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Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor renowned for his portrayal of Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show,” has died.
Warner, aged 54, reportedly drowned on Sunday while vacationing in Costa Rica.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed the death in a news release issued Sunday.
According to local authorities, Warner was apparently caught in a strong ocean current while swimming at Playa Grande in Cocles, a town in the province of Limón, at approximately 14:00 local time.
Warner famously played the son of Bill Cosby on the widely popular U.S. sitcom from 1984 to 1992.
Authorities stated that bystanders rescued Warner and brought him to shore. Emergency responders from the Costa Rican Red Cross attempted to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
He is survived by his wife and daughter.
Warner received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his work on “The Cosby Show” in 1986.
He was personally selected for his breakthrough role by Cosby on the final day of a nationwide audition.
“I was literally the last person they saw,” he recalled in a 2023 interview.
“The Cosby Show” held the position of number one television show for five seasons, from 1985 to 1990, depicting a close-knit middle-class family—a portrayal that was relatively rare for Black Americans on television at the time.
“When the show first came out, there were white people and Black people talking about (how) the Huxtables don’t really exist, Black people don’t really live like that,” Warner noted in a 2013 interview.
“Meanwhile, we were getting tens of thousands of fan letters from people saying, ‘Thank you so much for this show.'”
Following “The Cosby Show,” Warner made appearances in several other television programs, including “Malcolm & Eddie,” alongside comedian Eddie Griffin.
Griffin expressed his respects on social media after Warner’s death, writing “R.I.P. King” and “My big little brother”.
He also had guest appearances on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “Sesame Street.” More recently, he portrayed AJ Austin, a cardio-thoracic surgeon on the medical drama series “The Resident.”
Warner also won a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2015, alongside Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway, for their cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”
His spoken word album, “Hiding In Plain View,” earned him another Grammy nomination in 2023.
Last year, he launched a podcast titled “Not All Hood,” which focused on mental health within the Black community.
Former co-stars and fans have been sharing their tributes to him online.
Basketball icon Magic Johnson, who appeared in an AIDS awareness video directed by Warner, shared that he and his wife were “both super fans of the hit Cosby Show and continued to follow his career” throughout the years.
“Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed,” Johnson wrote.
Tracee Ellis Ross, who starred alongside Warner in “Reed Between the Lines,” also mourned him, writing: “My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place.”
“Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss.”
Actress Niecy Nash posted that she had recently spoken with Warner.
“We talked about how happy we both were in our marriages. Damn friend. You were a cornerstone of The Cosby Show. We all loved Theo! Never to be forgotten. You will be missed. Rest Easy.”
Georgia Senator Raphael Warnock also paid tribute, writing: “For me and so many in my generation, Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a part of our childhood, a brother whose character ‘Theo’ felt like one of my own.”
“May God grant peace to his soul, strength and grace to his grieving family.”
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