Bill Cosby Reacts To Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Death
Warner, who famously started playing Theodore Huxtable on the '80s sitcom The Cosby Show when he was just 14, unexpectedly drowned off the coast of Costa Rica while on vacation with his family. He was reportedly caught by a high current in the water, and according to police, his official cause of death was asphyxia.
As celebrity tributes for Warner pour in, his onscreen dad, Bill Cosby, commented on the heartbreaking news.
Discussing Warner's death during a chat with CBS News correspondent Jericka Duncan, Cosby said of his onscreen son, 'He was never afraid to go to his room and study. He knew his lines and that he was quite comfortable even with the growing pains of being a teenager.'
When asked about the last time that he spoke with Warner, Cosby said it was 'three months ago,' before later noting that he had been in touch with his onscreen wife Phylicia Rashad — who played Clair Huxtable on The Cosby Show — about Warner's death. 'We were embracing each other over the phone about a dearly beloved friend,' he said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's cause of death confirmed, second man fully recovered
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's official cause of death has been confirmed. "The Cosby Show" star died from an accidental drowning, Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department confirmed to USA TODAY on July 24. A second adult man, who was involved in the same incident as Warner, and reportedly attempted to save him, was transported to a Costa Rican clinic in critical condition on Sunday, July 20, the Costa Rican Red Cross confirmed to USA TODAY on July 22. The man, a 29-year-old native of Nicaragua, made a full recovery and was released from the hospital, People and the Los Angeles Times report. Warner was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross, per the agency, but he was declared dead at the scene. He was then transported to the morgue for an autopsy. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who starred as Theo on 'Cosby Show,' dies in drowning at 54 The beach in Costa Rica where the men were found, is known for strong rip currents and a sometimes dangerous surf, The New York Times reported. On the day of the drowning, it was also unprotected by lifeguards. In addition to eight seasons on the hit NBC sitcom as Theo, son of Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad's Clair Huxtable, Warner was also known for his role as Malcolm McGee in the 1990s UPN sitcom "Malcolm & Eddie" and as Dr. AJ Austin on the Fox medical drama "The Resident" from 2018 to 2023. In the 2010s, Warner had notable recurring roles on the NBC comedy "Community," playing the ex of Yvette Nicole Brown's Shirley Bennett. He also portrayed the character Sticky, the vice president of motorcycle club The Grim Bastards, on FX's "Sons of Anarchy." Malcolm-Jamal Warner's notable shows and movies, from 'The Cosby Show' to 'The Resident' News of his death prompted an outpouring of love from former co-stars, with Cosby himself calling him "a great studier," and fellow "9-1-1" star Jennifer Love Hewitt, calling him "a gentleman" and "incredible talent." Tracee Ellis Ross also reflected on working with Warner on the BET sitcom "Reed Between the Lines," writing: "My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant." Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, Bryan Alexander This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death confirmed as drowning in Costa Rica
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Skydance Tells FCC It Will Create CBS News Ombudsman, Eliminate DEI at Paramount
Big changes will come to CBS and CBS News, once Skydance's takeover of Paramount Global is closed. Skydance has told the Federal Communications Commission that once its acquisition of Paramount Global is complete, it will initiate a 'comprehensive review' of CBS to ensure that the network is operating in the public interest, and that it will hire an ombudsman that will report directly to the president of CBS News and 'who will receive and evaluate any complaints of bias or other concerns' at the news division. More from The Hollywood Reporter Trump's Side Deal With "New Owners" of Paramount May Hint at FCC Concessions Paramount Execs Tell Staff That Africa Offices and Channels May Close Amid Strategy Review (Exclusive) Paramount Sued by Ex-Employees Over Alleged Sexual Assault, Harassment by Former Executive The ombudsman role will be guaranteed for at least two years, with CBS News leadership committing to 'carefully review' any complaints. Skydance also promised to eliminate all diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives (DEI) at the company, writing in a letter, 'The company is committed to ensuring that its storytelling reflects the many audiences and communities it serves in a manner that complies with non-discrimination requirements and other applicable laws.' Skydance made the commitments in a pair of letters to the FCC, with one focused on 'addressing concerns about media bias' and another 'to confirm the elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives that were in place at Paramount and to confirm our commitments moving forward.' 'Skydance, for its part, does not have DEI programs in place today and will not establish such initiatives,' the letter continues. 'The company is committed to ensuring that its storytelling reflects the many audiences and communities it serves in a manner that complies with non-discrimination requirements and other applicable laws.' The DEI changes will impact the company's hiring practices, promotion and development, compensation, and public messaging, among other areas. It will also eliminate the office of global inclusion. Skydance also committed to maintaining a 'productive partnership' with its CBS affiliates. The pledges come as Skydance is seeking to secure FCC approval for the transfer of the CBS broadcast licenses, which is necessary to complete the Paramount Global transaction. The future of CBS News has been a hot topic in media circles, with the 60 Minutes settlement sparking outrage among many in the newsroom there. Approval of the deal could come shortly, given the new commitments from Skydance. President Trump has also said that Skydance has committed to about $20 million in PSAs or advertising that are supportive of causes important to him. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire Solve the daily Crossword
Los Angeles Times
9 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
This week, we remember a few icons and visit our happy place with ‘Happy Gilmore 2'
Welcome to Screen Gab, the newsletter for everyone who is feeling nostalgic after several celebrity deaths. Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Ozzy Osbourne, Chuck Mangione and Hulk Hogan died this week, and if you were alive in the '80s, you're familiar with how each shaped music, television and pop culture. Warner is best remembered for playing Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show.' As the 'engaging, fun-loving teen who also got into a variety of scrapes in the Huxtable household,' Theo was a highlight of Warner's career, earning him an Emmy nomination in 1986, Times senior writer Greg Braxton wrote in an assessment of the actor's career. As for Osbourne, depending on the generation you grew up in, he was either one of your favorite heavy metal vocalists or one of your favorite TV dads (perhaps both). Beginning in 2002, the Prince of Darkness starred in MTV's 'The Osbournes,' a reality show that featured his family — wife Sharon, daughter Kelly and son Jack — and their everyday antics. It pioneered the celebrity reality TV genre, and Osbourne broke the TV dad mold by showing us that you can curse at your family with love. Meanwhile, Mangione, the prolific jazz musician, also left his mark on television after his hit song 'Feels So Good' became a running gag on the animated series 'King of the Hill' — he even lent his voice to the show for several episodes. (The revived series will return in August.) Then there's Hogan, who will be remembered both as a self-made celebrity and controversial figure. He helped lift professional wrestling to an entertainment juggernaut with 'Hulkamania,' but his use of a racial slur led to WWE terminating its 30-year association with him (though he was reinstated to their hall of fame in 2018). Later, like Osbourne, he would get his own reality show, VH1's 'Hogan Knows Best,' but it was canceled after a series of personal events, including Hogan's divorce and a car crash involving his son. It all might leave you feeling a bit wistful and wanting to watch clips of their memorable moments. But if you want to experience some nostalgia and go to a happy place, a comedic cultural touchstone has returned. In this week's Screen Gab, director Kyle Newacheck drops by to discuss Netflix's 'Happy Gilmore 2,' the sequel to the original comedy film that was nearly 30 years in the making. Must-read stories you might have missed Commentary: 'South Park' season opener puts Trump in bed with Satan and has Paramount on its knees: Comedy Central's animated series couldn't have returned at a better time. The season-opening episode is brutal in its treatment of Paramount, CBS and President Trump. 'Happy Gilmore' is back for another round, as are Adam Sandler and his longtime collaborator: Tim Herlihy has had a lasting and prolific creative partnership with Adam Sandler, the star of Netflix's 'Happy Gilmore 2,' which he co-wrote with the actor. De-aged stars, cloned voices, resuscitated dead icons: AI is changing the art and business of acting: AI isn't hovering at the edges of acting anymore. It has reshaped faces, smoothed dialogue and fast-tracked everything from dubbing to reshoots. And its reach is growing. Commentary: When 'Love Island,' 'Summer I Turned Pretty' have to tell fans to back off, should we cry or clap?: A billion-dollar industry is failing to protect the very people who built it in the first place. Recommendations from the film and TV experts at The Times 'Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' (Paramount+) The Trekkiest of the 21st century 'Star Trek' series — its very name comes from the Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) speech that runs over the titles of what is now officially called 'The Original Series' — is back for its third season, which began earlier this month. Set in the years before Kirk's starship embarked on its five-year mission, this Enterprise comes with charmingly conceived, wholly convincing younger versions of characters we know well — including Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) and Scotty (Martin Quinn) — and fuller versions of characters who never got much space on 'TOS,' like Number One (Rebecca Romijn) and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush). Above all, there are Anson Mount's heroically haired Capt. Pike, revived from the series' initial pilot, and Ethan Peck's Spock, note perfect and yet very much his own Vulcan. Like its model, it's episodic in nature, allowing for event-packed seasons that make it seem like it's been running longer than it has (in a good way), and though it can turn dark and philosophical, it has a lightness of heart that leaves ample room for comedy — and love. — Robert Lloyd 'The Gringo Hunters' (Netflix) I find no joy in watching folks from other countries rounded up by state-sponsored agents, only to be detained with no due process and deported back home, or to who knows where. It's performative political theater, not entertainment, despite what ride-along raid hosts Dr. Phil McGraw and Kristi Noem want us to believe. But when American criminals are rounded up in Mexico and deported back to the U.S. without so much as a trial? That's unique and juicy drama. This Netflix Spanish-language drama follows members of an elite Mexican police unit (played by Harold Torres, Mayra Hermosillo and Manuel Masalva) who specialize in capturing foreign fugitives — mostly Americans — hiding from the U.S. legal system in Mexico. They are, according to one agent, 'bad hombres.' Executive produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard and directed by Adrián Grünberg ('Bandidos') and Natalia Beristáin, the 12-episode series was inspired by a 2022 Washington Post article that chronicled the work of a plainclothes, largely secretive investigative team in Tijuana who relied on intelligence from U.S. agencies to catch suspects, but ultimately, the fugitives are deported for breaking Mexican immigration law. 'Gringo Hunters' delivers a compelling, often darkly humorous narrative that travels through the mansions, barrios, political corridors and bustling businesses in and around Tijuana and Ensenada. The series offers a refreshing spin on the investigative procedural and an alternate view of what it looks like when Americans are targeted for deportation by a country that doesn't want them. — Lorraine Ali A weekly chat with actors, writers, directors and more about what they're working on — and what they're watching Kyle Newacheck is no stranger to directing, with a long résumé in TV ('What We Do in the Shadows,' 'Workaholics') and film ('Murder Mystery,' 'Game Over, Man!'), nor to working with Adam Sandler, who stars in their latest collaboration, 'Happy Gilmore 2.' At the time 'Happy Gilmore' was released in 1996, it was a modest success, but it gained a cult following thanks in part to repeated screenings on basic cable. Like the first, the sequel was co-written by Sandler and his longtime collaborator Tim Herlihy, and many of their iconic characters have returned too, like Shooter McGavin (Christopher McDonald), Virginia (Julie Bowen) and Hal (Ben Stiller). The film also nods to the iconic actors from the original who are no longer with us, including Carl Weathers, Joe Flaherty and Richard Kiel. Here, the director talks about what it is like joining the project and working with Sandler and other members of the cast. 'Happy Gilmore' is a comedic cornerstone from the '90s. Do you remember the first time you watched it? What was it like to come on board for the sequel? I was 12 years old in 1996 when the movie came out, so I think the visuals are imprinted on the back walls of my brain. It was one of the first movies where I realized that movies didn't just 'appear' — somehow people are making these funny movies. After I watched the film, I picked up my grandfather's video camera in 1997 and began shooting funny videos with my friends. 'Happy Gilmore' was a movie that made all of my friends laugh. I remember everyone from my school constantly quoting lines and laughing together. Joining the sequel was a surreal moment for me, to say the least. The sequel brought back a lot of the original cast members who were so memorable, like Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller, but you also see new faces in the 'Happy Gilmore' universe like Bad Bunny, John Daly and Benny Safdie. Do you have a favorite moment from filming or a scene where the OG cast and new cast came together? I loved filming the scene where Frank (Safdie) confronts Happy outside the batting cages. Benny and Adam have such great chemistry, and it was fun to see the two worlds collide. Happy stands against his Duster while Frank leans against his electric Rolls-Royce. The scene itself holds this cool subtext that, to me, reaches through the screen. Plus, Happy dissing Frank's breath is always gonna be funny to me. You've directed a couple of other films, but a lot of your work has been on television, including on 'Workaholics' and most recently 'What We Do in the Shadows.' How is directing a film like 'Happy Gilmore 2' different from television? My approach is similar in everything I make, attempting to get the truth of the scene while prioritizing humor. Sometimes I have a lot of resources to do that and sometimes I don't. What was it like getting notes from Adam Sandler on the film as you were working on it? I love working with Adam, a.k.a. Sandman. He is a true maverick. He is not only the star but also wrote the film as well as produced it. He likes to roll up his sleeves and do the work. Him and I share a deep love for the set, and we have a ton of fun out there and definitely challenge each other along the way. Collaboration is at the core of creation. What's your go-to comfort watch, the film or TV show you return to again and again? 'The Big Lebowski' [HBO Max]. Love it. It's another formative one for me — this time, I was in high school, about to graduate, and I played on the varsity bowling team. I love the characters/performances the most, and honestly assumed that most of it had to be off the cuff, but learn[ing] years later that the Coens [sibling directors Joel and Ethan Coen] had written every line the way it was performed made me fall in love with the screenplay. I love everything about that movie and can watch it over and over.
