Was "Cockroach" Fired Just For This? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Jack1000 · 10-27-2003, 01:47 AM

Guys,

I heard or read that the actor who played Theo's best buddy Cockroach (Walter) was fired after the 1985 season because Cosby had wanted him to get a haircut and he refused. Therefore, he was fired! I can't believe this! I mean I can't belive that there isn't more to the story than Cosby firing him because of the actor's refusal to get a haircut? Cockroach was very funny, and next to Rudy's hilariously wiser than his years friend Kenny, was one of my favorite minor cast members on the show!

What was the working atmosphere like between Cosby and "Cockraoch?" Something is missing here. Look at Vanessa's aweful big "Bee Hive" of hair in the later seasons! Shouldn't Cosby had complained about that? There was NOTHING wrong with Cockroaches' hair! I think there is a part of this story that we are missing here!

Jack

compuguy · 10-27-2003, 05:15 PM

jack according to the E! true hollywood story, that is the reason. the cosby kids said they all loved Cosby but he was strict on what he expected from them. but ur right vanessas hair is bad

jaylovenyc · 11-03-2003, 03:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by compuguy
jack according to the E! true hollywood story, that is the reason. .

Carl Anthony Payne was a dick for not doing it.

When you're working with a man of Cosby's stature and a #1 hit show, you do whatever the man tells you to do. Plain and simple. Especially if you're an unknown.

Payne was extremely lucky to land that role on Martin 5 years later or else he really would have been an unknown.

I wonder if he regretted not doing it and ate himself silly after Cosby fired him because he sure turned into a blimp by '92. LOL

TVFactFan · 11-03-2003, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jack1000
Guys,

I heard or read that the actor who played Theo's best buddy Cockroach (Walter) was fired after the 1985 season because Cosby had wanted him to get a haircut and he refused. Therefore, he was fired! I can't believe this! I mean I can't belive that there isn't more to the story than Cosby firing him because of the actor's refusal to get a haircut? Cockroach was very funny, and next to Rudy's hilariously wiser than his years friend Kenny, was one of my favorite minor cast members on the show!

What was the working atmosphere like between Cosby and "Cockraoch?" Something is missing here. Look at Vanessa's aweful big "Bee Hive" of hair in the later seasons! Shouldn't Cosby had complained about that? There was NOTHING wrong with Cockroaches' hair! I think there is a part of this story that we are missing here!

Jack

The real story. Cockroach left in 1987 and the reason wasn't because of the haircut. It was the style of harir he had. Carl Anthony Payne used chemicals in his hair and Bill didn't want no one using chemicals in their hair on the set. The last episode that Cockroach appears in, you can tell he used in chemicals in his hair. Example when I say Chemicals-S-CURL, Stuff you spray in your hair to make t shinny or curly.

jaylovenyc · 11-03-2003, 09:49 PM

You gotta be kidding? How about the women on the show? Cause I'm sure they all used chemicals please.

TVFactFan · 11-03-2003, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jaylovenyc
You gotta be kidding? How about the women on the show? Cause I'm sure they all used chemicals please.

Yeah Carl told the real story on a philadelphia radio station

jsizzle · 11-03-2003, 10:14 PM

Well first Bill Cosby is a man of honor because he only wanted what was gonna pass for.The Cosby Show was popular because of its substance and the "new" portrayal of african americans,to come from "Good Times" and other shows that only showed blacks living as the usual underclassmen.

I admire his work and understand where he was coming from.Some people see it differently,but question...what is Carl Anthony Payne now??People who actually took into consideration what he felt for them are quite successful now:Kiesha graduated from Spellman,Malcolm Jamal Warner is a Jazz musical writer and producer,Sabrina Lebouf has a Law degree,and Raven as most know is on a high road now also.Also Erika Alexander has been cast in some new show.

So the ones who didn't take him seriously are still in the same position as before,it's a deal of disobedient children and a loving parent.The left overs:Lisa Bonet,Tempest Bledsoe(no direction at all),and Carl Payne.Anyway before anybody becomes passive on Cosby's judgement...take a look at the end product.

marvin g · 11-04-2003, 10:29 PM

Well Carl is in the new show Rock Me Baby on UPN. I saw it and didn't think much of it but Carl still has 'hair' issues IMO!!!

TALLguyinKY · 11-16-2003, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jsizzle
So the ones who didn't take him seriously are still in the same position as before,it's a deal of disobedient children and a loving parent.The left overs:Lisa Bonet,Tempest Bledsoe(no direction at all)

Well Tempest did have her talk show there for a while...but did she "not take him seriously"? That's not the impression I had of her...

jsizzle · 11-18-2003, 07:06 PM

Well,she was one of them that said she hated the strict daddy-like figure Cosby portrayed,but stayed to enjoy the fame while it lasted.

And that talk show was crap

bartman · 11-25-2003, 07:51 PM

Wow, I'm surprised to hear that the Cos was such a dictator. I guess he knew what he was doing though. I still liked Cockroach a lot, and thought he was the best of all of Theo's friends. I loved it when Dr. Huxtable would introduce Cockroach to one of his esteemed colleagues. The name alone did it!

I would've loved to see him last later on in the show. Can you imagine the results had he been involved when Theo and his buddies got evicted for the whole soapy water incident? Oh the possibilities!

wiseguy182 · 07-05-2013, 03:43 AM

I agree that Cosby was too strict and shoudn't have fired Payne for refusing to cut his hair.

And didn't he get rid of Lisa Bonet because she was hooking up with Lenny Kravitz? Who wouldn't want to have sex with Lenny Kravitz? 25 years later he's still looking fine. And Cosby has a problem with Lisa Bonet because she did some movie yet he did the same thing with the absoutely horrid Leonard Part 6, often called one of the worst movies of all time for different reasons.

I remember Kenny. He was that funny, blunt kid who like the blues. I liked that kid.

DJM77 · 07-05-2013, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiseguy182

And Cosby has a problem with Lisa Bonet because she did some movie.

I think he was upset because of what she did in the movie.

11-03-2003, 10:14 PM	#7
jsizzle Coolest Raven Fan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 26, 2003 Location: Watching Raven-Symone grow older and get sexier... Posts: 1,188	Well first Bill Cosby is a man of honor because he only wanted what was gonna pass for.The Cosby Show was popular because of its substance and the "new" portrayal of african americans,to come from "Good Times" and other shows that only showed blacks living as the usual underclassmen. I admire his work and understand where he was coming from.Some people see it differently,but question...what is Carl Anthony Payne now??People who actually took into consideration what he felt for them are quite successful now:Kiesha graduated from Spellman,Malcolm Jamal Warner is a Jazz musical writer and producer,Sabrina Lebouf has a Law degree,and Raven as most know is on a high road now also.Also Erika Alexander has been cast in some new show. So the ones who didn't take him seriously are still in the same position as before,it's a deal of disobedient children and a loving parent.The left overs:Lisa Bonet,Tempest Bledsoe(no direction at all),and Carl Payne.Anyway before anybody becomes passive on Cosby's judgement...take a look at the end product.
	__________________ "Raven is a unique persona," "She has the comedic chops of Lucille Ball, the stage presence of Janet Jackson and she still has the warmth of Mary Tyler Moore. She's a comic genius."~Gary Marsh, executive vice president of programming and production at the Disney Channel. Raven MESSAGE BOARDS Click here to visit my Raven site/FanClub Click here to visit my Cheetah Girl site Visit my Disneymania 2 site Raven Release Dates January 27, 2004- Disneymania 2(featuring "True to your Heart") Febuary 10, 2004- Lion King 1 1/2 DVD(featuring "Grazing in the Grass") May 18, 2004- TSRaven soundtrack Fall 2004- All American Girl(Theatres)

11-25-2003, 07:51 PM	#11
bartman Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 25, 2003 Location: NJ Posts: 6	Wow, I'm surprised to hear that the Cos was such a dictator. I guess he knew what he was doing though. I still liked Cockroach a lot, and thought he was the best of all of Theo's friends. I loved it when Dr. Huxtable would introduce Cockroach to one of his esteemed colleagues. The name alone did it! I would've loved to see him last later on in the show. Can you imagine the results had he been involved when Theo and his buddies got evicted for the whole soapy water incident? Oh the possibilities!
	__________________ wasteoftechnology.com

10-27-2003, 01:47 AM	#1
Jack1000 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 05, 2001 Posts: 2,055	Was "Cockroach" Fired Just For This? Guys, I heard or read that the actor who played Theo's best buddy Cockroach (Walter) was fired after the 1985 season because Cosby had wanted him to get a haircut and he refused. Therefore, he was fired! I can't believe this! I mean I can't belive that there isn't more to the story than Cosby firing him because of the actor's refusal to get a haircut? Cockroach was very funny, and next to Rudy's hilariously wiser than his years friend Kenny, was one of my favorite minor cast members on the show! What was the working atmosphere like between Cosby and "Cockraoch?" Something is missing here. Look at Vanessa's aweful big "Bee Hive" of hair in the later seasons! Shouldn't Cosby had complained about that? There was NOTHING wrong with Cockroaches' hair! I think there is a part of this story that we are missing here! Jack

10-27-2003, 05:15 PM	#2
compuguy Member Forum Hawk Join Date: Oct 27, 2003 Posts: 3	jack according to the E! true hollywood story, that is the reason. the cosby kids said they all loved Cosby but he was strict on what he expected from them. but ur right vanessas hair is bad

11-03-2003, 09:49 PM	#5
jaylovenyc Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Nov 02, 2003 Posts: 30	You gotta be kidding? How about the women on the show? Cause I'm sure they all used chemicals please.

11-04-2003, 10:29 PM	#8
marvin g Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 30, 2003 Location: Chicago,IL Posts: 1,217	Well Carl is in the new show Rock Me Baby on UPN. I saw it and didn't think much of it but Carl still has 'hair' issues IMO!!!

11-18-2003, 07:06 PM	#10
jsizzle Coolest Raven Fan Senior Member Join Date: Jun 26, 2003 Location: Watching Raven-Symone grow older and get sexier... Posts: 1,188	Well,she was one of them that said she hated the strict daddy-like figure Cosby portrayed,but stayed to enjoy the fame while it lasted. And that talk show was crap

07-05-2013, 03:43 AM	#12
wiseguy182 Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 11, 2006 Location: Wendy's salad bar Posts: 7,030	I agree that Cosby was too strict and shoudn't have fired Payne for refusing to cut his hair. And didn't he get rid of Lisa Bonet because she was hooking up with Lenny Kravitz? Who wouldn't want to have sex with Lenny Kravitz? 25 years later he's still looking fine. And Cosby has a problem with Lisa Bonet because she did some movie yet he did the same thing with the absoutely horrid Leonard Part 6, often called one of the worst movies of all time for different reasons. I remember Kenny. He was that funny, blunt kid who like the blues. I liked that kid.