How Malcolm-Jamal Warner Said He Wanted to Be Remembered Before Death
More insight into Malcolm-Jamal Warner's final days have been uncovered.
Two months before his tragic passing following an accidental drowning, the Cosby Show alum—who played Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom—gave his final public interview, in which he got candid about how he hoped to be remembered after he died.
"I will be able to leave this earth knowing and people knowing that I was a good person," Warner said of his legacy during a May 21 episode of the Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford podcast. "[My dad] said to me often, 'You know people love you, and people [are] always talking about your career and your success and all of that, but what really makes me the most proud is that you are a good person.'"
Additionally, he wished his career in Hollywood would have a lasting impact. After all, Warner has accomplished the rare feat of starring on several major series following the blockbuster success of The Cosby Show, including Reed Between the Lines and The Resident.
"I remember my mother said to me one time that, 'Mr. Cosby gave you immortality,' so I know on one lane there's legacy there," he shared. "But then, because I've had this full life after that show, there's another lane of legacy that I get to leave."
And while Warner expressed a desire to be celebrated for his work achievements, he also emphasized that he wanted others to learn an important lesson from how he led his life, explaining that he hoped to show people that "with all of the darkness in the world, it is possible to maintain your soul and be a good person."
Warner was swimming in the ocean while on vacation in Costa Rica July 20 when a current pulled him deeper into the water, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed to E! News in a translated statement. He was later rescued by people on the beach, according to the agency, but was "declared lifeless at the scene."
Shortly after, Costa Rican National Police confirmed to ABC News that Warner's official cause of death was asphyxia. He was 54.
Following the tragic accident, several of Warner's friends and costars honored him with touching tributes that echoed his thoughts on his legacy.
“What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant," Tracee Ellis Ross, who starred opposite him on Reed Between the Lines, said of the actor in a July 21 Instagram post. "You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss.”
For a closer look back at Warner’s life in photos, keep reading.
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