A tall, imposing comedian and comic actor, Sinbad (born David Adkins) began his career traveling the US performing his act on what he has come to refer to as his "Poverty Tour" in 1983. A stint as a champion on the syndicated variety series "Star Search" helped raise his profile and led to his being cast as Redd Foxx's foster son on the short-lived ABC sitcom "The Redd Foxx Show" (1986). After hosting the unsuccessful variety show "Keep on Cruisin'" (CBS, 1987), Sinbad spent four seasons (1987-91) as the kindly dorm director and community center manager on "A Different World" (NBC), the spin-off from "The Cosby Show". Trading extensively on his manic yet kindly goofiness, he has hosted countless TV specials, including "It's Showtime at the Apollo" (1987-89) and performed his solo shtick around the country and on several HBO specials, including "Sinbad: Brain Damaged" (1991) and an annual "Sinbad's Summer Jam: 70s Soul Music Festival" (1995 and 1996). In 1993, he headlined his own Fox sitcom "The Sinbad Show", playing a foster father of two young children.
A minister's son, Sinbad originally intended to be a basketball player until a college knee injury halted his athletic career. A stint in the US Air Force followed before the aspiring comic pursued show business. After his initial success on the small screen, he made his film debut as a stand-up comedian in "That's Adequate" (1989). His first acting role of note was as one of the football players in "Necessary Roughness" (1991). Small roles in "Coneheads" and "Meteor Man" (both 1993) followed before Sinbad landed his first starring role in "Houseguest" (1995). He demonstrated a genial, engaging quality as a dreamer whose schemes generally backfire, playing well off co-star Phil Hartman. He was again well-cast in "First Kid" (1996), as a Secret Service agent who befriends the President's neglected son. Later that year, Sinbad was a postal worker who proved to be Arnold Schwarzenegger's rival in obtaining an in-demand toy in the Christmas-themed "Jingle All the Way".