Malcolm-Jamal Warner, a beloved actor a lot of people grew up watching, has sadly passed away at 54. He was on vacation in Costa Rica when tragedy hit.
Malcolm’s breakout TV role made him a household name
Most people remember him best as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show.
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He played that role for all eight seasons, and it’s the one most people still associate him with.
Police in Costa Rica confirmed what happened
Authorities told ABC News that Warner drowned while swimming off the coast of Costa Rica.
It happened on Sunday, July 20, near a beach in Limon called Cocles.
They said a strong current pulled him in, and his body was later found that afternoon.
The cause of death was officially confirmed
Costa Rica’s national police identified his body and said the cause of death was asphyxia.
He had a solid career after The Cosby Show too
Warner didn’t just stop after The Cosby Show. In the 90s, he starred in Malcolm & Eddie, which fans loved.
More recently, he showed up on The Resident, a medical drama on Fox. He kept acting right up to the end.
Awards and recognition came his way early on
His work on The Cosby Show didn’t go unnoticed. Between 1984 and 1992, he landed an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
That was a big deal, especially at the time.
In 2023, he reflected on The Cosby Show legacy
Last year, Warner chatted with People about what the show meant to him and the impact it left.
He said: “What made it so groundbreaking was its universality. NBC initially saw it as a show about an upper-middle-class Black family. Mr. [Bill] Cosby diligently impressed upon them that the show was about an upper-middle-class family that happened to be Black.”
He didn’t shy away from the controversy around Cosby
A lot of people view the show differently now, especially after Bill Cosby’s legal troubles and the overturned conviction in 2021.
Warner acknowledged that and said: “Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on – first and foremost, Black culture – but also American culture.”
The bond with the cast stayed strong through the years
He also talked about how the cast still felt close, even after all this time.
He said: “I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of. We share a unique experience that keeps us lovingly bonded no matter how much time goes between seeing or hearing from each other.”
Rest easy, Theo Huxtable.
