As Theo Huxtable in ‘The Cosby Show,' Malcolm-Jamal Warner was integral to ‘America's family'

Los Angeles Times

6 days ago

When Bill Cosby revolutionized television during the mid-1980s with 'The Cosby Show,' the fictional Huxtables, the wealthy Black family at the center of the sitcom, were often referred to as 'America's family,' and riding the wave of that pop culture phenomenon was Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
The actor, who died Sunday at 54 in Costa Rica, charmed viewers of the NBC sitcom with his portrayal of Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable, the middle child and only son of Cosby's Cliff Huxtable. Theo was based on Bill Cosby's son, Ennis William Cosby, who was a constant source of material in his comedy routines and the inspiration for many of the storylines involving Theo on the show. (And like Theo, Ennis, who died in 1997, was Cosby's only son.)
The series would be the most notable highlight of his career, earning him an Emmy nomination in 1986 for supporting comedy actor. After 'The Cosby Show,' Warner continued to work on various television series, including 'The Resident' and '9-1-1.' He also dabbled in music and hosted a podcast exploring positives in Black culture titled 'Not All Hood.'
But none of those endeavors matched the success of his 'Cosby Show' profile.
The Huxtable children, played by Warner, Sabrina LeBeauf, Lisa Bonet, Tempestt Bledsoe and Keshia Knight Pulliam, were a key element of the series. As played by Warner, Theo was an engaging, fun-loving teen who also got into a variety of scrapes in the Huxtable household. He also struggled as a student.
And while he would often frustrate his parents, the affection they had for him was palpable. The Huxtables were a family bonded by humor and love, as Dr. Huxtable and his wife, Clair (Phylicia Rashad), a lawyer, counseled their children how to be better people. Their interactions attracted millions of viewers each week.
In a 1992 New York Times interview, Cosby spoke of Ennis' problems at school: 'It bothered me that Ennis was not doing his schoolwork. I sat him down and said, 'We're going to talk, and I want you to say whatever is on your mind.''
The dialogue became the basis for an episode in which Theo comes home with lackluster grades, explaining to his father that he was overwhelmed by the pressure to succeed.
Cosby's family later learned when Ennis graduated from college that he was dyslexic. The discovery inspired the final episode of the series, in which Theo overcomes dyslexia and graduates from college. (Cliff Huxtable can't get enough seats for the graduation ceremony.)
When 'The Cosby Show' ended in 1992, some of the actors playing the Huxtable children had varying degrees of success. Bonet starred for one season on the 'Cosby Show' spinoff, 'A Different World,' and co-starred in the film 'Angel Heart.' Bledsoe hosted a daytime talk show. Pulliam currently co-stars on 'Tyler Perry's House of Payne.'
Warner continued to work, finding some steady roles and making guest appearances on various shows over the course of his career.
He starred in 1992's 'Here and Now' on NBC as a psychology graduate student who helps run an inner-city Manhattan youth center. The comedy was canceled after one season.
His most successful venture was 'Malcolm & Eddie,' which featured him and comedian Eddie Griffin as bar owners. That UPN comedy ended in 2000 after four seasons.
One of his last leading roles was in BET's short-lived 2011 comedy 'Reed Between the Lines,' in which he played an English teacher married to a psychologist (Tracee Ellis Ross).
Warner said in a Times interview that the show reflected his desire to continue the positive family values at the core of 'The Cosby Show.'
'We were clear that there had not been a show like 'Cosby' since 'Cosby,'' Warner said. 'We are in no way looking to re-create that show, but we did want to re-create that universality and positive family values that 'Cosby' represented. Neither Tracee or I were interested in a 'black show.' We are telling family stories as opposed to black stories.'