Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo on 'Cosby Show', dies in Costa Rica drowning
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Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department said Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica's Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.
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'He was rescued by people on the beach,' the department's initial report said, but first responders from Costa Rica's Red Cross found him without vital signs and he was taken to the morgue.
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Warner created many TV moments etched in the memories of Generation X children and their parents, including a pilot-episode argument with Bill Cosby's Cliff Huxtable about money, and another episode where Theo tries to hide his ear piercing from his dad. His Theo was the only son among four daughters in the household of Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad's Clair Huxtable on the NBC sitcom, and he would be one of the prime representations of American teenage boyhood on a show that was the most popular in America for much of its run from 1984 to 1992.
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He played the role for eight seasons, appearing in each of the show's 197 episodes and earning an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy in 1986. For many the lasting image of the character, and of Warner, is of him wearing a badly botched mock designer shirt sewed by his sister Denise, played by Lisa Bonet. The 'Gordon Gartrell' shirt later became a memeable image: Anthony Mackie wore one on 'The Tonight Show' with Jimmy Fallon and the profile picture on Warner's Instagram shows a toddler sporting one.
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NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was among those giving tribute Monday. Johnson said on X that he and his wife are sad to hear of the death of their friend.
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'We were both super fans of the hit 'Cosby Show' and continued to follow his career on shows like 'Malcolm and Eddie' and 'The Resident,'' Johnson said. 'Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed.'
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Like the rest of the 'Cosby Show' cast, Warner had to contend with the sexual assault allegations against its titular star, whose conviction in a Pennsylvania court was later overturned.
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Warner told The Associated Press in 2015 that the show's legacy was 'tarnished.'
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'My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film,' Warner said. 'We've always had 'The Cosby Show' to hold up against that. And the fact that we no longer have that, that's the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.'
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Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Toronto Sun
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was struggling along with daughter, 8, at time of drowning
Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner attends 2023 Beloved Community Awards at Hyatt Regency Atlanta on January 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Paras Griffin / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Malcolm-Jamal Warner was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter when he drowned in Costa Rica earlier this week, according to reports. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 54-year-old actor and musician, who was best known for playing Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show , died on Sunday during a family vacation with his wife and daughter. Police told ABC News that surfers spotted Warner and his daughter struggling in the water and dove in to try and help them. Lifeguard instructor Mike Geist, who is also the vice-president of Caribbean Guard, explained to Us Weekly how the tragedy unfolded. Geist said that after group surf lessons earlier in the day, Warner and a few other individuals 'decided to get back in the water.' He recalled three people later being seen in 'distress,' who lifeguards were 'able to get out with some help.' He continued: 'Another person that was on the beach with a boogie board went out to go and look for Malcolm because they learned there was a fourth person,' Geist said, noting that a doctor was among those searching for the actor and eventually the one who found him submerged in water. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Once brought to shore, Warner was given 45 minutes of CPR, ABC News reported, but it was too late. Warner's cause of death was ruled as accidental asphyxiation by submersion, according to the outlet. RECOMMENDED VIDEO A man trying to help Warner had been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment 'without complications.' The late Grammy winner, who won Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2015, kept much of his personal life private, never sharing his daughter's name as well as keeping the identity of his wife from the public. However, in 2023 he posted a throwback video of him dancing with his daughter and singing to her when she was 1, noting how fast she was growing up. Warner also called his daughter a 'mini us' in a 2021 Instagram post while sharing how their family came to be. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Whatever 'bigger than family' ideas I had in my head before these two beautiful spirits came into my life are now fuelled to be even bigger. Life is even more fulfilling,' he wrote. 'When people ask me how I'm doing, I often tell them that I am living the mother****ing dream,' the Resident actor continued. 'And on the days it doesn't feel like it, I just remind myself that I'm still living SOMEBODY's dream. And I press on. I am so FULL now. Of Love. Of joy. Of gratefulness.' Read More After Warner's Cosby Show run ended in 1992, he went on to star alongside Eddie Griffin in Malcolm & Eddie . In recent years he appeared on Suits , Major Crimes and 9-1-1 and hosted podcast Not All Hood alongside Candace O. Kelley and Weusi Baraka. Sports Ontario Wrestling Canada Canada
Global News
5 days ago
- Global News
Bill Cosby speaks out on ‘Cosby Show' star Malcolm-Jamal Warner's death
Bill Cosby has paid tribute to his Cosby Show on-screen son Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who drowned while on a family trip in Costa Rica on Sunday. Cosby's spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, told People that Warner's tragic death 'reminded him of the same call he received when his son died.' (Cosby's son, Ennis Cosby, was murdered in 1997 during an attempted robbery on a Los Angeles freeway ramp as he tried to change a flat tire. He was 27.) Authorities said Warner's official cause of death was asphyxia, caused when the body is deprived of oxygen. He died near Playa Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, according to police, adding that the actor was caught by a strong current in the water and his body was found Sunday afternoon. Wyatt said Cosby's son 'played with Malcolm' and called the 54-year-old actor's death 'devastating.' Story continues below advertisement 'He found a way to talk about Malcolm even though he was sad,' Wyatt said of Cosby. Cosby, 88, said that 'Malcolm was doing what he loved when he died — he was with his family.' 'He had just done a concert in Minnesota and called Mr. Cosby and talked about it. They spoke all the time. He said 'Malcolm was changing humanity,'' Wyatt said. 0:28 Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 'Cosby Show' star, dead at age 54 Cosby's spokesperson added that the actor was speaking with his Cosby Show co-stars following Warner's death. He said Cosby was 'on the phone with Phylicia Rashad reminiscing about Malcolm.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy In another statement to CBS News, Cosby said that during his conversation with Rashad, who played his on-screen wife Claire Huxtable, the two were 'embracing each other over the phone about a dearly beloved friend.' Story continues below advertisement 'He was never afraid to go to his room and study. He knew his lines and that he was quite comfortable even with the growing pains of a being a teenager,' Cosby said, adding that he spoke to Warner 'three months ago.' Cosby's spokesperson also told the New York Post that the actor said of his on-screen children, 'While I was their TV dad, I never stopped being a father to them.' View image in full screen Bill Cosby acts with Malcolm-Jamal Warner in a scene from the 'Cosby Show.'. Jacques M. Chenet/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images In another statement to Us Weekly, Wyatt said Cosby praised Warner for his ability to be a role model for other teenagers, adding, 'You never heard anything negative about the child actors from The Cosby Show. No drugs, no alcohol, none of that.' Like the rest of the Cosby Show cast, Warner had to contend with the sexual assault allegations against Cosby, whose conviction in a Pennsylvania court was later overturned. Story continues below advertisement Warner told The Associated Press in 2015 that the show's legacy was 'tarnished.' 'My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film,' Warner said. 'We've always had The Cosby Show to hold up against that. And the fact that we no longer have that, that's the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.' In another interview, Warner referred to Cosby as his mentor and spoke about the positive interactions he's had with the comedian throughout his life. 'The Bill Cosby I know has been great to me and great for a lot of people,' Warner said in an interview with Billboard in January 2015. 'What he's done for comedy and television has been legendary and history-making. What he's done for the Black community and education has been invaluable. That's the Bill Cosby I know. I can't speak on the other stuff.' 'He's one of my mentors, and he's been very influential and played a big role in my life as a friend and mentor,' Warner continued. 'Just as it's painful to hear any woman talk about sexual assault, whether true or not, it's just as painful to watch my friend and mentor go through this.' He played Theo Huxtable for eight seasons, appearing in each of the 197 episodes of The Cosby Show and earning an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy in 1986. Story continues below advertisement Warner would develop a love-hate relationship with the character. 'Theo was very good to me. And I think that show and that role is timeless. And I'm very proud of that role,' Warner said in a recent podcast interview, while noting that he'd tried to separate himself from the role and for years would recoil when fans addressed him as Theo. 'Part of the distancing for me is not wanting to see how much of Malcolm is in Theo. I remember doing the show and I always thought that Theo is corny. I want Theo to be cooler,' he told Melyssa Ford on her Hot & Bothered podcast. 'Somebody called me America's favourite white Black boy. And I was 15…. It hurt me…. That's cultural trauma.' Story continues below advertisement Warner left behind a wife and daughter, whose identities are not known. — With files from The Associated Press
CBC
5 days ago
- CBC
Nalo Hopkinson and Canisia Lubrin shortlisted for the 2025 Sunburst Award
Social Sharing Nalo Hopkinson and Canisia Lubrin are among the shortlisted authors for the 2025 Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian Literature of the Fantastic. After a four-year hiatus, the award is back, offering increased prize money of $3,000 and recognizing Canadian writers for their speculative fiction. Hopkinson is nominated for her novel Blackheart Man, which takes place on the magical island of Chynchin, and draws from a Caribbean folktale told to scare children into behaving. In Jamaica, this character is called the Blackheart Man. In the novel, the Blackheart Man's sinister presence coincides with the arrival of colonizers trying to force a trade agreement. Children start disappearing and tar statues come to life. Veycosi, a mischievous and fame-seeking griot (poet and musician), fears that he's connected with the Blackheart Man's resurgence, and finds himself in over his head trying to stop him. Hopkinson is the author of many novels and short stories including Brown Girl in the Ring, which won the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest and was defended on Canada Reads in 2008 by Jemeni. Her other books include Sister Mine, Midnight Robber, The Chaos, The New Moon's Arms and Skin Folk. In 2021, she won the Damon Knight Grand Master award, a lifetime achievement award for science fiction. Lubrin is shortlisted for her debut short story collection Code Noir, which ranges in genre from contemporary realism to historical fiction and speculative fantasy. The Code Noir, or the Black Code, was a set of 59 articles decreed by Louis XVI in 1685, which regulated ownership of slaves in all French colonies. In Code Noir, Lubrin reflects on these codes to examine the legacy of enslavement and colonization, and the inherent power of Black resistance. The inherent power of resistance: How Canisia Lubrin's debut novel Code Noir reflects on postcolonial agency Lubrin is a writer, editor and teacher. Her debut poetry collection Voodoo Hypothesis was longlisted for the Gerald Lambert Award, the Pat Lowther Award and was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award. Her poetry collection The Dyzgraphxst, won the 2021 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. It also won the 2021 Griffin Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General's Literary Prize for poetry. The other shortlisted authors are Frankie Barnet for Mood Swings, Sydney Hegele for Bird Suit and Clayton B. Smith for A Seal of Salvage. The shortlist was selected by jurors Natalee Caple, Geoff Ryman and Lorina Stephens out of 78 books. The winner will be announced in the fall.
