I Was Malcolm-Jamal Warner's First TV Son. Here's What He Taught Me About Life.
HuffPost
“He really took me under his wing and took that role to another level.”
In this piece, HuffPost culture reporter Njera Perkins interviewed actor Nadji Jeter, who co-starred opposite late actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner in BET’s “Reed Between the Lines.” Jeter shares a touching story about his relationship with Warner, who died earlier this month. This as-told-to interview has been edited for clarity.
The day I met Malcolm-Jamal Warner, I had to have been 13 or 14. We were doing the auditions and the pilot for “Reed Between the Lines,” which premiered on BET in 2011. I had a bunch of energy because I already knew what they were looking for, and also I was excited about the family aspect: him being a dad and me being the first son that he’s ever had. He really took me under his wing and took that father role to another level.
The first time I met Malcolm, I was nervous. Of course, I was a fan of his from “The Cosby Show.” I mean, who isn’t? But also, I found out he was from Jersey, and I have extended family there, so we clicked off that. But our bond strengthened in Atlanta when we got to film the show. That’s when we really got to know each other.
We would have days of us just joking around on set. When I found out he did music and wrote poetry and also played the bass guitar, it blew my mind. Growing up in Atlanta, I was heavy into music, too, so that was our connection outside the set. Every time a cut would come on, I’d ask him about my music, like, “How would you better this?” He was helping me grow mentally. He would take me to music festivals, nightclubs, and show me the ropes of his act as a musician.
Malcolm and I had a similar background of being raised by a single mom and not really having that father influence. So when he came into my life, he really took on a father figure role on and off camera. He got connected with my mom, and she would go to him for advice. His mom, Ms. Pam, would grab me and hug me up in her arms, and give me advice, too, so we all had that connection.
