actor
Personal Information
Born on August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey; son of Pamela and Robert Warner.
Memberships: National PTA, honorary youth chairperson; Miracle Network Telethon, national chairman; Black Family Reunion Celebration, co-chair.
Career
Actor, 1984-; director, 1989-; musician, 1990s-. Television series: The Cosby Show, 1984-92; Here and Now, 1992-93; The Magic School Bus, 1994-98; Malcolm & Eddie, 1996-00; Jeremiah, 2002-; films: The Father Clements Story, 1987; Drop Zone, 1994; Tyson, 1995; The Tuskegee Airmen, 1995; Restaurant, 1998; A Fare to Remember, 1998.
Life's Work
America watched him grow up as the lovable, only male child in the Huxtable family on the 1980s hit The Cosby Show. But like other successful child actors who made good as adults, there is more to Malcolm-Jamal Warner's talent than meets the eye. He has gone on to star in another popular television series, Malcolm & Eddie, and has expanded his career to include directing and music.
Born on August, 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Warner was named for Malcolm X and Ahmad Jamal. His parents, Pamela, who would be his manager, and Robert, divorced when he was two years old. Three years later, he and his mother moved to Los Angeles. Warner told Haute Zine that when he was in elementary school he was "the dreamer, the talker, and the kid learning that to be a leader you have to also know how to listen." According to Warner, he was introduced to acting at age nine, and out of all the many activities his mother encouraged him to try, he quickly developed a taste for theater.
Although Warner would grow up to be a prolific actor, director, and musician, like many child stars before him, he will always be known to many by his most prominent childhood role, Theo Huxtable, on the hugely popular The Cosby Show. Warner told TV Guide that carrying Theo with him used to irritate him, because he had many other talents and could play many other roles. "But as I look at it now, they still call Ron Howard 'Opie'--so I can't complain.... If he's not bothered by it, I see no reason to be." In 1988 Warner published his book about the show and the business called Theo and Me: Growing Up Okay.
The Cosby Show ran from 1984 until 1992. Although the show was sometimes criticized, according to People Magazine, for not being "black enough, for not taking on issues like racism and poverty," this omission was deliberate. The show was supposed to be about a family, that happened to be black, not about politically charged subjects. An undisputed ratings champion, the show, and its cast, received six Emmy Awards and numerous nominations. One of the first portrayals of the African-American middle class family on prime time, the Huxtables were lovable, believable, and funny. The long-awaited reunion show aired on May 19, 2002, with all of the original cast members except Lisa Bonet.
Warner counts Bill Cosby among his heroes, one of only a select four he points to for his success: God, his parents, and Cosby. He told Haute Zine, "Growing up watching Mr. Cosby working hard despite his success totally solidified that work ethic for me. Success in this business is not so much about achieving, but sustaining over the long haul."
In addition to fame and fortune, The Cosby Show gave Warner an interest in working behind the camera. He went on to direct episodes of Cosby, including a tribute to the show, and episodes of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Kenan & Kel, and Malcolm & Eddie, as well as movies and many music videos. In 1994 he was the first celebrity director of Sesame Street.
As for acting roles, Warner went on to star in other sitcoms, including the short-lived Here and Now and Malcolm & Eddie. The latter ran from 1996 to 2000, and during those four years he played opposite comedian Eddie Griffin. Warner was frustrated, however, by the network's stereotyping of African Americans. He told TV Guide that even though the stereotypes might work, "there are various other ways African-Americans can be funny." He did take at least one thing away from his time on the show--his longtime girlfriend, Karen Malina White, a former castmate.
Warner later preferred to do more serious roles, rather than comedy. In movies, he's had serious roles in The Father Clements Story, Drop Zone, The Tuskegee Airmen, Tyson, and Restaurant, among others. On stage, he's appeared in plays on the stages of the Astor Place Theatre, the La Jolla Playhouse, and the Victory Garden Theatre.
In 2002 Warner joined the cast of Jeremiah, a cable series based on a comic book by Belgian Herman Huppen. In the show's world, a plague wiped out the post-puberty human population. A decade and a half later, no one alive is older than their twenties. Hollywood Reporter dubbed the world of Jeremiah "Lord of the Flies times a thousand." Warner's character, Kurdy, was, according to the Hollywood Reporter, a "badass," wholly unlike his previous television roles.
Warner has also done voice roles for the animated series The Magic School Bus, as well as for a children's video called The Legend of the Candy Cane. He also wrote the foreword for the 2001 coffee table book, Authentic Hair. In addition, he wrote and read performance poetry.
But his later passion was music. Warner was bass player, both electric and upright, for a jazz/funk band called Miles Long, and was co-owner and producer, with Lionel Cole, of a record label called The Wonder Factory. The label produced the work of Miles Long as well as that of several other alternative bands and individuals. Having his own label allowed Warner and his band to have complete control over their music. He told Haute Zine that the label was designed to be "a safe haven for artists who don't want to compromise their art for the sake of getting a record deal."
In his private life, Warner worked for civic causes, mostly those that benefit children and youth. In addition to an AIDS video he directed, he has hosted and directed programs about violence. In an interview with Haute Zine, he noted, "I've been a working actor for almost 20 years and a working director for about 11 of those years. As an adult, I've realized that the acting, directing, writing, poetry, the music are all the same to me--avenues with which I can express my creativity. This is the first time since I was 9 years old that I'm doing something solely out of the desire."
Awards
NAACP Image Award, best performance by actor in a comedy, The Cosby Show; NAACP Key of Life Image Award, AIDS awareness video director, Timeout: The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You.
Works
Selected filmography
- Television
- The Cosby Show, 1984-92.
- Here and Now, 1992-93.
- The Magic School Bus, 1994-98.
- Malcolm & Eddie, 1996-00.
- Jeremiah, 2002-.
- Film
- The Father Clements Story, 1987.
- Drop Zone, 1994.
- Tyson, 1995.
- The Tuskegee Airmen, 1995.
- Restaurant, 1998.
- A Fare to Remember, 1998.
Further Reading
Books
- Almanac of Famous People, Volume 6, Gale Group, 1998.
- The Complete Marquis Who's Who, Marquis Who's Who, 2001.
- Who's Who Among African Americans, 14th Edition, Gale Group, 2001.
- Black Issues Book Review, September 2001, Vol. 3, i5, p35.
- Essence, August 1995, Vol. 26, n4, p56.
- Hollywood Reporter, March 1, 2002, Vol. 372, i19, p16.
- People Weekly, May 20, 2002, Vol. 57, i19, p140.
- Publishers Weekly, November 21, 2001, Vol. 248, i46, p23.
- www.eonline.com/Facts/People/0.12,43419,00.html
- www.hautezine.com/news/malcolm/f_mal.html
- www.hollywood.com/celebs/bio/celeb/343592
- www.jeremiah.tv/bios.html#malcolm
- www.sonypictures.com/tv/shows/malcedd/malcolm.html
- www.tvguide.com/newsgossip/insider/020301a.asp
- www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/PersonDetail/personid-4142
— Helene Barker Kiser
