Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the Emmy-nominated actor who rose to fame as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has sadly passed away at the age of 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, local authorities say.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said on Monday, July 21, that Warner drowned on the afternoon of Sunday, July 20, while swimming at Playa Grande de Cocles on the country’s Caribbean coast.
He was reportedly caught in a strong current and pulled further out to sea.
“He was rescued by people on the beach,” the department’s initial report said, but first responders from the Red Cross found him without vital signs, and he was taken to the morgue.
Born August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey, Warner showed an early passion for performing and began studying acting at age nine. He later graduated from the Professional Children’s School in New York City.
Warner became a household name in the 1980s as Theo, the only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable on NBC’s The Cosby Show, a role he held from 1984 to 1992. He was nominated for an Emmy at age 16 and went on to appear in numerous series, including Malcolm & Eddie, Jeremiah, Community, Major Crimes, Suits, and The Resident, where he played Dr. AJ “The Raptor” Austin. He also portrayed Al Cowlings in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story.
In addition to acting, Warner directed episodes of several sitcoms, including Kenan & Kel, All That, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and helmed music videos for artists like New Edition and Special Ed. He was also active in public health outreach, directing an educational video about HIV/AIDS in the early ’90s.
A passionate musician and poet, Warner released multiple jazz-funk and spoken word albums. In 2015, he won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his work on Robert Glasper’s cover of Stevie Wonder’s Jesus Children of America. His 2022 album Hiding in Plain View earned a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album.
Most recently, in 2024, he co-launched the podcast Not All Hood (NAH), exploring the lives and experiences of Black Americans.
Following news of his death, tributes poured in from fans and well-known figures honouring his legacy.
He is survived by his wife and daughter, whose identities he kept private.
-with AP.