After leaving the
United States Marine Corps, he worked as a waiter in a local comedy club in
North Carolina, which he bought a year later. He brought
Martin Lawrence to town and opened up a show with
Ken Jeong, who was then a med school student. Warner eventually earned televised spots on
BET's
ComicView and
Showtime at the Apollo. In 1999, he moved to
Los Angeles and landed acting gigs on shows such as
The Shield,
Joan of Arcadia and
Threshold, in addition to minor writing assignments for BET. In 2006, Warner collaborated with actor
Mekhi Phifer and penned the script for
Puff, Puff, Pass, in which both Warner and Phifer starred. Warner then formed the company Facilitator Films, with Phifer; it produced two other films under its banner, including
This Christmas which grossed about US$50 million at the box office. The company then signed a developmental deal with
Warner Bros, a deal with
Universal Studios for a television pilot and a project with
Overture Films. Warner started Warner Lane Pictures in 2011, and made his directorial debut shortly after with the film
The Love Section. In 2017, Warner established Tribal Icon Entertainment, a production company that is also involved with global distribution of small and mid-sized budget films and documentaries. Through the company, Warner signed a deal with the Global Genesis Group to distribute projects across 75 international territories. ==Personal life==