Anthony Mackie is joining countless others in Hollywood with a tribute to the great Malcolm-Jamal Warner after his death.
While promoting Season 2 of his Peacock series โTwisted Metal,โ premiering on July 31, Mackie reminisces with TODAY.com on his โfunniestโ memory with Warner, who died on July 20 at age 54.
Mackie expresses how Warner was a โpoignant reminderโ of his childhood and teenage years through his role as Theo Huxtable on โThe Cosby Showโ โ so much so that the โCaptain Americaโ star once sported a fashion item made famous by the character.
During the Halloween episode of โThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallonโ in 2024, Mackie dressed up in a shiny yellow long-sleeved blouse that he described as โold school.”
Fans will recognize the clothing item from the beloved “A Shirt Story” episode of “The Cosby Show,” in which Theo buys a too expensive shirt by fictional fashion designer Gordon Gartrell. He’s forced to return it, and his sister Denise makes him a “replica.”
However, with a misplaced pocket, misshapen collar and an abnormally long sleeve, it turns out to be anything but a look-alike, prompting Theo to throw a fit.
โThat episode just was, you know โฆ thatโs the perfect sibling moment, if you have multiple sisters and youโre the only boy in the house,โ Mackie tells TODAY.com.
During Mackie’s visit to the late night show, host Jimmy Fallon asked if the shirt was a “real Gordon Gartrell.” Mackie called it “authentic” and revealed his wardrobe department made it for him.
Little did Mackie know that the real-life Theo Huxtable would be watching โ and wonder if he could get one, too.
“I got a text from him, and he says, ‘I need you to get me one of those made. I lost mine,'” Mackie recalls. “Yeah, and it was just, it was really cool.”
While Mackie, who was on Fallon’s show to promote his 2024 film “Elevation,” wasn’t able to get Warner his own shirt, he looks back fondly on the text exchange.
“For him, to acknowledge that and say, you know, ‘Kudos to you. Good luck,’ it was pretty fun,” Mackie says.
Warner died July 20 after he drowned off the coast of Costa Rica, officials said.
He appeared as the Huxtables’ only son for all eight seasons of the comedy show, earning him an Emmy nomination in 1986. Through the role of Theo, Warner notably shined a light on dyslexia, which some viewers and advocates have celebrated as an example of a nuanced portrayal of a Black teenager with a learning disability.
