When you grow up on TV as a beloved sitcom character, that persona tends to stick with people. But The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner is making it crystal clear: he’s not Theo, and he’s not trying to be.
During a recent episode of Hot & Bothered, a podcast hosted by Melyssa Ford, Warner opened up about his complicated relationship with the character that made him a household name, and why being called Theo doesn’t sit right with him.
“There’s this narrative that I hate being called Theo,” Warner said. “Well, no—I don’t like being called Theo. So, it’s not a narrative.”
While he acknowledges the love and impact the character had, Warner says he’s always wanted a clean separation between the role and the man.
“I’m going to be Malcolm much longer than I’m going to be Theo,” he shared.
That doesn’t mean he’s ungrateful or dismissive of his time on The Cosby Show. Quite the opposite. Warner recognizes the role as a blessing, a piece of TV history, and something he’s proud of. But as an actor and a person, he wants space to grow beyond it.
“That show and that role is timeless. And I’m very proud of that role,” he said. “But part of the distancing for me is probably not wanting to see how much of Malcolm isn’t Theo.”
Warner also opened up about why he used to feel disconnected from the character. When he was growing up, despite the show’s popularity, there were whispers that Theo was “corny,” and for a teenage boy trying to find his identity, that stung.
“Everyone loves Theo, but I f**king with the people who were like, ‘Theo’s corny,’” he explained. “Somebody called me ‘America’s favorite white black boy,’ and I was like 15.”
Thanks to his wife, Warner is now more mindful of how his rejection of the character could be misread as ingratitude.
“My wife got on me not too long ago,” he said. “She said, ‘You keep trying to distance yourself from Theo like Theo was a bad thing.”
So while he still doesn’t want to be called Theo, he’s learned to embrace the legacy of the role with more nuance—and grace.
“Theo was very good to me,” he admitted.
So, you should call him Malcolm. Just Malcolm. While Theo Huxtable might be one of the most iconic TV sons of all time, Malcolm-Jamal Warner has been putting in serious work for decades, on stage, on screen, and behind the mic. Whether it’s Malcolm and Eddie, The Resident, or his Emmy-winning voice work, the man has more than earned the right to be recognized for who he is today.
