Friend of Malcolm-Jamal Warner reacts to his accidental death: 'Black excellence personified'
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Wake County resident Chip Shearin didn't realize that his last conversation with Malcolm-Jamal Warner last Tuesday would be the last. The pair talked a few days after Warner arrived in Costa Rica to vacation with family.
"He wanted advice on what to do in Costa Rica. It's a jungle. Of course, it's the rainy season there, so there's not a whole lot to d,o and that's probably one of the reasons probably why the tide was up as high as it was," said Shearin.
According to the Costa Rican National Police, Warner, 54, drowned off the coast after getting caught by a rip current Sunday afternoon. His untimely death is sending shockwaves through those who knew and loved him, like Shearin.
"Malcolm was Black excellence personified. In just about everything he did, he did it with conviction. He believed so strongly in the uplift of all people, but most importantly, the plight of making things right or better for people who look like us," said Shearin.
Shearin shared that he's known Warner for over 20 years.The two met at a trade show. He said Warner would talk often about music, family and being present for loved ones.
He wants people to know that Warner was more than an actor. He was a musician. The pair recorded music together. In fact, Warner came to North Carolina earlier this year to do a show at Missy Lanes Assembly Room in Durham.
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"It was just me and him and a band. It was spoken word and a new-age jazz and RnB kind of feel. We had done a few of those. We had plans to do a couple in August. That has since changed," he said.
