David Adkins (born November 10, 1956 in Benton Harbor, Michigan), better known by his stage name Sinbad, is an American actor and comedian.
Sinbad became known throughout the comedy world through a series of HBO stand-up specials and his role on the Cosby Show spin-off A Different World. His films include Coneheads, Houseguest, Jingle All the Way, First Kid and Good Burger.
Sinbad chose his famous stage name in an attempt to stand out in the entertainment industry; it was inspired by the fictional mariner Sinbad the Sailor, whom he admired. Some of his first experience in doing stand-up came during his stint in the United States Air Force, where he worked as a boom operator aboard KC-135 Stratotanker aircrafts.
After his career hit its highpoint in the 1990s, Sinbad more or less faded from the limelight. However, he still does TV work, including voice roles on Steven Universe and The Lion Guard and as a regular on the FOX sitcom Rel.
Selected Filmography:
- A Different World (1987-1991): Coach Walter Oakes.
- Coneheads (1993): Otto.
- Houseguest (1995): Kevin Franklin.
- Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996): Riley.
- Jingle All the Way (1996): Myron Larabee.
- First Kid (1996): Sam Simms.
- The Cherokee Kid (1996): Isaiah Turner.
- Good Burger (1997): Mr. Wheat.
- Slacker Cats (2007-2009): Eddie.
- Planes (2013): Roper.
- Rel (2018-2019): Dad.
Tropes:
- Fake Memories: Starting in 2009, he became the subject of a rumor on Reddit in which multiple people claimed that he had played a genie in a 90s film called Shazaam.note He's actually gotten really sick of people asking him about it.
- Large Ham: Most of his roles are this. The man loves the spotlight.
- Older Than They Look: His hair has thinned over the years but he still looks great despite being in his 60s.
