How Did Malcolm-Jamal Warner Die? Tributes Pour In For Beloved The Cosby Show Actor

Malcolm-Jamal Warner—the kid everyone knew as Theo Huxtable from “The Cosby Show”—has died. A source close to the actor confirmed the unfortunate news. 

He was only 54.

As per reports, Warner drowned while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica. The whole thing happened at Playa Grande, near Cahuita, on the Caribbean side. He was swimming Sunday afternoon, just hanging out, when a current pulled him out.

People on the beach tried to help, but it was too late—the Red Cross pronounced him dead right there.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies at 54

The cops in Costa Rica told CNN about the incident, and so far, Warner’s reps haven’t said much else.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner grew up in Jersey and started acting super young—like, nine years old. He was just a teenager when he landed the role of Theo, the only son on “The Cosby Show.” That show basically ran the ‘80s and early ‘90s, and honestly, he killed it.

Bill Cosby talked to a local station about Warner, saying the kid was always on point—never missed a line, always knew his character. Cosby said he was just shocked and heartbroken by the news, especially thinking about Warner’s mom, who everyone knew was his biggest supporter.

Warner was proud of what “The Cosby Show” meant. He used to talk about how it finally showed a Black middle-class family on TV—something people claimed didn’t even exist. Meanwhile, the show got thousands of letters from fans just saying thanks.

Oh, and in case you forgot, Warner actually got an Emmy nomination back in ‘86 for his work on the show. The dude left a mark, no doubt about it.

Malcolm-Jamal Warner career

In 2015, he snagged the Grammy for best traditional R&B performance with “Jesus Children,” a Stevie Wonder track he covered alongside the Robert Glasper Experiment. Fast forward to 2023, he was up for another Grammy—this time for best spoken word poetry album.

Back in 2017, Warner, in an interview with CNN, talked about juggling music and fatherhood. He joked about having a whole new source of inspiration since becoming a dad, saying his daughter was only four months old, so he hadn’t yet reached the stage of telling her “no.”

Television’s always been a steady gig for Warner. You’ve probably seen his name pop up in credits for shows like “Touched by an Angel,” “Community,” “Key and Peele,” “Suits,” “Sons of Anarchy,” and “American Horror Story.”

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