HOLLYWOOD, Calif.—When it comes to the art of impersonating a beloved pop-culture character, nobody does it better than Thomas Ward, who rekindles Bill Cosby’s magic playing the part of Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable in one of the year’s biggest blockbuster adult movies, Not the Cosbys XXX. In fact, Ward’s performance is so good than many think at first glance that he’s actually the real Bill Cosby, putting the Detroit-born comic in prime position to win the 2010 AVN Award for Best Non-Sex Role.
Although there are a number of standout non-sex acting performances this year—including a couple of gems by James Bartholet (This Ain’t Happy Days XXX and Flight Attendants)—it will be tough for anyone to steal this award from Ward this year.
“The guy is absolutely amazing, and it’s hard to imagine anybody with a better or more complete non-sex performance,” stated co-producer Scott David of X-Play, who created the movie along with director Will Ryder. “Plus, he is the absolute star of the movie.”
“At first I wasn’t sure if I should be in a porn movie because I still have my comedy career and people in mainstream said it would be a big mistake,” stated Ward. “I thought it might affect me negatively, but after I read the script—which was really quite good—and saw that the quality of the production would be just like a real TV show, I knew I was in good hands and decided to take the big plunge,” Ward said.
“Thomas was a bit nervous at first being around the nude women on our set, and I remember when Claire Huxtable—fabulously played by Monica Foster—was naked on the Huxtables’ bed, Thomas didn’t want to be anywhere near her vagina when the cameras rolled those first couple of days,” joked Will Ryder. “He loosened up quite a bit, and now I see him at every single porn party hangin’ with porn starlets.”
“I remember when he first walked into our office and our staff thought it was Bill Cosby. He was just amazing, and it was right then and there that we knew if he could act we would have a major hit on our hands,” stated X-Play co-producer Scott David.
Apparently Thomas Ward can act, and more specifically act just like Bill Cosby and Cliff Huxtable. And X-Play does have another blockbuster on their hands. (See here for a look at the G-rated trailer.)
The movie received an AVN award nomination for Best Parody, as well as other critical acclamations (“To say he nailed it would be an understatement,” wrote Xcritic.com’s Don Houston).
One can only imagine what the real Bill Cosby would think if he watched the movie or the infamous YouTube movie trailer, which has received over 300,000 views. “I’m not sure if he’s has seen our movie, but we have a lot of respect for Mr. Cosby and would never do anything other than to honor him and the entire Huxtable family with our loving parody,” remarked director Ryder. “Plus, I want to remind people that Not the Cosbys XXX was not produced or approved by anybody associated with the Cosby Show, contrary to what some think,” Ryder remarked.
“I really felt like I was on the set of the Cosby Show back in the 1980s,” stated Misty Stone, who played Denise Huxtable. “Thomas was really the father figure and the glue we needed, and it was easy for me to play his daughter. That movie set clicked amazingly well, and I love working with him,” said the AVN Female Performer of the Year candidate, who also reteamed with Ward in Flight Attendants, a contender for Best Sex Comedy in the 2010 AVN Awards.
“I’m really looking forward to my first AVN Award Show. Now I just need to find a hot date,” joked Ward.
