Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor best known for his portrayal of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54. Warner accidentally drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, with the official cause of death listed as asphyxia. According to Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (via the Associated Press), Warner “drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.” Born on August 18, 1970, Warner began his television career in 1982 with appearances on the shows Matt Houston and Fame. In 1984, he was cast as Theodore “Theo” Huxtable, the only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, on The Cosby Show. The series, which followed the lives of an upper-middle-class Black family living in Brooklyn, became a cultural phenomenon and scored massive ratings for NBC. Before The Cosby Show, television rarely highlighted Black families who weren’t financially struggling; the Huxtables, with parents Cliff (Bill Cosby) as a successful obstetrician and Clair (Phylicia Rashad) as an accomplished lawyer, presented a new image that resonated with viewers.

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During The Cosby Show’s eight-season run (from 1984 to 1992), Warner earned an Emmy nomination for his portrayal of Theo. Sadly, the iconic series’ legacy was tarnished in recent years due to sexual assault allegations and the conviction (later overturned on a technicality) against Cosby. In 2023, Warner shared that he remained proud of the show’s 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.”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Career Beyond Theo Huxtable

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Beyond The Cosby Show, Warner continued to build a career in television, film, and music. From 1996 to 2000, he starred alongside Eddie Griffin in Malcolm & Eddie, a sitcom centered on two mismatched best friends and roommates in Kansas City, Missouri. He also starred in and produced Reed Between the Lines from 2011 to 2015. Warner most recently appeared as Dr. AJ Austin, a triple-board certified surgeon often referred to as “The Raptor,” in the Fox medical drama The Resident. Initially cast for just three episodes at the end of Season 1, he quickly became a fan favorite and was promoted to a series regular from Season 2 through Season 6 (2018-2023). Throughout his career, Warner appeared in guest roles on several popular series, like A Different World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Dexter, Key & Peele, Sons of Anarchy, American Horror Story: Freak Show, American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson, Grown-ish, and 9-1-1. Warner was also a musician and spoken-word artist, releasing several albums throughout his career. He even won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his contribution to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.” Several of Warner’s colleagues have publicly mourned his death, including Griffin, who shared on Instagram:
“My heart is heavy right now. Rest easy my brother for you have Won in life and now you have won forever eternal bliss..”
Tracee Ellis Ross, who starred alongside Warner on Reed Between the Lines, also took to the platform to remember the late actor. Calling the late actor “warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant.” According to TMZ, Bill Cosby also reacted to the tragic news, stating that Warner’s death impacted him just like his own son’s passing. Warner is survived by his wife and daughter. Sources: AP, TMZ