Malcolm Jamal Warner Band

Church Street Jazz Series

Malcolm-Jamal Warner is an American actor, director, and musician. In 1982 Warner made his TV debut, appearing in an episode of the mystery series Matt Houston. He was cast in several other programs before landing a role on The Cosby Show. He soon became familiar to television audiences as Theo Huxtable, one of the five children of the show’s lead characters, played by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad. For his performance as the likable Theo, Warner earned an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1986. In addition to acting on the show—which ran from 1984 to 1992—he also directed several episodes.

Warner later starred in the television series Here and Now (1992–93), playing a volunteer at a youth center, and Malcolm & Eddie (1996–2000), about two best friends. For the latter show, he also directed 17 episodes. Warner later produced and starred in the television series Reed Between the Lines (2011–15), a comedy about a married couple juggling their work and personal lives. In 2012 he won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series. In addition, Warner costarred in the TV movies The Father Clements Story (1987), about a priest’s efforts to adopt a troubled teen; Tyson (1995), a biopic about boxer Mike Tyson; and The Tuskegee Airmen (1995), a World War II drama centering on the first African American flying unit in the U.S. military.

Warner is also a musician, especially known as a spoken-word artist. With his jazz band Miles Long, he recorded the albums The Miles Long Mixtape (2004), Love & Other Social Issues (2007), and Selfless (2015). Warner’s Hiding in Plain View (2022) earned a Grammy Award nomination for best spoken-word poetry album. He also collaborated with other musicians, and in 2015 he shared the Grammy for best traditional R&B performance with the band the Robert Glasper Experiment and singer Lalah Hathaway for their rendition of the 1973 Stevie Wonder song “Jesus Children of America.” The single featured Warner’s spoken-word performance and Hathaway’s vocals.