Our 2024 Virginia Black History Month Gala keynote speaker is a veteran actor, director, producer, musician, and poet Malcolm-Jamal Warner
His Distinguished Bio
Malcolm-Jamal Warner has become known in the entertainment business for his seasoned acting talents and his accomplishments in music, directing, and producing. As an Emmy-nominated actor and Grammy award winning poet, award-winning Warner has positioned himself as one of the most accomplished talents in the industry today. As a staple in television and film for over 30 years, Warner first rose to national prominence by starring on the celebrated and long-running
classic television series “The Cosby Show.” His work on the show garnered him a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series and set the stage for him to have a long career in the public eye.
Presently, Warner can be seen starring on FOX’s hit medical drama “The Resident.” Originally cast for a 3 episode arc at the end of season one, he quickly became a fan favorite and was promoted to a series regular as cardio-thoracic surgeon AJ Austin aka ‘The Raptor,’ whose uncontrollable personality makes him a liability within the hospital walls. “The Resident” which also stars Matt Czuchry, follows the lives and duties of staff members at Chastain Park Memorial Hospital, while
delving into the bureaucratic practices of the hospital industry. Season 6 is currently airing.
In addition to “The Resident” Warner can also be seen in FOX’s much-anticipated courtroom anthology series, “Accused,” set to air January 23. Prior to “The Resident,” he was seen as a series regular on ABC’s drama series “Ten Days in the Valley” opposite Kyra Sedgwick. He also made headlines in 2016 starring as A.C. Cowlings opposite Cuba Gooding Jr. on the critically acclaimed, award-winning FX series “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.” Additional recent credits include: Amazon’s “Sneaky Pete,” TNT’s “Major Crimes,” “Suits” on USA, “American Horror
Story: Freak Show” for FX, “Sons of Anarchy” for FX, “Community,” “The Michael J. Fox Show,” “Hawthorne,” “The Cleaner,” and “Dexter.” In 2011 Warner produced, directed, and starred in the BET original series “Reed Between the Lines” opposite Golden Globe Award winner Tracee Ellis Ross. On the film front, his short film “Muted” [starring opposite Chandra Wilson] won the HBO Short Film Competition at the American Black Film Festival [2014].
As a seasoned director, Warner has worked on a host of television series, including “The Resident,” being a regular director [and producer] on the comedy series “Malcolm & Eddie,” and also having directed several episodes of “The Cosby Show,” “All That,” “Keenan & Kel,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Sesame Street,” and the AIDS awareness video “Timeout: The Truth about HIV, AIDS, and YOU,” which starred Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall and earned Warner the NAACP Key of Life Image Award. His short film, “This Old Man,” received critical acclaim on the theater festival circuit.
On the film front Warner released a powerful, spoken word short film entitled “You Can’t Hear Me” in May 2017. The five-minute short displays Warner, spoken word artist-producer David Bianchi, and spoken word artist Chris Wood citing poetry that highlights some of America’s civil and social ills including systematic oppression, deportation, and mass incarceration. Warner made his feature film debut in Paramount Pictures’ “Drop Zone,” and was also seen in Warner Bros’ Pictures “Fools Gold” opposite Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson, and Donald Sutherland. He also co-starred in the independent films “Restaurant” with Adrien Brody, “A Fare to Remember,” and “The List” with Wayne Brady. He recently starred in the short film “Wannabe,” which was a runaway hit at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival, as well as the film short “Shot,” starring Noah Wiley.
On stage, Warner has starred in the off-Broadway plays “Three Ways Home,” “Cryin’ Shame,” for which he received the NAACP Theater Award for Best Supporting Actor, “Freefall” at the Victory Garden Theatre in Chicago, and in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” at the La Jolla Playhouse in California. Warner received critical acclaim for his West Coast debut of his one-man theatrical production of “Love and Other Social Issues.” He returned to the stage in September 2014, reprising Sidney Poitier’s role as Dr. John Prentice in "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner” in Boston at The Huntington Theatre. Warner has held this role before, previously performing in the play at Washington D.C.’s esteemed Arena Theater.
When not acting and directing, Warner is a poet and a bass player. In 2015 Warner nabbed his first Grammy Award for “Best Traditional R&B Performance as a Featured Performer” on Robert Glasper's version of the Stevie Wonder classic "Jesus Children of America." Lalah Hathaway was also featured on the track. Warner’s jazz-funk band Miles Long has performed in several major jazz festivals, including the Playboy Jazz Festival, and has opened for high-profile artists including Earl Klugh and the late Luther Vandross, and he has also performed at the historic Apollo Theater.
In September 2015 Warner released his 3rd album, “Selfless,” which brought an evolution of music to the table, melding spoken word and soul music into one cohesive album. His 4th album, “Hiding In The Plain View,” was released in September 2022 and has garnered him a 2nd Grammy nomination for the inaugural “Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.” All of Warner’s independently distributed CD’s, “The Miles Long Mix Tape,” “Love and Other Social Issues,” and
“Selfless” have become popular on the underground music scene, and can now be purchased on iTunes and http://www.MalcolmJamalWarner.com.
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TICKETS ARE NOW ON SALE! Click below to secure your seating or table for the 2025 Black History Month Gala! Consider purchasing our VIP ticket which includes a picture with the keynote speaker, access to our VIP Social, a dual entree meal (Chicken and Beef), and VIP Seating.