“I’ll leave this earth knowing I was a good person”: Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s heartfelt reflection from final interview before his death

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, a popular American actor, musician, and poet who was known for his role as Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has passed away at the age of 54. According to reports, the actor drowned while he was on a family trip to Costa Rica on Sunday, July 20, 2025.

Following his death, profound words from his last interview have begun to circulate all over social media. The actor and musician went on the May 21 episode of the Hot & Bothered with Melyssa Ford podcast and spoke about what he hoped his legacy would be.

In his final interview, Malcolm-Jamal Warner shared his wish to be remembered for being a good person.

“There's part of me that I will be able to leave this earth knowing — and people knowing — that I was a good person.”

He added:

“I'm a good person because my dad's a good person. It is possible to walk through this world and, with all of the darkness in the world, it is possible to maintain your soul and be a good person.”

More details about Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s last interview

Malcolm-Jamal Warner joined Melyssa Ford on the Hot & Bothered podcast, which is what has come to be his final interview. The episode was shared on YouTube on May 21, 2025, and has seen a rapid increase in views since the actor’s death was announced. As of July 21, the one-hour-long video has garnered over sixteen thousand views.

According to the video’s description, Jamal spoke about his legacy, fatherhood, and his navigation of grief.

“Actor, musician, and generational icon Malcolm-Jamal Warner sits down with Melyssa Ford for a deep, vulnerable, and unfiltered conversation about legacy, fatherhood, and surviving the spotlight from childhood through adulthood.”

“He shares how becoming a father later in life shifted everything, his experience navigating grief and the loss of childhood friends, and why choosing his roles with intention matters more than ever. The two also explore The Cosby Show’s complex legacy, his creative life as a musician, and why he celebrates Black history every day — not just in February,” the description continued.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner revealed that his first experience with grief was when he was fifteen.

“I literally watched him take his last breath. And if you've ever seen someone take their final breath, there's this peace that comes over them, just washes over them.”

He shared that he watched his grandfather pass away, and he got to understand something else.

“I realized that when we grieve for people who have passed on, we're grieving for ourselves, right? Because we miss them. And when I think about people in my life who have gone on and transitioned, I think about the lives that they've led. They were really good people. And when we talk about, why are the good people taken away from us, I go, 'Maybe they're being rewarded or something.’”

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Malcolm-Jamal Warner is survived by his wife and daughter, whom he affectionately calls "Mini Us." He never showed his daughter's face or disclosed her identity before his death.

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