R.I.P. Malcolm-Jamal Warner (1970 - 2025)

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Bill Cosby's son on the hit NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54 in an accidental drowning while on holiday with his family in Central America.

Malcolm‑Jamal Warner (born 18 August 1970, Jersey City, New Jersey) is an American actor, musician, director, poet, and producer widely recognised for his breakthrough role as Theodore “Theo” Huxtable on The Cosby Show (1984–1992), which earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1986. 

Warner’s parents—Pamela, who later acted as his manager, and Robert Warner Jr.—named him in honour of Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. 

He moved to Los Angeles with his mother, taking up acting classes by age nine and later graduating from The Professional Children’s School in New York City. 

His early TV debut came in 1982 on Matt Houston, followed by appearances on Fame, before landing the role of Theo on The Cosby Show in 1984. Casting director Bill Cosby personally chose him on the final day of auditions, despite original criteria seeking a 6'2" teenager. 

During the series' eight-season run, Warner also directed several episodes—a sign of his early interest in working behind the camera. 

Following the end of The Cosby Show, Warner starred in Here and Now (1992–1993), then co‑led the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie with Eddie Griffin from 1996 to 2000, directing many episodes and composing theme music. 

Next came the post‑apocalyptic series Jeremiah (2002–2004) alongside Luke Perry on Showtime. 

In the 2010s he expanded his television résumé with recurring roles in Reed Between the Lines (2011–2015), starring with Tracee Ellis Ross; Community as Shirley’s ex‑husband; Sons of Anarchy and American Horror Story; and playing Al Cowlings in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (2016). 

In later years, Warner acted as Dr AJ “The Raptor” Austin on The Resident (2018–2023), and appeared on Major Crimes, Suits, 9‑1‑1 and Alert: Missing Persons Unit. 

Beyond acting, Warner is an accomplished musician and spoken‑word poet. His jazz‑funk band, Miles Long, released several albums including The Miles Long Mixtape (2004), Love & Other Social Issues (2007) and Selfless (2015). His 2022 album Hiding in the Plain View earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album, and in 2015 he won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance with Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway on “Jesus Children of America”. 

Warner has also directed episodes of The Cosby Show, Malcolm & Eddie, All That, Kenan & Kel, The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air and Sesame Street, as well as a public‑health film Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You, featuring Arsenio Hall and Magic Johnson, which earned him an NAACP Key of Life Image Award. 

In 2024 he launched the podcast Not All Hood, co‑hosted with Weusi Baraka and Candace Kelley, intended as a candid space to dissect diverse Black experiences and mental health issues often overlooked in mainstream discourse. 

Warner credits his grounding in New York City filming—and his mother’s guidance—to his balanced perspective and career longevity. He has built a multi‑decade career on versatility, authenticity, and creative exploration across acting, direction, music, and advocacy. 

Source: Some or all of the content was generated using an AI language model