“The Cosby Show” legend Malcolm Jamal Warner tragically passed away in a drowning accident off the coast of Costa Rica last July. The sudden loss struck many, fans and friends alike.
Warner’s longtime pal Jaleel White, who starred as Steve Urkel in the ’90s sitcom “Family Matters,” remembers his friend for more than his acting.
Jaleel White Remembers Warner
The former Hallmark star sat down with Sherri Shepherd for a recent appearance on her talk show, where the two shared their fondest memories of the late actor.
“Our mothers were close,” White revealed. “You know, Malcolm was the blueprint. I mean, he was on ‘The Cosby Show’. He was Theo. My gosh. But he was one of the few people that my mom would actually let me go out with.”
Warner dated actress Michelle Thomas, who played his love interest, Justine, on the beloved 1980s sitcom. Thomas would later go on to star as Myra Monkhouse alongside White in “Family Matters.”
“Michelle was always just like an older sister to me,” White shared. “I remember Michelle talking my mom into letting me go out with him one night past curfew, which was like a big, big deal.”
The “Dancing With the Stars” alum continued, “So you know, Malcolm always had a special place in my heart. Obviously that was just ridiculously tragic news when it happened. But I like for people to remember him, though, as a Grammy award-winning musician.”
Warner — who largely transitioned to music in the 2000s — was nominated for two Grammy Awards throughout his career. In 2013, he won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance for a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America,” which was dedicated to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
He received his second nomination for his 2022 spoken word poetry album, “Hiding in Plain View.”
“His music was very important to him,” White shared. “And for as much as you know he gave to us, it’s always important for [fans] to realize that if you acknowledge some of the things that mean something to [the artists]. It really does mean a lot.”
White’s Tribute to Warner
Just hours after news of Warner’s death was reported, White was asked about the loss on the red carpet at the “Happy Gilmore 2” premiere.
“I mean, Malcolm and I were industry peers. I mean, really, I can’t even say that. Like, I grew up looking up to him. He was ahead of me in the game,” he told Extra at the time. “I’m kind of waiting for more details to come out because it was just a very disturbing report… Just accidentally this. But I don’t know. You kind of caught me at a loss for words and kind of reflecting on my own memories.”
Similar to his appearance on “Sherri,” White reminded fans that Warner was a Grammy Award winner.
“Please remember him as a poet, a Grammy Award-winning musician, and an actor who did a lot more than just star on a sitcom when he was a kid,” he told Extra.
Warner was just 54 years old at the time of his death.
