‘The Cosby Show’ actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dead at 54 in apparent drowning

Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has tragically passed away. The 54-year-0ld actor reportedly drowned while vacationing in Costa Rica with his family.

The drowning occurred while Warner was swimming in the ocean on Sunday off the coast of Costa Rica. His body was recovered from the ocean later that day, and police say he died of asphyxia, which is a lack of oxygen, presumably from drowning.

The actor left behind a wife and a daughter. Warner was just 14 when he got his big acting break as the affable teenage son of Cliff Huxtable, played by the disgraced Bill Cosby.

The family-friendly hit sitcom ran from 1984 to 1992 and remains a beloved part of American culture. Unfortunately, the show’s legacy has been tarnished because of accusations against Cosby that surfaced more than a decade after the final episode aired.

A legend remembered

For television viewers in the 1980s, Warner’s Theo was relatable as a wholesome teenager in a loving family. He felt like he could be their friend, brother, or son, especially during the iconic sitcom moment when he donned the shirt that will live forever in television history.

After The Cosby Show wrapped for good, Warner later starred as Comedian Eddie Griffin in the sitcom Malcolm and Eddie, which aired from 1996 to 2000. Most recently, Warner appeared in Fox’s drama The Resident, which aired from 2018 to 2023.

He was remembered by his co-star Morris Chestnut in a post on Facebook on Monday. “Heartbroken to hear about the passing of Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Working alongside him on The Resident was an honor,” Chestnut continued.

“He brought so much depth, warmth, and wisdom to every scene and every conversation. One of the nicest in the business. Rest easy, brother. Your legacy lives on,” he added, echoing the sentiments of many others in the business.

The Cosby connection

Warner remains beloved despite the shadow cast by the Cosby scandal. According to Fox News, Cosby was convicted of sexual assault in 2018, though it was later overturned in 2021. However, five more alleged victims have come forward since then.

Nevertheless, Cosby’s representative, Andrew Wyatt, said that the 88-year-old was heartbroken upon hearing the news of his former co-star’s passing. “He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it,” Wyatt said.

“They spoke all the time. He said, ‘Malcolm was changing humanity,’” Wyatt added. He likened Cosby’s hearing about Maclom’s death to the moment when the comedian found out his 27-year-old son, Ennis William Cosby, was murdered during an attempted robbery in 1997.

Warner’s character was loosely based on Ennis, which made the actor’s death particularly painful for Cosby. “It felt the same way —extremely devastating,” Wyatt said.

The death of an actor like Warner stirs feelings of sadness, not only for the passing of a wonderful person but also for the end of an era. There will never be another sitcom experience like The Cosby Show, where generations could watch and laugh together, and Warner’s death is a stark reminder of that fact.