In the wake of Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s tragic passing, tributes have poured in from across Hollywood and beyond. Friends, fans, and colleagues are honoring the legacy of a man whose performances left a lasting impact on generations.
Warner rose to fame as Theo Huxtable on NBC’s The Cosby Show, which aired for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992. The groundbreaking sitcom followed the lives of the upper-middle-class Huxtable family, with Warner portraying the only son of Dr. Heathcliff Huxtable (played by Bill Cosby) and his wife, attorney Claire Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad). Theo was one of five siblings, alongside sisters Sondra (Sabrina Le Beauf), Denise (Lisa Bonet), Vanessa (Tempestt Bledsoe), and the youngest, Rudy (Keshia Knight Pulliam).
In the show’s second season, Geoffrey Owens joined the cast as Elvin Tibideaux, love interest of the eldest Cosby daughter, Sondra, whom he would later marry.
Following Warner’s death in a drowning accident on July 20, Owens remembers his friend and longtime co-star.
“This tragedy has almost left me speechless,” Owens shared in a statement to Deadline. “Malcolm was a lovely man; a sweet and sensitive soul. I respected him for many reasons, including the fact that he genuinely loved the act of creation. He had the mind of an actor and the heart of a musician. He was generous, too. I did a theater project long ago and asked him to participate; and he was there for me. My heart goes out to his family,” he added.
