Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor who portrayed Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner rose to fame when, at the age of 14, he took on the role of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. Warner depicted one of the five children of Cliff and Claire Huxtable, portrayed by Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad, respectively.
The Cosby Show aired from 1984 to 1992 and told the story of an upper-middle-class African-American family living in Brooklyn. It was considered one of the biggest sitcom hits of the ’80s and can still be seen in syndication and on streaming services.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s Cause of Death
A source revealed to PEOPLE that Warner died of accidental drowning on Sunday, July 20, while on vacation with his family in Costa Rica.
ABC News reports that Costa Rican National Police say he was “caught by a high current in the water and was discovered Sunday afternoon.” They added that his official cause of death was asphyxia.
On Tuesday (July 22), police announced that an autopsy had been completed and confirmed the cause of death as “asphyxiation by submersion.” The Forensic Pathology Department also confirmed that Warner’s death was accidental.
Authorities told ABC News that the actor died at Cocles Beach near Limon, Costa Rica. They state that he was caught in a rip current and was rescued by bystanders who took him to shore. He received treatment but was declared deceased by the Costa Rican Red Cross.
Warner’s body arrived in San Joaquin de Flores on Monday afternoon. An autopsy was performed the following day.
Warner is survived by a wife and a daughter whose names are not known.
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Warner’s Post-Cosby Show Career
During and following his tenure on The Cosby Show, Malcolm-Jamal Warner directed music videos and sitcoms, including some episodes of The Cosby Show, All That, and Malcolm & Eddie.
Warner starred in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie for four seasons. In the late ’90s, he also made guest appearances on shows like Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Touched By An Angel.
He continued to act through 2024 with his last credited role being on 9-1-1 that year. In June of 2024, Warner teamed up with Emmy-nominated journalist Candace Kelly and Weusi Baraka to create the Not All Hood (NAH) podcast. According to their website, the podcast takes a “provocative look at the vastly different lived experiences and identities of Blacks in America.”