cuteness" began to falter and grow less funny towards the show's latter seasons as both the actress and her character aged.

Role Edit

Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam) is introduced as the five-year-old youngest child of Cliff (Bill Cosby), an obstetrician, and Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad), a lawyer;[5][6][7] the character's full name is revealed to be "Rudith Lillian Huxtable" in the first-season episode "Theo and the Joint".[4] She is the youngest sister of Sondra (Sabrina Le Beuf), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Theo (Malcolm-Jamal Warner) and Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe).[8] In early episodes, Rudy attends an unidentified grammar school and owns a teddy bear she calls "Bobo" and a pet goldfish named Lamont.[9] Rudy also proves to be a gifted football player, becoming known for her speed and endurance as a member of the Pee-Wee League football team.[10]

Several episodes revolve around the Huxtable family entertaining Rudy and her young friends, such as sleepovers and dinners.[4] Her childhood best friend is Peter Chiara (Peter Costa), a quiet and shy boy who lives in a house across the street from the Huxtables.[11] Rudy eventually befriends Kenny (Deon Richmond), also known as "Bud",[12] who often expresses a romantic interest in her and sometimes competes for her affection against Rudy's other love interests;[13] the two characters also frequently debate each other about gender roles.[12][14]

Several Rudy-centric storylines explore the character's struggles of being the youngest member of her large family.[14] Over the course of the series, Rudy matures from a young child into a teenager,[15][16] to the point of which she starts dating.[17] Cliff sometimes fears that his youngest daughter is growing up too fast, struggling with the realization that soon she will cease to be "his little girl".[10] Rudy's hunger for independence and maturity sometimes gets her into trouble, such as when she attends an underage club against her parents' wishes and is ultimately punished for her defiance.[18] By the end of the series, a 13 year-old Rudy is the only Huxtable child still living in her parents' home full-time in the absence of her four older siblings, all of whom have successfully moved out having either gotten married or pursued higher education.[19]

Development Edit

Creation and casting Edit

Comedian Bill Cosby began developing The Cosby Show partially because he was not impressed with popular family sitcoms airing at the time, several of which he felt were too reliant on children disrespecting and disobeying their parents without suffering serious consequences.[11] Cosby was originally opposed to the idea of his show featuring children altogether, preferring to create and star in a series about a married, childless couple instead.[20] When executive producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner convinced Cosby to develop a sitcom about a nuclear family,[20] the comedian decided his show would feature a family of children who were obviously intelligent, "but their parents were always smarter and—most importantly—in charge."[11] Originally written as a male character,[21] Rudy was initially conceived as the youngest of only four children, two girls and two boys.[22][23] Cosby originally envisioned the youngest Huxtable child as a young boy who idolizes his older brother Theo,[11] giving him the typically masculine name "Rudy" and intending to base the character on his own sons.[20][24][25]

 
Actor Jaleel White was originally considered the frontrunner for the role of Rudy until Knight Pulliam auditioned.

When casting his television children, Cosby originally insisted that none of the candidates be younger than 10 years-old due to challenges he had experienced working alongside child actors prior. He warned the producers "We'll be shooting for the rest of our lives if we have a little kid!"[24] However, Carsey and Werner believed that Cosby had proven too gifted at working with children to avoid featuring them on the show altogether, and eventually convinced the comedian to audition a few six-year-old actors for the then-male role of Rudy.[22] After first auditioning in 1984,[8] actor Jaleel White was at one point considered to be the top contender for the role,[26] so much so that his agent advised his family to start preparing to relocate to New York, where The Cosby Show was scheduled to begin filming;[11] White's family had already begun packing and researching apartments within the area.[25] However, the producers still wanted to audition a few more children for the role at the last minute, one of whom was four-year-old actress Keshia Knight Pulliam,[11] who Werner had originally discovered in a then-recent television commercial for Del Monte canned corn.[22][5] Knight Pulliam's professional acting experience at the time had included advertising baby products for Johnson & Johnson and appearing in several television commercials.[27] She had already made her television debut as a series regular on the children's television show Sesame Street,[28] on which she had appeared for two seasons.[21][29][5]

Although Cosby eventually became open to the idea of young children appearing on his show, he still insisted that they not cast "little girls" because he had typically acted opposite child actresses while filming several commercials for Jell-O and feared repeating himself or appearing redundant.[20] Casting a boy in the role eventually proved difficult so the auditions were slowly opened up to girls,[30][31] prompting one of the casting directors to sneak Pulliam into one of the auditions without Cosby's prior knowledge.[20] During one of her first screen tests, director Jay Sandrich recalled that Knight Pulliam struggled to maintain eye contact with him and appeared to be constantly distracted by one of the television monitors.[22] When Sandrich questioned her behavior, the actress gestured towards the screen and said "That’s me! How can you make me on the TV?"[11] Knight Pulliam's curiosity greatly impressed Sandrich to the point of which he immediately short-listed the actress, replacing White as top choice.[11]

White recalled being present to witness Knight Pulliam's last-minute audition,[32] which the network had previously assured him was merely "a formality";[25] Warner and Bledsoe were also in attendance to audition for the roles of Theo and Vanessa, respectively,[33] as well as NBC president Brandon Tartikoff and Cosby himself.[8] Over the course of six hours,[8] the producers asked each finalist to make them laugh.[25] When the producers hand-picked the finalists, White was one of several actors who returned home upon not being selected.[25] According to Sandrich, Cosby agreed with his decision regarding Knight Pulliam's casting, explaining, "once Bill saw her, there was just no way she couldn't be on the show".[24] Although Cosby was initially hesitant to add such a young actor to the cast, he admitted to being impressed by Knight Pulliam's intelligence and ability to follow instructions, despite her young age.[22] Cosby refused to change the character's name, insisting that the name "Rudy" was equally as suitable for a girl as it is for a boy.[22] White would eventually become best known for portraying Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters.[31][26] Despite dubbing this experience his "tragic auditioning story",[33] he explained "I’m grateful that things worked out the way they did; I think it put a little more money in my pocket."[25]

Portrayal Edit

In addition to changing the character from male to female by impressing the producers,[34] Knight Pulliam's casting as Rudy also affected Theo's role, who ultimately became the only son among four sisters,[11] resulting in the Huxtables mirroring Cosby's own family.[25] Rudy is believed to have been based on Cosby's daughter Evin.[23] The Huxtable household eventually grew once eldest sister Sondra was introduced in later episodes on, making Rudy the youngest of five children instead.[11] During the first few seasons, Knight Pulliam had to learn and memorize her lines phonetically because she had not yet learned how to read.[35] Her parents James and Denise often helped the actress memorize her material.[36] Additionally, she was privately tutored on the set of The Cosby Show.[5] Both Knight Pulliam and her character were considered to be personal favorites of Cosby.[29][22] Calling him "real funny",[5] Knight Pulliam particularly enjoyed when Cosby would venture away from the script in order to make his cast mates laugh.[24] Cosby would patiently advise Knight Pulliam on her acting and reward her with high fives when he was impressed by her performance.[22] On other occasions, he would playfully "steal" some of her dialogue.[22] Describing the young actress as "unbelievable", Cosby recalled that "People gravitated to her ... We never had a problem. Nobody ever had to come down from wherever they were observing and get the child and stop her from crying."[37] Knight Pulliam and Cosby's relationship extended off screen; the actress recalled that she and the comedian "had a competition going on to see who would do a better job at lip-syncing ... That was our little inside thing. I think I did a better job."[2][38] Knight Pulliam believes "There was no better foundation than to work with the talented cast with Mr. Cosby leading the way."[37]

Marilyn Marshall of Ebony observed that Knight Pulliam shares her character's friendliness, well-manners and tomboyish demeanor.[5] By the second season, Rudy's role was expanded beyond that of solely "the baby of the family",[5] and Cosby began giving the actress more mature material because she had "earned the reputation ... for rarely flubbing her lines."[36] Most of The Cosby Show's storylines tend to revolve around the three youngest children, Theo, Vanessa and Rudy.[39] Knight Pulliam would also do her homework either on set or in her dressing room in between tapings.[19] Knight Pulliam eventually matured to the point of which she outgrew the cuteness that was originally synonymous with the role, so Cosby developed a storyline that introduced Olivia Kendall (Raven-Symoné), Denise's three-year-old step-daughter via her marriage to Martin Kendall.[22][40][41] The Root contributor Erin E. Evans agreed that "With Rudy in her early teens, Olivia provided all the 'aww-ain't-she-cute' moments in the series' final seasons."[42]The A. V. Club observed that the older Rudy got the more she adopted "the storylines previously reserved for" older sister Vanessa.[40] In 1986, Knight Pulliam identified The Cosby Show as her favorite television show.[5] However, the actress voiced that she dislikes being referred to as "Rudy" when she is not in character.[5] The actress fondly remembers her first seasons on the show as her "favorite time".[19] Knight Pulliam is particularly fond of the second season episode "Happy Anniversary",[4] in which the Huxtables perform Ray Charles' "Night Time is the Right Time" (1958) for Cliff's parents in honor of their wedding anniversary.[2] Having portrayed the character for eight years,[43] Knight Pulliam was age 13 by the time the show concluded in 1991.[44] Sandrich likened watching the actress grow to "graduating from college".[44]

Characterization Edit

As the youngest Huxtable child, Rudy was widely known as the "baby" of the family,[38][45][46] a role that eventually expanded as the character grew older.[5] AllMovie's Nathan Southern described the character as "spunky" and "pint-sized".[47] The words "precocious" and "adorable" are often used to describe the character during her earliest appearances.[48][49][50][51] Amber Ferguson, writing for the Erie Times-News, described Rudy as a "wide-eyed, innocent, a little sassy" character who "got the most attention from her parents".[7] Turner Classic Movies referred to Rudy as "outspoken" and "equal parts sugar and sass."[52] Ebony agreed that the character is "known for her smile and sass".[53] Rudy could be obstinate and difficult at times, such as when she refuses to learn to play the violin for her school music class because she would much rather play the cymbals, which had been assigned to her friend Kim (Naoka Nakagowa).[54] Rudy also has a tendency to act in a bossy manner towards some of her friends, particularly Peter and Kenny.[14] A running joke throughout the series is Rudy's decision to nickname Kenny "Bud" simply because she wants to.[55] HuffPost's Jennifer Armstrong believes Rudy's decision to rename Kenny reminds audiences that "She is in charge."[55] Knight Pulliam believes that Rudy had "mellowed out some" by the end of the series.[19]

Rudy's pigtails are considered to be her signature characteristic;[56] Biography.com's Eudie Pak described the character as a "pigtailed whippersnapper."[57] The character also exhibits traits of being a budding young feminist, specifically in her interactions with Kenny;[14] Rudy and Kenny often disagree over Kenny's sexist, chauvinistic opinions about women's issues,[55] based on misguided advice he learns from his unseen elder brother.[23][58][59]

Reception Edit

Critical response Edit

Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television author Bob McCann hailed Rudy as "the cutest, most personable kid on TV".[29] When the show premiered in 1984, critics immediately raved about Knight Pulliam's acting and maturity.[15] The actress often drew loud laughter and applause from the show's studio audience.[15] HuffPost contributor Julee Wilson said Knight Pulliam "stole our hearts the second she hit the screen", while calling Rudy "our pretend best friend with the best one-liners ... dance moves/karaoke skills ... and sensational style".[56] The New York Daily News touted Rudy "the meddling little sister everyone came to know and love".[60] Writing for the same publication, Kirthana Ramisetti believes "The whole country was enthralled with" Rudy.[61] Turner Classic Movies believes Knight Pulliam's wit was rivaled only by Cosby's, commending her for "h[olding] her own against ... her more experienced cast members".[52] SheKnows dubbed Rudy the "cutest Huxtable".[62] Featured in most of the show's storylines, Rudy is arguably among the more popular of the sitcom's five main children.[39] Rudy's popularity among younger viewers resulted in young fans nicknaming the sitcom "The Rudy Show" due to their fondness of her.[24] Younger viewers typically identified with Rudy's struggles and dilemmas pertaining to her status as the youngest sibling in her family.[14] The Daily Edge compiled a list of "7 reasons Rudy Huxtable was the best TV kid ever", citing her attitude, sense of empowerment and talent among several factors.[63]

In his book The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time, author Martin Gitlin identified the episode "Goodbye Mr. Fish" in which the Huxtables hold a funeral for Rudy's late pet goldfish as a particularly memorable episode, praising Rudy's character development.[16] David Hinckley of the New York Daily News found Rudy to be "impossibly cute" during the episode.[64] Pulliam lip-syncing to a portion of musician Ray Charles' "Night Time is the Right Time" is regarded as one of her most memorable contributions to the series,[52] as well as one of the sitcom's best scenes.[65] Vulture.com's Adam K. Raymond wrote that "Rudy absolutely steals the show with her screams of 'baybay!'".[66] CNN's Lisa Respers France agreed that Pulliam "stole our hearts ",[67] a sentiment echoed by Smokey Fontaine of News One (Pakistani TV channel).[68] The New York Times journalist Wesley Morris observed that audiences mostly remember Rudy for mimicking back up singer Margie Hendrix.[69][22] Morris elaborated, "All the comedy comes from the incongruity of a snaggletoothed kindergartner mimicking, with all her might, a grown woman’s yearning. She didn’t fill Hendrix’s shoes ... but her trying to suffices as a definition of joy."[69] Morris concluded that the scene established Rudy as the sitcom's "secret ingredient",[69] while Joshua Alston of The A. V. Club declared that the episode "made a star out of Keshia Knight Pulliam".[70] In 2006, IGN's Todd Gilchrist wrote that Rudy's lip syncing remains "the funniest thing on TV".[71] Calling her a character who "offered more wisdom in her youth than any us ever realized", VH1 dubbed Rudy "the ultimate feminist icon", with contributor Elizabeth Black writing, "she knew what she was talking about when it came to life and love, and we could all take a lesson from her these days."[14] Black joked that the female cast of Love & Hip Hop should find Rudy's advice particularly beneficial.[14]

Not all opinions towards the character have been positive, however; Southern observed that Rudy's cuteness gradually waned "as the program wore on and the actress herself aged", believing that her aging inspired the producers to recruit actress Raven-Symoné.[47] Believing that introducing Raven-Symoné's Olivia as the sitcom's "New Kid" served as an improvement over Rudy, Jonah Krakow of IGN wrote "Sorry Rudy, once you hit puberty, the darndest things you said weren't as funny."[41] In an article recognizing "22 characters who stop good TV shows in their tracks", The A. V. Club ranked Rudy third, writing that although "some of the show’s funniest [early] episodes" revolve around Cliff entertaining Rudy, the character eventually "became less natural and more steely as she aged into the storylines previously reserved for shrill pre-teen Vanessa."[40] Agreeing that the character's "cutesy" storylines were then bestowed upon Olivia, the website dismissed Rudy as "an embittered afterthought be-souring any episode in which she appeared."[40] However, the author acknowledged that Knight Pulliam remained "a charming, unforced child actress".[40] Despite remembering Rudy as "Probably my favorite character when I watched this show at age eight", The Atlantic's Joe Reid reminisced that Rudy "can't seem to get past what a waste of a character she became after season four or so."[48] However, Kevin O'Keefe, writing for the same publication, defended the character, highlighting her "pretty-worthwhile story about feeling replaced as the baby of the family by Olivia".[48]

Awards and accolades Edit

In 1986, Knight Pulliam was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series,[5][15][72] becoming the youngest actor to receive a nomination in the history of the awards ceremony, at the age of six.[52][73] Although Cosby was somewhat disappointed that not all of his co-stars received Emmy Award recognition that year, he was overjoyed by Knight Pulliam's accomplishment.[36] Ramisetti believes Knight Pulliam was nominated "simply for being adorable".[61] The actress then won a People's Choice Award for Favorite Young TV Performer in 1988, followed by a Kids' Choice Award in 1991.[21] Knight Pulliam's other accolades include several NAACP Image Awards.[15]

Legacy Edit

Rudy ultimately became Pulliam's breakout role,[21] establishing Knight Pulliam as a popular child star.[29] Meanwhile, Knight Pulliam established herself as one of the show's most popular cast members.[74] The actress ultimately became so popular that she was prohibited from riding the school bus to school despite her parents' efforts to provide her with a typical childhood, despite her fame.[75] In his biography of the actress, Nathan Southern of AllMovie wrote that the role "rocketed [Pulliam] into the national spotlight -- and won the hearts of many a devoted '80s television viewer".[47] Knight Pulliam's success as Rudy exposed her to several other acting opportunities throughout the 1980s and 1980s.[52] According to Donald Bogle, author of Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television, Knight Pulliam eventually became "the only Black child star of the late 1980s who appeared in movies clearly developed around her."[76] After The Cosby Show, Knight Pulliam would go on to guest star as a guitarist in a 1997 episode of Cosby's self-titled follow-up sitcom Cosby in which both Cosby and Rashad star,[38] reuniting her with her television parents.[75]

Over two decades after The Cosby Show ended, Rudy remains the role for which Pulliam is best-known.[77][78] Knight Pullman admitted that she has sometimes struggled to separate herself from Rudy when pursuing more mature acting roles, explaining, "people are used to seeing me as a little girl, as Rudy from The Cosby Show at 10 years old. I have to let [audiences] know that now I'm a woman".[2] However, Knight Pulliam has been commended for "avoid[ing] the traps of drugs and crime that had befallen so many other child stars during her career",[52] including Cosby himself who attributes her successful transition from child to adult actress to her strong upbringing, explaining, "you will normally find that the child will behave according to the rules of the family ... It was a pleasure working with her because of the mother and father."[37] Knight Pulliam's visit to Spelman College at nine-years-old, where an episode of The Cosby Show was filmed, inspired the actress to attend the school after the sitcom concluded, from where she ultimately earned a bachelor's degree in sociology.[37] In 2014, VH1 ranked Pulliam 27th on their list of "100 Greatest Kid Stars Of All Time".[79]

References Edit

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October 27, 2023
rudy, huxtable, rudith, lillian, rudy, huxtable, fictional, character, appears, american, sitcom, cosby, show, 1984, 1992, portrayed, actress, keshia, knight, pulliam, rudy, youngest, child, cliff, clair, huxtable, first, appearing, alongside, family, pilot, e. Rudith Lillian Rudy Huxtable 1 2 3 4 is a fictional character who appears on the American sitcom The Cosby Show 1984 1992 Portrayed by actress Keshia Knight Pulliam Rudy is the youngest child of Cliff and Clair Huxtable First appearing alongside her family in the pilot episode Theo s Economic Lesson which premiered on September 20 1984 Rudy matures from a precocious five year old girl into a teenager longing for independence throughout the course of the series eight year long run Rudy HuxtableThe Cosby Show characterActress Keshia Knight Pulliam in character as Rudy Huxtable First appearance Pilot September 20 1984 Last appearance And So We Commence April 30 1992 Created byBill CosbyPortrayed byKeshia Knight PulliamIn universe informationFull nameRudith Lillian HuxtableOccupationStudentFamilyCliff Huxtable father Clair Huxtable mother Sondra Huxtable sister Denise Huxtable sister Theo Huxtable brother Vanessa Huxtable sister RelativesRussel Huxtable paternal grandfather Anna Huxtable paternal grandmother Al Hanks maternal grandfather Carrie Hanks maternal grandmother Pam Tucker cousin Olivia Kendall step niece Nelson Tibideaux nephew Winnie Tidideaux niece NationalityAmericanCreated by comedian Bill Cosby Rudy was originally intended to be a boy actor Jaleel White had been considered the first choice for the role until Knight Pulliam impressed the show s producers once auditions had finally been opened to girls Having originally been opposed to the idea of featuring young children particularly young girls on his show because he feared that they would prove difficult to work with Cosby was initially hesitant to cast Knight Pulliam due to her young age at the time However he was ultimately impressed by both her maturity and ability to memorize lines subsequently re writing the character into a younger female role but refused to change her name from the more masculine sounding Rudy By the second season Cosby began entrusting Knight Pulliam with more mature material Rudy was inspired by Cosby s youngest daughter Evin Both the character and Knight Pulliam s performance immediately garnered widespread acclaim from entertainment critics Knight Pulliam was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series in 1986 becoming the youngest performer to be nominated for an Emmy Award the scene in which she lip syncs to Ray Charles Night Time is the Right Time has garnered significant attention Her role as Rudy eventually established her as a child star However critics have observed that Knight Pulliam s once reliable cuteness began to falter and grow less funny towards the show s latter seasons as both the actress and her character aged Contents 1 Role 2 Development 2 1 Creation and casting 2 2 Portrayal 2 3 Characterization 3 Reception 3 1 Critical response 3 2 Awards and accolades 4 Legacy 5 ReferencesRole EditRudy Keshia Knight Pulliam is introduced as the five year old youngest child of Cliff Bill Cosby an obstetrician and Clair Huxtable Phylicia Rashad a lawyer 5 6 7 the character s full name is revealed to be Rudith Lillian Huxtable in the first season episode Theo and the Joint 4 She is the youngest sister of Sondra Sabrina Le Beuf Denise Lisa Bonet Theo Malcolm Jamal Warner and Vanessa Tempestt Bledsoe 8 In early episodes Rudy attends an unidentified grammar school and owns a teddy bear she calls Bobo and a pet goldfish named Lamont 9 Rudy also proves to be a gifted football player becoming known for her speed and endurance as a member of the Pee Wee League football team 10 Several episodes revolve around the Huxtable family entertaining Rudy and her young friends such as sleepovers and dinners 4 Her childhood best friend is Peter Chiara Peter Costa a quiet and shy boy who lives in a house across the street from the Huxtables 11 Rudy eventually befriends Kenny Deon Richmond also known as Bud 12 who often expresses a romantic interest in her and sometimes competes for her affection against Rudy s other love interests 13 the two characters also frequently debate each other about gender roles 12 14 Several Rudy centric storylines explore the character s struggles of being the youngest member of her large family 14 Over the course of the series Rudy matures from a young child into a teenager 15 16 to the point of which she starts dating 17 Cliff sometimes fears that his youngest daughter is growing up too fast struggling with the realization that soon she will cease to be his little girl 10 Rudy s hunger for independence and maturity sometimes gets her into trouble such as when she attends an underage club against her parents wishes and is ultimately punished for her defiance 18 By the end of the series a 13 year old Rudy is the only Huxtable child still living in her parents home full time in the absence of her four older siblings all of whom have successfully moved out having either gotten married or pursued higher education 19 Development EditCreation and casting EditComedian Bill Cosby began developing The Cosby Show partially because he was not impressed with popular family sitcoms airing at the time several of which he felt were too reliant on children disrespecting and disobeying their parents without suffering serious consequences 11 Cosby was originally opposed to the idea of his show featuring children altogether preferring to create and star in a series about a married childless couple instead 20 When executive producers Marcy Carsey and Tom Werner convinced Cosby to develop a sitcom about a nuclear family 20 the comedian decided his show would feature a family of children who were obviously intelligent but their parents were always smarter and most importantly in charge 11 Originally written as a male character 21 Rudy was initially conceived as the youngest of only four children two girls and two boys 22 23 Cosby originally envisioned the youngest Huxtable child as a young boy who idolizes his older brother Theo 11 giving him the typically masculine name Rudy and intending to base the character on his own sons 20 24 25 nbsp Actor Jaleel White was originally considered the frontrunner for the role of Rudy until Knight Pulliam auditioned When casting his television children Cosby originally insisted that none of the candidates be younger than 10 years old due to challenges he had experienced working alongside child actors prior He warned the producers We ll be shooting for the rest of our lives if we have a little kid 24 However Carsey and Werner believed that Cosby had proven too gifted at working with children to avoid featuring them on the show altogether and eventually convinced the comedian to audition a few six year old actors for the then male role of Rudy 22 After first auditioning in 1984 8 actor Jaleel White was at one point considered to be the top contender for the role 26 so much so that his agent advised his family to start preparing to relocate to New York where The Cosby Show was scheduled to begin filming 11 White s family had already begun packing and researching apartments within the area 25 However the producers still wanted to audition a few more children for the role at the last minute one of whom was four year old actress Keshia Knight Pulliam 11 who Werner had originally discovered in a then recent television commercial for Del Monte canned corn 22 5 Knight Pulliam s professional acting experience at the time had included advertising baby products for Johnson amp Johnson and appearing in several television commercials 27 She had already made her television debut as a series regular on the children s television show Sesame Street 28 on which she had appeared for two seasons 21 29 5 Although Cosby eventually became open to the idea of young children appearing on his show he still insisted that they not cast little girls because he had typically acted opposite child actresses while filming several commercials for Jell O and feared repeating himself or appearing redundant 20 Casting a boy in the role eventually proved difficult so the auditions were slowly opened up to girls 30 31 prompting one of the casting directors to sneak Pulliam into one of the auditions without Cosby s prior knowledge 20 During one of her first screen tests director Jay Sandrich recalled that Knight Pulliam struggled to maintain eye contact with him and appeared to be constantly distracted by one of the television monitors 22 When Sandrich questioned her behavior the actress gestured towards the screen and said That s me How can you make me on the TV 11 Knight Pulliam s curiosity greatly impressed Sandrich to the point of which he immediately short listed the actress replacing White as top choice 11 White recalled being present to witness Knight Pulliam s last minute audition 32 which the network had previously assured him was merely a formality 25 Warner and Bledsoe were also in attendance to audition for the roles of Theo and Vanessa respectively 33 as well as NBC president Brandon Tartikoff and Cosby himself 8 Over the course of six hours 8 the producers asked each finalist to make them laugh 25 When the producers hand picked the finalists White was one of several actors who returned home upon not being selected 25 According to Sandrich Cosby agreed with his decision regarding Knight Pulliam s casting explaining once Bill saw her there was just no way she couldn t be on the show 24 Although Cosby was initially hesitant to add such a young actor to the cast he admitted to being impressed by Knight Pulliam s intelligence and ability to follow instructions despite her young age 22 Cosby refused to change the character s name insisting that the name Rudy was equally as suitable for a girl as it is for a boy 22 White would eventually become best known for portraying Urkel on the sitcom Family Matters 31 26 Despite dubbing this experience his tragic auditioning story 33 he explained I m grateful that things worked out the way they did I think it put a little more money in my pocket 25 Portrayal Edit In addition to changing the character from male to female by impressing the producers 34 Knight Pulliam s casting as Rudy also affected Theo s role who ultimately became the only son among four sisters 11 resulting in the Huxtables mirroring Cosby s own family 25 Rudy is believed to have been based on Cosby s daughter Evin 23 The Huxtable household eventually grew once eldest sister Sondra was introduced in later episodes on making Rudy the youngest of five children instead 11 During the first few seasons Knight Pulliam had to learn and memorize her lines phonetically because she had not yet learned how to read 35 Her parents James and Denise often helped the actress memorize her material 36 Additionally she was privately tutored on the set of The Cosby Show 5 Both Knight Pulliam and her character were considered to be personal favorites of Cosby 29 22 Calling him real funny 5 Knight Pulliam particularly enjoyed when Cosby would venture away from the script in order to make his cast mates laugh 24 Cosby would patiently advise Knight Pulliam on her acting and reward her with high fives when he was impressed by her performance 22 On other occasions he would playfully steal some of her dialogue 22 Describing the young actress as unbelievable Cosby recalled that People gravitated to her We never had a problem Nobody ever had to come down from wherever they were observing and get the child and stop her from crying 37 Knight Pulliam and Cosby s relationship extended off screen the actress recalled that she and the comedian had a competition going on to see who would do a better job at lip syncing That was our little inside thing I think I did a better job 2 38 Knight Pulliam believes There was no better foundation than to work with the talented cast with Mr Cosby leading the way 37 Marilyn Marshall of Ebony observed that Knight Pulliam shares her character s friendliness well manners and tomboyish demeanor 5 By the second season Rudy s role was expanded beyond that of solely the baby of the family 5 and Cosby began giving the actress more mature material because she had earned the reputation for rarely flubbing her lines 36 Most of The Cosby Show s storylines tend to revolve around the three youngest children Theo Vanessa and Rudy 39 Knight Pulliam would also do her homework either on set or in her dressing room in between tapings 19 Knight Pulliam eventually matured to the point of which she outgrew the cuteness that was originally synonymous with the role so Cosby developed a storyline that introduced Olivia Kendall Raven Symone Denise s three year old step daughter via her marriage to Martin Kendall 22 40 41 The Root contributor Erin E Evans agreed that With Rudy in her early teens Olivia provided all the aww ain t she cute moments in the series final seasons 42 The A V Club observed that the older Rudy got the more she adopted the storylines previously reserved for older sister Vanessa 40 In 1986 Knight Pulliam identified The Cosby Show as her favorite television show 5 However the actress voiced that she dislikes being referred to as Rudy when she is not in character 5 The actress fondly remembers her first seasons on the show as her favorite time 19 Knight Pulliam is particularly fond of the second season episode Happy Anniversary 4 in which the Huxtables perform Ray Charles Night Time is the Right Time 1958 for Cliff s parents in honor of their wedding anniversary 2 Having portrayed the character for eight years 43 Knight Pulliam was age 13 by the time the show concluded in 1991 44 Sandrich likened watching the actress grow to graduating from college 44 Characterization Edit As the youngest Huxtable child Rudy was widely known as the baby of the family 38 45 46 a role that eventually expanded as the character grew older 5 AllMovie s Nathan Southern described the character as spunky and pint sized 47 The words precocious and adorable are often used to describe the character during her earliest appearances 48 49 50 51 Amber Ferguson writing for the Erie Times News described Rudy as a wide eyed innocent a little sassy character who got the most attention from her parents 7 Turner Classic Movies referred to Rudy as outspoken and equal parts sugar and sass 52 Ebony agreed that the character is known for her smile and sass 53 Rudy could be obstinate and difficult at times such as when she refuses to learn to play the violin for her school music class because she would much rather play the cymbals which had been assigned to her friend Kim Naoka Nakagowa 54 Rudy also has a tendency to act in a bossy manner towards some of her friends particularly Peter and Kenny 14 A running joke throughout the series is Rudy s decision to nickname Kenny Bud simply because she wants to 55 HuffPost s Jennifer Armstrong believes Rudy s decision to rename Kenny reminds audiences that She is in charge 55 Knight Pulliam believes that Rudy had mellowed out some by the end of the series 19 Rudy s pigtails are considered to be her signature characteristic 56 Biography com s Eudie Pak described the character as a pigtailed whippersnapper 57 The character also exhibits traits of being a budding young feminist specifically in her interactions with Kenny 14 Rudy and Kenny often disagree over Kenny s sexist chauvinistic opinions about women s issues 55 based on misguided advice he learns from his unseen elder brother 23 58 59 Reception EditCritical response Edit Encyclopedia of African American Actresses in Film and Television author Bob McCann hailed Rudy as the cutest most personable kid on TV 29 When the show premiered in 1984 critics immediately raved about Knight Pulliam s acting and maturity 15 The actress often drew loud laughter and applause from the show s studio audience 15 HuffPost contributor Julee Wilson said Knight Pulliam stole our hearts the second she hit the screen while calling Rudy our pretend best friend with the best one liners dance moves karaoke skills and sensational style 56 The New York Daily News touted Rudy the meddling little sister everyone came to know and love 60 Writing for the same publication Kirthana Ramisetti believes The whole country was enthralled with Rudy 61 Turner Classic Movies believes Knight Pulliam s wit was rivaled only by Cosby s commending her for h olding her own against her more experienced cast members 52 SheKnows dubbed Rudy the cutest Huxtable 62 Featured in most of the show s storylines Rudy is arguably among the more popular of the sitcom s five main children 39 Rudy s popularity among younger viewers resulted in young fans nicknaming the sitcom The Rudy Show due to their fondness of her 24 Younger viewers typically identified with Rudy s struggles and dilemmas pertaining to her status as the youngest sibling in her family 14 The Daily Edge compiled a list of 7 reasons Rudy Huxtable was the best TV kid ever citing her attitude sense of empowerment and talent among several factors 63 In his book The Greatest Sitcoms of All Time author Martin Gitlin identified the episode Goodbye Mr Fish in which the Huxtables hold a funeral for Rudy s late pet goldfish as a particularly memorable episode praising Rudy s character development 16 David Hinckley of the New York Daily News found Rudy to be impossibly cute during the episode 64 Pulliam lip syncing to a portion of musician Ray Charles Night Time is the Right Time is regarded as one of her most memorable contributions to the series 52 as well as one of the sitcom s best scenes 65 Vulture com s Adam K Raymond wrote that Rudy absolutely steals the show with her screams of baybay 66 CNN s Lisa Respers France agreed that Pulliam stole our hearts 67 a sentiment echoed by Smokey Fontaine of News One Pakistani TV channel 68 The New York Times journalist Wesley Morris observed that audiences mostly remember Rudy for mimicking back up singer Margie Hendrix 69 22 Morris elaborated All the comedy comes from the incongruity of a snaggletoothed kindergartner mimicking with all her might a grown woman s yearning She didn t fill Hendrix s shoes but her trying to suffices as a definition of joy 69 Morris concluded that the scene established Rudy as the sitcom s secret ingredient 69 while Joshua Alston of The A V Club declared that the episode made a star out of Keshia Knight Pulliam 70 In 2006 IGN s Todd Gilchrist wrote that Rudy s lip syncing remains the funniest thing on TV 71 Calling her a character who offered more wisdom in her youth than any us ever realized VH1 dubbed Rudy the ultimate feminist icon with contributor Elizabeth Black writing she knew what she was talking about when it came to life and love and we could all take a lesson from her these days 14 Black joked that the female cast of Love amp Hip Hop should find Rudy s advice particularly beneficial 14 Not all opinions towards the character have been positive however Southern observed that Rudy s cuteness gradually waned as the program wore on and the actress herself aged believing that her aging inspired the producers to recruit actress Raven Symone 47 Believing that introducing Raven Symone s Olivia as the sitcom s New Kid served as an improvement over Rudy Jonah Krakow of IGN wrote Sorry Rudy once you hit puberty the darndest things you said weren t as funny 41 In an article recognizing 22 characters who stop good TV shows in their tracks The A V Club ranked Rudy third writing that although some of the show s funniest early episodes revolve around Cliff entertaining Rudy the character eventually became less natural and more steely as she aged into the storylines previously reserved for shrill pre teen Vanessa 40 Agreeing that the character s cutesy storylines were then bestowed upon Olivia the website dismissed Rudy as an embittered afterthought be souring any episode in which she appeared 40 However the author acknowledged that Knight Pulliam remained a charming unforced child actress 40 Despite remembering Rudy as Probably my favorite character when I watched this show at age eight The Atlantic s Joe Reid reminisced that Rudy can t seem to get past what a waste of a character she became after season four or so 48 However Kevin O Keefe writing for the same publication defended the character highlighting her pretty worthwhile story about feeling replaced as the baby of the family by Olivia 48 Awards and accolades Edit In 1986 Knight Pulliam was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series 5 15 72 becoming the youngest actor to receive a nomination in the history of the awards ceremony at the age of six 52 73 Although Cosby was somewhat disappointed that not all of his co stars received Emmy Award recognition that year he was overjoyed by Knight Pulliam s accomplishment 36 Ramisetti believes Knight Pulliam was nominated simply for being adorable 61 The actress then won a People s Choice Award for Favorite Young TV Performer in 1988 followed by a Kids Choice Award in 1991 21 Knight Pulliam s other accolades include several NAACP Image Awards 15 Legacy EditRudy ultimately became Pulliam s breakout role 21 establishing Knight Pulliam as a popular child star 29 Meanwhile Knight Pulliam established herself as one of the show s most popular cast members 74 The actress ultimately became so popular that she was prohibited from riding the school bus to school despite her parents efforts to provide her with a typical childhood despite her fame 75 In his biography of the actress Nathan Southern of AllMovie wrote that the role rocketed Pulliam into the national spotlight and won the hearts of many a devoted 80s television viewer 47 Knight Pulliam s success as Rudy exposed her to several other acting opportunities throughout the 1980s and 1980s 52 According to Donald Bogle author of Primetime Blues African Americans on Network Television Knight Pulliam eventually became the only Black child star of the late 1980s who appeared in movies clearly developed around her 76 After The Cosby Show Knight Pulliam would go on to guest star as a guitarist in a 1997 episode of Cosby s self titled follow up sitcom Cosby in which both Cosby and Rashad star 38 reuniting her with her television parents 75 Over two decades after The Cosby Show ended Rudy remains the role for which Pulliam is best known 77 78 Knight Pullman admitted that she has sometimes struggled to separate herself from Rudy when pursuing more mature acting roles explaining people are used to seeing me as a little girl as Rudy from The Cosby Show at 10 years old I have to let audiences know that now I m a woman 2 However Knight Pulliam has been commended for avoid ing the traps of drugs and crime that had befallen so many other child stars during her career 52 including Cosby himself who attributes her successful transition from child to adult actress to her strong upbringing explaining you will normally find that the child will behave according to the rules of the family It was a pleasure working with her because of the mother and father 37 Knight Pulliam s visit to Spelman College at nine years old where an episode of The Cosby Show was filmed inspired the actress to attend the school after the sitcom concluded from where she ultimately earned a bachelor s degree in sociology 37 In 2014 VH1 ranked Pulliam 27th on their list of 100 Greatest Kid Stars Of All Time 79 References Edit The Cosby Show NBC News November 16 2009 Archived from the original on December 1 2017 Retrieved December 9 2017 a b c d Reid Shaheem February 12 2004 Little Rudy Huxtable All Grown Up in Chingy s One Call Clip MTV Archived from the original on December 10 2017 Retrieved December 9 2017 Haggins Bambi 2007 Laughing Mad The Black Comic Persona in Post soul America United States Rutgers University Press p 32 ISBN 9780813539850 Archived from the original on December 10 2017 via Google Books a b c d The Best Episodes of The Cosby Show episode ninja Archived from the original on December 12 2017 Retrieved 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