Photo:Daniel Zuchnik/FilmMagic; Bruce Glikas/Getty
Daniel Zuchnik/FilmMagic; Bruce Glikas/Getty
Marilu Hennerhad a lifelong friend in her late costar Treat Williams, whodied Monday in a motorcycle accidentat age 71.
Henner, also 71, worked alongside Williams in her first Broadway show,Over Here,and exclusively tells PEOPLE about the bond they shared from the very beginning.
“We played two characters who were madly in love. We never stopped kissing the whole show,” she recalls.
Williams actually helped Henner in the early days of her career in New York City.
“He let me stay at his place in New York when we were starting out,” theTaxistar shares. “We had done Broadway and the show got canceled before I had another job, and he let me stay in his apartment when he was off doing another gig.”
Treat Williams.Rachel Luna/Getty
Rachel Luna/Getty
Henner and Williams also appeared together inGreaseon Broadway and both went on to star inHallmark Channel programs.
“We never lost touch,” Henner says. “We supported each other and we always checked in. He was an extraordinary person. He was so talented. We were a staple in each other’s lives and we were in the Hallmark family. He had great energy and he loved being an actor and he loved his family most of all. And loved his life. This is so painful to all of us who loved him.”
Treat Williams with John Travolta, Marilu Henner and Ann Reinking outside their ‘first big Broadway show,’ Over Here!.Treat Williams/Instagram
Treat Williams/Instagram
The actress says Williams had “a great passion for everything he did.”
“He was so vibrant and funny and a character and so supportive,” she continues. “He loved Vermont. And he was so proud of his kids and his wife. We never lost contact. Never.”
Williams’ agent of 15 years, Barry McPherson,confirmed the actor’s death to PEOPLEon Monday. “I’m just devastated,” he said. “He was the nicest guy. He was so talented.”
Per Gribble, investigators believe the driver of a car was turning and didn’t see Williams' motorcycle. WIlliams was the only person hurt and a LifeNet helicopter was summoned to airlift him to a hospital in New York.
The Vermont State Police also put out a press release later on Monday, confirming Williams' identity and the details surrounding the crash. Police confirmed the investigation is in its early stages and team members will return to the location of the collision on Tuesday to continue processing the scene.
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source: people.com
