The actor, who died last week, carried the burden of representing the meritocratic Black boy par excellence, and made it look easy.

The actor, who died Sunday at 54, was best known for his role as Theo Huxtable, the only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, who was based on creator Bill Cosby's son.

As we mourn Malcolm-Jamal Warner, we give thanks for who he was as Theo and who he was a man in the real world.