Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor who won hearts as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54 after drowning while on vacation in Costa Rica.
Local authorities reported that Warner was swimming at Playa Grande around 2:00 p.m. local time (20:00 GMT) on Sunday in Cocles, located in the Limón province, when he was caught by a strong ocean current and dragged out to sea. The Costa Rica Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed the details.
Bystanders rushed to help and managed to bring him to shore, where the Costa Rican Red Cross tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Warner is survived by his wife and daughter.
Best known for his role as the youngest son of Bill Cosby’s character on the hit sitcom The Cosby Show, Warner starred on the show from 1984 to 1992. The series became a cultural touchstone and topped U.S. television ratings for five consecutive seasons from 1985 to 1990. It offered a groundbreaking portrayal of a loving, successful Black American family, something rarely seen on television at the time.
Warner was nominated for an Emmy in 1986 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was personally chosen for the role by Cosby after being the very last person to audition during a nationwide casting search.
“I was literally the last person they saw,” he recalled during a 2023 interview.
In a 2013 interview, Warner reflected on the show’s impact. “When the show first came out, there were white people and black people saying, ‘The Huxtables don’t really exist, Black people don’t live like that.’ Meanwhile, we were getting tens of thousands of fan letters saying, ‘Thank you so much for this show.”
After The Cosby Show, Warner continued acting in TV and film, starring in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie alongside comedian Eddie Griffin. Griffin paid tribute to Warner on social media, writing: “R.I.P. King” and calling him “My big little brother.”
He also made guest appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sesame Street, and more recently, portrayed Dr. AJ Austin, a cardio-thoracic surgeon, on the medical drama The Resident.
Fox Entertainment, the network behind The Resident, released a heartfelt statement to Variety, saying:”Everyone at Fox is heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, the extraordinary Malcolm-Jamal Warner”.
While his iconic roles, from comedic to dramatic are unforgettable and timeless, Malcolm will be remembered most for his warmth, kind heart, and the lasting impact he had on his friends, family, and fans everywhere.
Tributes have poured in from across the entertainment world, including messages from Questlove, Jennifer Hudson, Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Magic Johnson.
