Malcolm-Jamal Warner got candid about his legacy in his final public interview two months before his death.
Warner, who tragically died at 54 years old on Sunday, July 20, after an accidental drowning, opened up about how he hoped to be remembered during his May 21 appearance on Melyssa Ford’s “Hot & Bothered” podcast.
“I will be able to leave this earth knowing and people knowing that I was a good person,” he said. “[My dad] said to me often, ‘You know people love you, and people [are] always talking about your career and your success and all of that, but what really makes me the most proud is that you are a good person.’”
Warner also discussed the legacy he hoped his Hollywood career would leave. After gaining fame on The Cosby Show, in which he played Theodore Huxtable, he went on to star in shows like Malcolm & Eddie, Read Between the Lines and The Resident.
Everything We Know About Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Death So Far
“I remember my mother said to me one time that, ‘Mr. Cosby gave you immortality,’ so I know on one lane there’s legacy there,” he explained. “But then, because I’ve had this full life after that show, there’s another lane of legacy that I get to leave.”
While Warner said he hoped to be recognized for his storied career, above all else, he wanted to be seen as a lesson that “with all of the darkness in the world, it is possible to maintain your soul and be a good person.”
Warner drowned when he was caught in a high current in the water near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, the Costa Rican National Police confirmed to ABC News on Monday, July 21. His cause of death was asphyxia, which occurs when the body doesn’t get enough oxygen.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department confirmed to Us Weekly that the events occurred between 2:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the Playa Grande de Cocles area of Puerto Viejo de Limón.
A spokesperson for the Costa Rica Red Cross exclusively told Us on July 21 that emergency personnel attended to two adult males on the scene. A 35-year-old man who has not been identified was transported in critical condition to the local clinic, and his current condition is unknown. Meanwhile, CPR was performed on a 54-year-old man — Warner — who was ultimately pronounced dead on the scene, the spokesperson confirmed.
The spokesperson also confirmed that both men were “involved in the same incident.”
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“Despite the rescue efforts made by Caribbean Guard volunteers at Playa Grande, the actor — who was vacationing in the area with his family — tragically lost his life,” Roger Sanz, the President of the Chamber of Tourism and Commerce of the Southern Caribbean, said in a statement. “We want to make it clear that we are organized, that most of us do inform our clients and visitors. But like in every part of the world, accidents can happen — and this time, it happened to us.”
Warner had been in Costa Rica since July 13, Us learned.
Warner is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities have not been publicly revealed. Us reached out to Warner’s team for comment.
