Clarice Taylor, Bill Cosby's TV mother, dies

(CBS) Clarice Taylor, the Emmy-nominated actress who played Bill Cosby's mother on TV, died Monday at age 93.

She succumbed to heart failure and was surrounded by family when she died, her rep told People magazine.

Taylor earned an Emmy nomination in 1986 for her recurring role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable's mother, Anna Huxtable, on "The Cosby Show," which aired from 1984 to 1992.

On the stage, Taylor was a member of the Negro Ensemble Company and helped to pave the way for African-American actors in the early 1960s. She played the Good Witch of the North in the stage musical "The Wiz" and reprised the role in the film version starring Diana Ross.

On TV, Taylor also played played Grady's Cousin Emma on "Sanford and Son" and David's grandmother Harriet on "Sesame Street."

She also starred alongside Liza Minnelli in 1970's "Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon."

Taylor is survived by her two sons, William and James, and her five grandchildren.