Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known to millions as Theo Huxtable from The Cosby Show, has passed away at the age of 54. The beloved actor tragically drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, according to local authorities. Officials say Warner was caught in a rip current near Cocles Beach in Limon. He was officially identified by the Costa Rican National Police, who confirmed the cause of death as asphyxia due to drowning.
Warner’s breakout role came in 1984, when he was cast as the lovable and often mischievous Theo Huxtable, the only son of the Huxtable family. He played the role for all eight seasons of the groundbreaking sitcom, earning an Emmy nomination along the way. Warner was only 14 when he auditioned—ironically, the very last person they saw for the role—and would go on to become a household name.
In the decades that followed, Warner carved out a steady, impressive career across television, film, music, and even podcasting. He starred in shows like Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Lines, and more recently, The Resident on FOX. He also had memorable appearances in Sons of Anarchy, Key & Peele, American Crime Story, and Suits.
But Warner wasn’t just an actor—he was a multi-talented artist. He played the bass guitar, a passion he picked up in his twenties, and in 2015, won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his work with Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway. In 2023, he received a Grammy nomination for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for Hiding In Plain View.
Earlier this year, Warner launched the podcast Not All Hood with journalist Candace Kelly, exploring themes like mental health and the complexity of Black identity. In an interview with People, Warner called it a space where he could be “as vulnerable as I allow myself to be.”
Looking back on his career, Warner once said that his proudest achievement was “having a post-Cosby life and post-Cosby career and still have my head on as straight as possible.” In his own words: “I’ve had such an awesome life… If I die tomorrow, I know I would go with a smile on my face.”
Malcolm-Jamal Warner leaves behind a legacy that touched generations—from the inspiration he gave young Black viewers on The Cosby Show, to his contributions as a musician, actor, poet, and thoughtful voice in the community. His impact, as he once said, is “irreversible.”
He is survived by a life well-lived, and a body of work that will continue to inspire.
Source: abcnews.go.com
Image: mprnews.org
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