Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies by drowning at 54
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner played Bill Cosby’s son, Theo Huxtable, on the 1980s hit TV series The Cosby Show.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Follow topic:
- Malcolm-Jamal Warner, known for playing Theo on "The Cosby Show", died at 54 on July 21.
- Warner drowned while vacationing with family in Costa Rica, pulled out to sea by a rip current.
- Costa Rican authorities confirmed the drowning of a US citizen named Warner; he was declared dead at the scene.
AI generated
LOS ANGELES/SAN JOSE – American actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Bill Cosby’s son Theo Huxtable in the 1980s ground-breaking television hit The Cosby Show, died at age 54 on July 21 by drowning, a law enforcement source confirmed to Reuters.
Warner was vacationing in Costa Rica with his family, media reported.
The Central American nation’s judicial investigation department confirmed that a US citizen with the last name Warner had drowned after being pulled out to sea by a rip current. He was declared lifeless at the scene by Red Cross lifeguards, the department said.
Representatives for Warner did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) posted a photo of the late actor on Instagram along with a caption: “#RestinPower, to NAACP Image Award winning actor, Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Your talent and spirit touched many lives, and your legacy will continue to inspire.”
Warner won the outstanding actor in a comedy series award from the NAACP for the series Reed Between The Lines in 2012.
Fox Entertainment also issued a statement on July 21 about his death.
“Everyone at Fox is heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, the extraordinary Malcolm-Jamal Warner,” the statement said, adding that his roles – from the comedic to dramatic – were unforgettable and timeless.
Warner played Dr A.J. Austin on the Fox medical drama series The Resident (2018 to 2023).
The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992, was one of the earliest portrayals of a successful, stable and wholesome black American family on television, which challenged negative stereotypes. Cosby portrayed a doctor and Warner played his only son.
Warner, who was born on Aug 18, 1970, grew up in Jersey City, New Jersey, with his mother Pamela, who eventually became his acting manager. He was named after civil rights leader Malcolm X and jazz musician Ahmad Jamal.
At an early age, Warner found he was interested in acting, which launched his career as a child performer and set him on the path to attend The Professional Children’s School in New York.
While he had some small television roles early in his career, playing Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show served as his breakout role.
The actor received an Emmy nomination in 1986 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series for his role on the NBC series. He won a Grammy Award in 2015 for best traditional R&B performance for the song Jesus Children.
Warner also had roles in The Cosby Show spin-off series A Different World (1987 to 1993), Jeremiah (2002 to 2004), Sons Of Anarchy (2008 to 2014) and Suits (2011 to 2019), and hosted Saturday Night Live in 1986.
He has a wife and daughter, but never publicly disclosed their names. REUTERS
