Malcolm-Jamal Warner (born August 18, 1970) is an American actor. He rose to prominence for his role as

Theodore Huxtable Theodore Aloysius "Theo" Huxtable is a fictional character who appears in the American sitcom '' The Cosby Show'', portrayed by actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Conception Theo Huxtable was based on Bill Cosby's only son Ennis Cosby. He also gave ...

on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

sitcom ''

The Cosby Show ''The Cosby Show'' is an American television sitcom created by (along with Ed. Weinberger and Michael J. Leeson) and starring Bill Cosby that originally aired on NBC from September 20, 1984, to April 30, 1992, with a total of 201 half-hour e ...

'' (1984–1992), which earned him a nomination for

Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre, or even gender, specific. Beginning ...

at the

38th Primetime Emmy Awards The 38th Primetime Emmy Awards were presented on September 21, 1986, at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium in Pasadena, California. The Emmy ceremony was cohosted by David Letterman and Shelley Long. During the ceremony, Letterman saluted Grant Tinke ...

. He is also known for his roles as Malcolm McGee on the

UPN The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally a joint venture between Chris-Craft Industries (later sold to News Corporation)'s subsidiary, United Television, ...

sitcom ''

Malcolm & Eddie ''Malcolm & Eddie'' is an American television sitcom that premiered August 26, 1996, on UPN, and ran for four seasons, airing its final episode on May 22, 2000. This series starred Malcolm-Jamal Warner and Eddie Griffin in the lead roles. The ...

'' (1996–2000), and Dr. Alex Reed in the sitcom ''

Reed Between the Lines ''Reed Between the Lines'' is an American television family sitcom that premiered on October 11, 2011, on BET. The series was renewed for a second season on April 12, 2012. It was later announced in August 2012 that Tracee Ellis Ross would not r ...

'' (2011, 2015), Warner also portrayed the character Sticky the VP of motorcycle club The Grim Bastards on FX show Sons of Anarchy (2014). Warner also became an executive producer for the

PBS Kids PBS Kids (stylized as PBS KIDS) is the branding used for nationally distributed children's programming carried by the U.S. public television network PBS. The brand encompasses a daytime block of children's programming carried daily by most PBS ...

series ''

The Magic School Bus ''The Magic School Bus'' is an American edutainment media franchise which includes a book series, TV adaptations, a streaming series, and various video games. Each of the stories within the franchise focuses on the antics of the fictional ...

'', which is also produced by

Nelvana Nelvana Limited (; also known as Nelvana Enterprises, Nelvana International or Nelvana Digital; commonly known as Nelvana; stylized as "nelvana") is a Canadian animation studio and entertainment production company owned by Corus Entertainment s ...

, Scholastic, and

South Carolina Educational Television South Carolina Educational Television (branded South Carolina ETV, SCETV or simply ETV) is a state network of PBS member television stations serving the U.S. state of South Carolina. It is operated by the South Carolina Educational Television C ...

. In 2015, he received a

Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...

for the song "Jesus Children" alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and

Lalah Hathaway Lalah Hathaway (born December 16, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter and music producer. Credited as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, First Daughter of Soul", she is the first-born daughter of musician and soul singer Donny Hathawa ...

. He later appeared as

Al Cowlings Allen Cedric "A.C." Cowlings (born June 16, 1947) is an American former professional football player and actor. He played college football for the USC Trojans before being selected fifth overall in the first round by the Buffalo Bills in the 19 ...

on the FX limited series '' The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story''. Warner formerly played Dr. AJ Austin on the

FOX Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

medical drama '' The Resident'' (2018-2023).

Early life

Warner was born in

Jersey City, New Jersey Jersey City is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, second-most populous

. He was raised by his mother, Pamela, who served as his manager. He was named after

Malcolm X Malcolm X (born Malcolm Little, later el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz; May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965) was an African American revolutionary, Islam in the United States, Muslim minister and human rights activist who was a prominent figur ...

and jazz pianist

Ahmad Jamal Ahmad Jamal (born Frederick Russell Jones; July 2, 1930 – April 16, 2023) was an American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator. For six decades, he was one of the most successful small-group leaders in jazz. He was a NEA Jazz Ma ...

. At the age of nine, he demonstrated an interest in show business that led to enrollment in acting schools. His career as a child performer later led him to graduate high school from The Professional Children's School in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

Career

With appearances and roles on many television shows and films, he landed his most successful role as Theo Huxtable, the only son of Heathcliff Huxtable, who was played by

Bill Cosby William Henry Cosby Jr. ( ; born July 12, 1937) is an American retired comedian, actor, and media personality. Often cited as a trailblazer for African Americans in the entertainment industry, Cosby was a film, television, and stand-up comedy ...

on the

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

, ''

'' from 1984 to 1992. Warner auditioned for the role on the final day of the nationwide search and was chosen by Cosby himself. During his tenure on ''The Cosby Show'', Warner turned his hand to directing, making music videos including

New Edition New Edition is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B/Pop music, pop group from the Roxbury, Boston, Roxbury neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1978 by singer/rapper Bobby Brown. Their name is taken to mean a new edition of the Jackson ...

's " N.E. Heart Break" (1989), rapper

Special Ed Edward K. Archer (born May 16, 1972), known professionally as Special Ed, is an American rapper and producer. Ed is perhaps best known for the songs "I Got It Made", "Think About It" and "I'm the Magnificent" from his debut album '' Youngest in ...

's "I'm the Magnificent" (1989), and British R&B group

Five Star Five Star (also styled as 5 Star) were a British Pop music, pop group, formed in 1983 and comprising siblings Stedman Pearson, Stedman, Lorraine, Denise Pearson, Denise, Doris, and Delroy Pearson. From 1985 to 1988, Five Star had four top-20 a ...

's "I Love You For Sentimental Reasons" (1994). He has directed episodes of many sitcoms, including ''

'', ''

All That ''All That'' is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tol ...

'', ''

Kenan & Kel ''Kenan & Kel'' is an American sitcom created by Kim Bass that originally aired on Nickelodeon from August 17, 1996, to May 3, 2000. Set in Chicago, the series follows mischievous Kenan Rockmore (Kenan Thompson) and his happy-go-lucky best frien ...

'', and ''

''. In addition, Warner directed the acclaimed, teen-oriented public health video ''Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You'' (1992), which featured

Arsenio Hall Arsenio Hall (born February 12, 1956) is an American comedian, actor and talk show host. He hosted a late-night talk show, '' The Arsenio Hall Show'', from 1989 until 1994, and again from 2013 to 2014. He has appeared in ''Martial Law'', '' Comi ...

and

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. (born August 14, 1959) is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in ...

discussing the realities of HIV and AIDS and the best ways to prevent its spread. He went on to star in ''

Jeremiah Jeremiah ( – ), also called Jeremias, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the Book of Jeremiah, book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, with t ...

'', was the voice of The Producer character on ''

'' and co-starred with comedian

Eddie Griffin Edward Rubin Griffin (born July 15, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for portraying Eddie Sherman in the sitcom '' Malcolm & Eddie'', the title character in the 2002 comedy film '' Undercover Brother'', and Tib ...

for four years on the

sitcom ''

''. Warner continued his career on the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...

sitcom '' Listen Up'' with

Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe ...

and was the host of the

literacy Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...

-promoting children's show ''

CBS Storybreak ''CBS Storybreak'' is a Saturday morning anthology television series that originally aired on the CBS network from 1985 to 1989. Hosted by Bob Keeshan (and in its 1993 return by Malcolm-Jamal Warner), the episodes are half-hour animation, animate ...

''. He guest-starred on an episode of ''

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air ''The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'' is an American television sitcom created by Andy and Susan Borowitz that aired on NBC from September 10, 1990, to May 20, 1996. The series stars Will Smith as a fictionalized version of himself, a street-smart ...

'' playing the role of Hilary's boyfriend. In 1995, Warner appeared as a homeless man on ''

Touched by an Angel ''Touched by an Angel'' is an American drama television series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994, and ran for 211 episodes over nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and executive produced by Ma ...

''. He also starred in the film ''

Drop Zone A drop zone (DZ) is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers and airborne forces, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land ...

'' (1994), and the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...

film ''

The Tuskegee Airmen ''The Tuskegee Airmen'' is a 1995 HBO television movie based on the exploits of an actual groundbreaking unit, the first African-American combat pilots in the United States Army Air Corps, that fought in World War II. The film was directed by ...

'' (1995). In 2003, Warner released his debut EP, ''The Miles Long Mixtape''. In 2007, Warner followed up with his second CD entitled ''Love & Other Social Issues''. In 2009 he guest starred in an episode in the new

TNT Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...

series ''

HawthoRNe Hawthorne often refers to the American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hawthorne may also refer to: Places Australia *Hawthorne, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane Canada * Hawthorne Village, Ontario, a suburb of Milton, Ontario United States * Hawt ...

''. In 2011 and 2012, he guest starred in four episodes of the

series ''

Community A community is a social unit (a group of people) with a shared socially-significant characteristic, such as place, set of norms, culture, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given g ...

'' as Andre, the ex-husband of

Shirley Bennett ''Community'' is an American television sitcom created by Dan Harmon that ran for 110 episodes. The show, set at the fictional Greendale Community College, depicts the on-campus exploits of a close-knit study group. In the pilot, the main cast ...

(

Yvette Nicole Brown Yvette Nicole Brown (born August 12, 1971) is an American actress. She starred as Shirley Bennett on the NBC sitcom ''Community'', as Dani in the 2015 reboot of '' The Odd Couple'' on CBS, and as Dina Rose on the ABC sitcom '' The Mayor''. Br ...

). His character subtly referenced his ''Cosby Show'' past by wearing a "Cosby

sweater A sweater (North American English) or pullover, also called a jersey or jumper (British English, Hiberno-English and Australian English),

" that he stated was from his dad. He is a

bass guitar The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an Electric guitar, electric but with a longer nec ...

player and a performance poet, and has performed at the

National Black Theatre Festival The International Black Theatre Festival (IBTF), formerly the National Black Theatre Festival (NBTF), was founded in 1989 by Larry Leon Hamlin in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Serving as its executive director, Hamlin’s goal in creating the Fest ...

since 2003, in addition to hosting its Poetry Jam. Warner has co-starred in

BET Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...

's scripted comedic television series ''

''. He played the role of Alex Reed, an English professor married to Carla Reed, a psychologist played by former '' Girlfriends'' star

Tracee Ellis Ross Tracee Joy Silberstein (born October 29, 1972), known professionally as Tracee Ellis Ross, is an American actress. She is known for her lead roles in the television series '' Girlfriends'' (2000–2008) and '' Black-ish'' (2014–2022) receivin ...

. The couple had three children: Kaci and Kenan Reynolds, Carla's children from a previous relationship, and Alexis Reed, their child together. The show highlighted the couple's ups and downs together as a blended family. In 2012, Warner was nominated for Outstanding Actor in a comedy series at the NAACP Image awards for his role in ''Reed Between the Lines''. In the spring of 2015, it was announced that Warner would be playing the part of

in the crime series ''

American Crime Story ''American Crime Story'' is an American biographical crime drama anthology television series developed by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski, who are also executive producers, alongside Brad Falchuk, Nina Jacobson, Ryan Murphy, and Bra ...

'', based on the events of the O. J. Simpson trial. Warner played prison counselor Julius Rowe on the sixth season of USA network's '' Suits''. On the

series '' Major Crimes'', he portrays Lt. Chuck Cooper, a member of the LAPD's Special Investigation's Section (SIS) and the love interest of the Major Crime Division's Detective Amy Sykes. He also played the role of parole officer James Bagwell on

Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...

's show ''

Sneaky Pete ''Sneaky Pete'' is an American black comedy crime drama television series created by David Shore and Bryan Cranston. The series follows Marius Josipović ( Giovanni Ribisi), a released convict who adopts the identity of his cellmate, Pete Murph ...

'' and as Dr. AJ "The Raptor" Austin on

's '' The Resident''.

Personal life

Warner had a relationship with actress Michelle Thomas, who portrayed his girlfriend Justine Phillips on ''The Cosby Show'', until 1994. He was at her bedside when she died in 1998. He was in a relationship with actress

Karen Malina White Karen Malina White is an American film and television actress. She is best known for her roles as Kaneesha Carter in the 1989 drama film '' Lean on Me'', Charmaine Brown during the two final seasons on ''The Cosby Show'' (1990–1992) and its spi ...

for seven and a half years. Warner also dated actress

Regina King Regina Rene King (born January 15, 1971) is an American actress, director and producer. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and four Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, ''Time'' magazine named her o ...

from 2011 until March 2013. He is married with a daughter. He has not disclosed his wife's or their child's names publicly, citing privacy concerns.Malcolm-Jamal Warner Talks Fatherhood, Marriage & Bill Cosby on the Wendy Williams Show
/ref>

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

*''The Miles Long Mixtape'' (2003) *''Love & Other Social Issues'' (2007) *''Selfless'' (2015) *''Hiding In Plain View'' (2022)

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...

*2015: Won, "

Best Traditional R&B Performance The Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance is an accolade presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally named the Gramophone Awards, to performers of quality traditional R&B vocal performances. ...

" – "Jesus Children" (with Robert Glasper Experiment featuring

) *2022: Nominated, " Best Spoken Word Poetry Album" - ''Hiding In Plain View'' MD Theatre Guide Readers' Choice Awards *2013: Winner 1st Place, "Best Performance by Lead Actor in a Play" -''Doctor John Prentice in Guess Who's Coming to Dinner at Arena Stage'' BET Comedy Awards *2005: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series" — ''Listen Up''

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...

1986 The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 ** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles. ** Spain and Portugal en ...

: Nominated, "

" — ''The Cosby Show''

Image Awards The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. The over 40 ...

*1996: Nominated, "Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series" — ''Touched by an Angel'' *2001: Nominated, "Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series" — ''Malcolm & Eddie'' *2012: Won, "Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series" – ''Reed Between the Lines''

TV Land Awards The TV Land Awards was an American television awards ceremony that generally commemorated shows now off the air, rather than in current production as with the Emmys. Created by Executive Producer Michael Levitt, the awards were hosted and broadca ...

*2006: Nominated, "Favorite Singing Siblings" — ''The Cosby Show'' (shared w/co-stars)

Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...

*1985: Won, ''Best Young Supporting Actor in a Television Comedy Series'' – ''The Cosby Show'' *1988: Nominated, ''Best Young Male Superstar in Television'' – ''The Cosby Show'' *1989: Won, ''Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special'' – ''The Cosby Show'' (shared w/co-stars) *1990: Won, "Best Young Actor Supporting Role in a Television Series" — ''The Cosby Show''

Book

*''Theo and Me: Growing up Okay'' (1988) - (with Daniel Paisner)

References

External links

*
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Official Website
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's Twitter
Official Twitter * {{DEFAULTSORT:Warner, Malcolm-Jamal 1970 births Living people American male child actors African-American television directors American television directors American male film actors Male actors from Jersey City, New Jersey American male television actors 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors Grammy Award winners African-American male child actors 20th-century African-American male actors 21st-century African-American male actors