I can’t count the number of times I have been asked, “What was it like working on the Cosby Show?“ Depending on my mood, I will give a brief answer: “I had fun.” Or, if I’m in a better mood, I will offer the extended version: “I had lots of fun.”  I don’t think, however, that I have ever told the entire story — not even to my wife. So, over the next several weeks, I will be posting a serialized version of that story entitled: Olivia’s Daddy or how I almost became famous on the Cosby Show.

Olivia’s Daddy is my humble attempt to tell the story of my life during an exciting time in my life. I became a regular on what was then, the number one rated program on television. Over the next weeks, I will share with you how I got the job, what it was like on the set, and how my life literally changed overnight and why that wasn’t always a good thing.

There’s a lot of story here; I have a lot to say. I have broken my tale down into bite sized chunks that I will post twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. These chapters are here for you to read and enjoy. If you learn something, all the better. If not and you would like to ridicule me, well, if that’s your style, take that shit someplace else.

A couple important notes before I sign off: Olivia’s Daddy is not about Bill Cosby. It is virtually impossible to write a story about my time on the Cosby Show without mentioning the current controversy surrounding my former boss, so I do mention it. However, this story is not about Bill. This story is about me.

Other than the names of the cast members, I have changed the names of everyone involved and in a few instances, altered a detail or two so as to not betray a confidence. Other than that, I tell the complete, unaltered truth as I observed it. If I hurt anyone’s feelings, I apologize. Please believe that no malice was intended.

I hope you enjoy this serialized account of my life during my stint on the greatest show in the history of television, working with a wonderful cast and crew, and headed by a man – a genius who I love and adore.

JCP