Malcolm-Jamal Warner, star of ‘The Cosby Show’, dies at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on the landmark sitcom The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54. According to Costa Rican authorities, Warner drowned on Sunday while vacationing in Playa Grande, near the town of Cocles in the province of Limón. He was reportedly caught in a strong ocean current while swimming and could not be revived despite rescue efforts by bystanders and the local Red Cross.

Warner rose to fame in the 1980s as the youngest son of the Huxtable family in The Cosby Show, a groundbreaking series that ran from 1984 to 1992. The show was widely praised for its portrayal of a middle-class Black family and held the top spot in U.S. television ratings for five consecutive years. Warner received an Emmy nomination in 1986 for his performance as Theo.

After The Cosby Show, Warner starred in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie and made appearances in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Sesame Street, and most recently as Dr. AJ Austin in The Resident. He was also a Grammy-winning artist, taking home the award in 2015 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for Jesus Children of America, and was nominated again in 2023 for his spoken word album Hiding In Plain View.

Warner is survived by his wife and daughter. Tributes poured in from colleagues and fans, with stars like Taraji P. Henson, Tracee Ellis Ross, Niecy Nash and Magic Johnson expressing their shock and grief.