Cockroach - Why Did Cockroach Leave the Cosby Show?

Cockroach was a fictional character that appeared on the Cosby Show during the 1986-87 season. He was the best friend of Theodore Huxtable, the teenage son of Dr. Heathcliffe Huxtable, a New York pediatrician. The two shared a house in Brooklyn Heights called 10 Stigwood Avenue.

Theo and Cockroach are the two main characters on the show. This episode took place in Season two, when Theo and Cockroach scheme to pass an exam without reading. Cockroach is also a big fan of Cliff, so when Cliff explains the strange naming of the character, he laughs at the idea. Another interesting story from this episode is about Phylicia Ayers-Allen changing her professional name to Phylicia Rashad, who marries Ahmad Rashad.

Carl Anthony Payne II was also considered for the role of Cockroach. The actor had previously played Cole Brown, Bill Cosby’s son’s best friend. He was cast on the show for 12 episodes, but did not return. The rumor is that he was fired for growing his hair out, and Cosby wanted clean-cut male cast members. As a result, Malcolm-Jamal Warner was cast in his place.

Raven Symone did not denounce Cosby’s actions on the show. She was the only child on the show at the time, and said she didn’t want to speak badly about him because he was so influential in her life.