Malcolm-Jamal Warner, Theo's actor in 'The Cosby Show,' died by drowning
"Malcom was a true great person, hilarious, smart kid, and meant a lot to America," Adam Sandler, one of the actors who shared the screen with Warner, bidding him farewell.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner in 2015.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner died at age 54, drowning off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The actor was best known for playing Theo, the youngest member of the Huxtable family, on The Cosby Show throughout all eight seasons of the popular series.
"We received a report of an adult male, deceased by asphyxiation by submersion, on Cocles beach in Cahuita," in Costa Rica's southern Caribbean, on Sunday afternoon, Costa Rican judicial police said in a statement.
"The victim apparently entered the sea and was swept out to sea by a current," it said. "The man was rescued by people who were at the scene and taken to the shore where he received attention from the Costa Rican Red Cross, however, he was declared without vital signs at the scene," the police report added.
Local authorities identified him as the actor and said his body had been taken to a morgue for further analysis.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner's career
The show was inspired by the stand-up shows of Bill Cosby, who played the family patriarch, a successful doctor. In recent years, Cosby, who became known as America's Father, has received dozens of sexual assault allegations.
Hailed by audiences and critics at the time, the show was considered revolutionary for its depiction of a loving, happy black family. For his role as Theo, Warner was nominated for an Emmy Award.
After the series, Malcolm-Jamal Warner continued his acting career. Notable roles included his own soap opera, Malcolm & Eddie, and his participation in the series Sons of Anarchy.
He was also a musician and politically active.
"He was the nicest guy and it was a privilege to have been in the same company with him," wrote Marlee Matlin, Oscar-winning actress with whom he co-starred in 9-1-1. "My heart goes out to his family and friends. RIP Malcolm."
Retired basketball player Earvin Magic Johnson also said goodbye on social media, sharing that both he and his wife were fans of The Bill Cosby Show and his later career. "Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed."
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Center thanked Warner for his "his love" for the institution and "the King legacy", and recalled that in 2023 he co-hosted its Beloved Community Awards. "Malcolm was a brilliant, multi-faceted artist and an inspiring giver," it also wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Malcolm’s family during this very difficult time."
At conversation with Entertainment Tonight, his colleague Adam Sandler recalled their shared beginnings on The Bill Cosby Show: "Malcolm was so nice to me when we were on the show, and we had such good times together... He was so good to me as a person."
"Malcom was a true great person, hilarious, smart kid, and meant a lot to America," he added.
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