Bill Cosby Speaks Out After Death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Bill Cosby was remembering his Cosby Show co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner after Warner, who played Cosby's son on the show, died in a drowning accident in Costa Rica at age 54. "He was always a great studier, and I enjoyed working with him very much," Cosby tells ABC News. "He was very professional. He always knew his part. ... He always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go." He said Warner called him regularly and the two stayed close after the sitcom's eight seasons were over; Cosby says he acted as something of a mentor for Warner, whose character on the show, Theo, was inspired in part by Cosby's real-life son, Ennis. Ennis died in 1997.

USA Today rounds up reactions from others in Hollywood. "Damn friend," wrote Niecy Nash. "You were (the) cornerstone of 'The Cosby Show.' We all loved Theo! Never to be forgotten. You will be missed. Rest Easy." She said she had just recently spoken to Warner about how happy they were in their respective marriages. "Rest in power, my brother," wrote Jamie Foxx; Beyonce updated her website to reflect the same sentiment. Questlove shared, "If you looked like me coming of age in the 80s, Malcom-as-Theo was a gps/lighthouse of navigating safety to adulthood." See many more at USA Today, or read Joel Anderson's moving tribute at the Ringer, where he reflects that Warner showed fans "there was something on the other side of the climb—if you could make it."