Inside Beloved Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Net Worth at the Time of His Death
"RIP beautiful man."
Published July 21 2025, 4:30 p.m. ET
Hollywood actors' careers tend to move in waves. You have your entry point, your peak, and eventually, your exit. But it’s rare for someone to stick around through multiple eras and still lead a successful career. But Malcolm-Jamal Warner did just that. Not only was he a big deal in the '90s, but he remained relevant well into the 2020s, still landing major TV roles.
Sadly, Malcolm-Jamal’s life was cut short in mid-July 2025 during a family vacation in Costa Rica, a source confirmed to People.
The actor was swimming when he tragically drowned.
Malcolm-Jamal leaves behind a legacy, having played Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a series that, despite Bill Cosby’s now-tarnished reputation, remains iconic in Black culture. Beyond his work on screen, Malcolm-Jamal also leaves behind a wife, a child, and a sizable net worth. Here’s a look back at his career, and how much he made from it all.
What was Malcom-Jamal Warner's net worth at his time of death?
Malcolm-Jamal left this world in July 2025 with a $6 million net worth tied to his name, according to Celebrity Net Worth. Most of his fortune presumably came from his time on television, though he remained active in entertainment, co-hosting a podcast up until his death.
Malcom-Jamal Warner
Actor, musician, director
Net worth: $6 million
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s on-screen presence is what most people know him for, but after breaking into television, he also dabbled in producing. He was a well-rounded entertainer, to say the least, someone who, unlike many, got to experience multiple eras of TV.
Born: Aug. 18, 1970
Died: July 20, 2025
Birthplace: Jersey City, N.J.
Education: The Professional Children's School in NYC
Relationship status: Married at his time of death
Kids: 1
While he's undoubtedly best known for playing Theo Huxtable, Bill Cosby’s on-screen son on The Cosby Show, a role he held from 1984 to 1992, appearing in nearly 200 episodes according to his IMDb profile, Malcolm-Jamal had plenty of other roles that kept him on the map.
He appeared in A Different World (another iconic show from the late '80s and early '90s), The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Malcolm & Eddie.
Those roles alone would be a big deal in any actor’s career, but Malcolm-Jamal didn’t stop there.
He later showed up in Dexter, the film Fool’s Gold, Key and Peele, and played a prison counselor in Season 6 of Suits. He also had roles in Grown-ish, 9-1-1, and most recently, launched a podcast called Not All Hood (NAH) alongside Candace O. Kelley and Weusi Baraka. According to the podcast’s website, the show “takes a provocative look at the vastly different lived experiences and identities of Blacks in America.”
Who was Malcom-Jamal Warner married to?
Despite his active role in Hollywood, Malcolm-Jamal chose to keep his wife and child’s identities under wraps, presumably for privacy reasons. When he did post on social media, it was strictly work-related, whether promoting his podcast or music.
He was only 54 at the time of his death and still had so much left to give.