Jaleel White Remembers Malcolm-Jamal Warner: 'I Grew Up Looking Up to Him' (Exclusive)

Jaleel White spoke to “Extra’s” Mona Kosar Abdi at the NYC premiere of “Happy Gilmore 2.”

He shared his thoughts on the sudden passing of “The Cosby Show” star Malcolm-Jamal Warner, recalling, "Malcolm and I were industry peers. I mean, really, I can't even say that. Like, I grew up looking up to him. He was ahead of me in the game. I'm kind of waiting for more details to come out because it was just a very disturbing report... You kind of caught me at a loss for words and kind of reflecting on my own memories."

Jaleel, who was six years younger than Warner, shared, “Malcolm was the first former child actor that my mother even let me go out with late at night past 11 p.m."

Referencing the actress who played Warner's girlfriend on "The Cosby Show" and who he dated he real life, Jaleel went on, "I had a very close relationship with both him and Michelle Thomas. May they both rest in peace.”

Thomas died after developing a tumor at 30 in 1998 with her ex-boyfriend, Warner, by her side.

Jaleel added, “Please remember him as a poet, a Grammy Award-winning musician, and  an actor who did a lot more than just star on a sitcom when he was a kid.”

Talking about "Happy Gilmore 2," White raved over Adam Sandler's work, joking, "The movies are the same way he dresses — they are comfort food."

He remembered the original 1996 classic, saying, "Even as I'm walking down this carpet, I'm remembering [the late] Carl Weathers, and I'm like, 'Aghh.' But he'll be here in spirit, and I can't wait to see the final product."