Bill Cosby pays tribute to TV son Malcolm-Jamal Warner following his death
"He was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much," Cosby said in an interview with ABC News. "He was very professional. He always knew his part.... He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go."
Warner was a young teenager when he first played the role of Theo Huxtable, one of the five children of Cosby's Dr. Cliff Huxtable and his wife Clair (Phylicia Rashad). Theo was the couple's only son in a family that also included Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam).
Cosby said that he and Warner had remained close after the show ended in 1992, wrapping up eight award-winning seasons: "Malcolm calls here regularly."
In addition, Warner went on to appear on shows such as Malcolm & Eddie, Community, Suits, The Resident, 9-1-1, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit. Warner also hosted a podcast, Not All Hood, and he was a poet and a Grammy-winning musician.
Cosby faced legal trouble in the decades after the show. The comedian denied allegations of sexual misconduct from dozens of women. While he was convicted of sexual assault in 2018, he was released on a technicality in 2021.Cosby's lawyer declined to share a statement with EW when reached for comment.
In addition to Cosby, Warner was mourned by the likes of Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Hudson, and Questlove, who remembered Warner as having been "a gps/lighthouse of navigating safety to adulthood" on the groundbreaking series that depicted an upper-class Black family.
"Seeing myself in every episode through his shoes: like being bad at football, wanting clothes outside of my budget, hiding things from your parents (ear piercings or weed), living in a 'respectable politics' house of jazz vs 'teen music' —-pssssh Theo being instrumental to a lion's share of gen x teens to see how a sampler worked!!! Or even singalongs at a family gathering—-him dealing with dyslexia ——he even had me think I too can get by in life surviving on 'bologna & cereal' and for the first time thinking about 'what does it mean to be an adult without depending on your parents?'——-Alot of us only had the Huxtables to vicariously live through and I was Malcolm. Meeting him on 94 was a thrill when I first got in the biz."
The Roots artist said Warner had been an early supporter of the group, and he said he was disappointed they had never collaborated as they planned.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
Malcolm Jamal-Warner Drowning Death: Second Swimmer Survived Ordeal
First responders in Costa Rica managed to revive a second swimmer in distress on Sunday using CPR, but were unable to save the life of The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. A statement from the Red Cross in the Latin American country says first responders received word on Sunday at 2:10 p.m. that two male swimmers required emergency treatment due to a 'water-related incident' at Playa Grande, Cahuita, Limon. More from The Hollywood Reporter Paramount Execs Tell Staff That Africa Offices and Channels May Close Amid Strategy Review (Exclusive) Disability Advocate, AGC Studios Boss, 'Poor Things' Producer, Berlinale Boss Set for Locarno Pro TelevisaUnivision Quarterly U.S. Ad Revenue Drops 2 Percent, Streamer ViX Tops 10M Subscribers Three ambulances immediately rushed to the oceanside beach and emergency personnel attended to two adult male patients. Paramedics using CPR managed to revive one of the swimmers, who was transported in 'critical condition' to a local clinic in Limon, according to the Red Cross. But CPR performed on a second swimmer, who turned out to be Warner, did not succeed and 'he was unfortunately declared deceased at the scene,' the statement said. The first responders then turned the scene over to Costa Rican police authorities 'for the appropriate legal procedures.' The late Emmy-nominated actor and director, who played Theo Huxtable on the long-running Bill Cosby comedy, has received a slew of tributes from the entertainment industry following news of his accidental drowning. High-profile figures that have remembered Warner include Questlove, Tracee Ellis Ross, Magic Johnson, Jamie Foxx, Taraji P. Henson, Ben Crump, Atlanta Senator Raphael Warnock and musician Maxwell. Costa Rican National Police earlier declared Warner died from asphyxia after getting caught by a strong ocean current just off a beach in Limon. His body was formally identified by the authorities. Best of The Hollywood Reporter From 'Party in the U.S.A.' to 'Born in the U.S.A.': 20 of America's Most Patriotic (and Un-Patriotic) Musical Offerings Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Granderson: Malcolm-Jamal Warner carried a heavy load for Black America
There were three television characters who really mattered to me as a kid: Michael, Leroy and Theo. In elementary school, 'Good Times' was the television show that most closely resembled my family. And seeing reruns of Ralph David Carter's portrayal of a precocious young boy learning what it means to be poor, gifted and Black is what moved his Michael from fiction to family for me. By middle school, I was no longer wearing cornrows like Gene Anthony Ray, but I tried everything else to be like his character Leroy from the television show 'Fame.' For some of my classmates, the performing arts were a fun way to express themselves, and the show was inspirational. For me, it was my way out of the hood, and Leroy was the blueprint. Through the Detroit-Windsor Dance Academy, I was able to take professional dance lessons for free and ultimately earned a dance scholarship for college. But it wasn't a linear journey. Despite being gifted, I struggled academically and required summer classes to graduate from high school. That's why I connected with Theo, whose challenges in the classroom were one of the running jokes on 'The Cosby Show.' The family never gave up on him, and more importantly, he didn't stop trying. Through the jokes about his intelligence, the coming-of-age miscues (and the dyslexia diagnosis), the storylines of Theo — like those of Leroy and Michael — often reflected struggles I foolishly thought no one else was experiencing when I was growing up. It is only through distance and time are we able to see moments like those more clearly. In retrospect, the three of them were like knots I held onto on a rope I had no idea I was climbing. This is why the Black community's response to the death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner this week isn't solely rooted in nostalgia but also in gratitude. We recognize the burden he's been carrying, so that others could climb. When 'The Cosby Show' debuted in 1984, there were no other examples of a successful two-parent Black family on air. We were on television but often trauma and struggle — not love and support — were at the center of the narratives. So even though Black women had been earning law degrees since the 1800s — beginning with Charlotte E. Ray in 1872 — and Black men were becoming doctors before that, the initial response from critics was that the show's premise of a doctor-and-lawyer Black couple was not authentically Black. That narrow-minded worldview continued to hang over Hollywood despite the show's success. In 1992, after nearly 10 years of 'The Cosby Show' being No. 1 — and after the success of 'Beverly Hills Cop II' and 'Coming to America' — the Eddie Murphy-led project 'Boomerang' was panned as unrealistic because the main characters were all Black and successful. The great Murphy took on the Los Angeles Times directly in a letter for its critique on what Black excellence should look like. However, Black characters like Michael, Leroy and Theo had been taking on the media since the racist film 'The Birth of a Nation' painted all of us as threats in 1915. It could not have been easy for Warner, being the face of so much for so many at an age when a person is trying to figure out who he is. And because he was able to do so with such grace, Warner's Theo defined Blackness simply by being what the world said we were not. This sentiment is embodied in his last interview, when he answered the question of his legacy by saying: 'I will be able to leave this Earth knowing and people knowing that I was a good person.' In the end, that is ultimately what made his character, along with Leroy and Michael, so important to the Black community. It wasn't the economic circumstances or family structure of the sitcoms that they all had in common. It was their refusal to allow the ugliness of this world to tear them down. To change their hearts or turn their light into darkness. They maintained their humanity and in the process gave so many of us a foothold to keep climbing higher. YouTube: @LZGrandersonShow If it's in the news right now, the L.A. Times' Opinion section covers it. Sign up for our weekly opinion newsletter. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. Solve the daily Crossword
Geek Tyrant
14 hours ago
- Geek Tyrant
DUNGEONS & DRAGONS Unveils STRANGER THINGS Collab Board Game – Welcome to the Hellfire Club — GeekTyrant
If you've ever wanted to roll dice with the Hellfire Club, now's your chance. Dungeons & Dragons and Stranger Things are teaming up for an official crossover board game that blends the world's most famous TTRPG with the Netflix phenomenon that helped bring it back into the spotlight. Say hello to Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club , an all-new adventure built on the D&D 5e ruleset, launching October 7th. This new collab is perfect for both veteran adventurers and newcomers to the tabletop scene. The game takes inspiration straight from Stranger Things , giving players the chance to dive into four of Eddie's lost adventures. Designed for 3–5 players, with characters at levels 1–3, it's an awesome way to kick off a short campaign or introduce your friends to the magic of D&D — all with a nostalgic Hawkins flavor. Think of it like the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons starter set, but with a pop-culture twist. It captures the spirit of D&D while adding that signature Stranger Things vibe we know and love. The physical edition of Welcome to the Hellfire Club comes packed with everything you need for an immersive tabletop experience. For $49.99, here's what you'll find inside: Dungeon Master's Screen Double-Sided Hellfire Club Poster 91 Cards for Spells, Magic Items, and Monsters 72 Player Character and Monster Tokens 2 Double-Sided Poster Maps 15 Character Sheets 4 In-World Handouts Combat Tracker Notepad 11 Dice Quick Start Guide 4 Adventure Booklets 1 Play Guide Booklet All of it is wrapped in retro 80s aesthetics to capture that classic Stranger Things look. If you prefer to play online, the Digital Adventure Pack has you covered. It includes quickplay maps, a Quick-Start Video, pre-made characters for D&D Beyond, and digital versions of the adventures for the DM to run. The digital-only version costs $19.99, but you'll need a Master Tier subscription on D&D Beyond to host games. For those who want the best of both worlds, the Ultimate Bundle combines physical and digital editions, plus an Upside Down Digital Dice Set and Upside Down Digital Map and Sticker Pack. Normally priced at $69.98, it's currently available for $59.99 if you pre-order. Stranger Things: Welcome to the Hellfire Club launches on October 7th, just in time for some spooky season adventures in the Upside Down. It uses the updated 2025 revision of D&D 5th edition, so it's also a great way to get a feel for the newest tweaks to the game. Whether you're a seasoned DM or new to rolling dice, this set looks like an epic way to join the Hellfire Club.
