Malcolm-Jamal Warner Wanted To Be Remembered As A Good Person

Malcolm-Jamal Warner's passing in late July 2025 resulted in an outpouring of support for his family, as well as tributes to the late star of "The Cosby Show."

The thing is, the actor specifically spoke about how he wanted to be remembered on an episode of the "Hot & Bothered" podcast, which was released almost two months prior to his death.

We're going to take a look at what the performer said in the sit-down and examine how he wanted his legacy to be perceived by his fans and loved ones.

Warner's main concern regarding his legacy wasn't his list of roles or the accolades he earned along the way -- he just wanted people to think of him as a decent human being.

The actor said there was a "part of me" he figured would be remembered by the people he left behind who knew "that I was a good person."

Warner then spoke about a discussion he had with his father, who acknowledged his professional achievements before telling him he felt "the most proud" about his son learning how to carry himself in a respectable manner.

The performer claimed, despite all the conflict he'd seen in his life, he still believed it was "possible to maintain your soul and be a good person."

Warner acknowledged he would likely be remembered by many for his role in "The Cosby Show," which he understood had a lasting impact on generations of fans.

The actor also said his own mother had spoken to him about the impact his portrayal of Theo Huxtable would have on his life and told him, "Mr. [Bill] Cosby gave you immortality."

Warner claimed he was still "working through" the impression he had left following the show's conclusion before expressing he'd accomplished more than enough outside of "The Cosby Show" to leave behind a lasting image on his friends and family members.

The performer stated he had "another lane of legacy that I get to leave" due to leading "this full life after that show."

Part of the podcast was dedicated to discussing grief and how to move through it, and Warner opened up about watching his grandfather pass away when he was just 15 years old.

The performer recalled how he "literally watched him take his last breath," and claimed he was able to see what he described as the "peace that comes over" dying individuals in his grandfather's face.

While Warner admitted he "was sad and all of that" and described the experience as "emotional," he said part of accepting death was realizing the potential to leave a positive legacy behind.

He then spoke about how deceased individuals who were remembered as "good people" were "being rewarded" in a certain way.

We revealed Warner passed away at the age of 54 while vacationing with his daughter in Costa Rica.

Local police reported the actor was caught in a strong current while swimming at a beach in the coastal town of Limon and drowned, with the official cause of death being asphyxia, according to ABC News.

The actor's death was met with much sympathy from his fans, including Ice Cube, who told us Warner brought "realness" to television through his work in "The Cosby Show."