A powerhouse actor of both stage and screen, Cobb joined the Group Theater in 1935, appearing in Clifford Odets' "Waiting for Lefty" and "Golden Boy" before making his screen debut in 1937. He often played boorish characters or heavies, most memorably as the corrupt boss in "On The Waterfront" (1954) and the bigot in "Twelve Angry Men" (1957). He is also remembered for creating the role of Willy Loman in Arthur Miller's 1949 play "Death of a Salesman", which he recreated for television in 1966.