Marilu Henner Says She and Treat Williams 'Never Lost Touch' Up Until His Sudden Death at 71 (Exclusive)

"We supported each other and we always checked in," she tells PEOPLE of the 'Everwood' star, who died in a motorcycle accident in Vermont on Monday. "He was an extraordinary person... This is so painful to all of us who loved him"

Marilu Henner had a lifelong friend in her late costar Treat Williams, who died Monday in a motorcycle accident at 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.

Related: Treat Williams' Life in Photos

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,” the Taxi star 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."

Henner and Williams also appeared together in Grease on Broadway and both went on to star in Hallmark 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.”

Related: Treat Williams, Star of 'Everwood' and 'Hair,' Dead at 71 Following Motorcycle Accident

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 PEOPLE on Monday. "I'm just devastated,” he said. “He was the nicest guy. He was so talented."

Williams had been driving his motorcycle near his Vermont home when he was hit by a car on Monday around 5 p.m. on Route 30 by Long Trail Auto near Dorset, Vermont, fire chief Jacob Gribble told PEOPLE.

Related: Gregory Smith, Melissa Gilbert, Kim Cattrall React to Treat Williams' Death: His 'Spirit Was Infectious'

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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Williams is survived by his wife, actress Pam Van Sant, and their two children, Gill and Ellie.

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Read the original article on People.