'Cosby Show' actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies in drowning in Costa Rica
"We received a report of an adult male who died of drowning asphyxiation at Coles Beach in Cahuita" on Sunday afternoon, said a statement from investigating police.
"When the victim entered the sea he was apparently pulled out by a current.
"The man was assisted by bystanders on the beach, but was pronounced dead by Red Cross lifeguards."
Local authorities identified him as the actor, and said his body had been transferred to a morgue for further analysis.
Warner, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work on "The Cosby Show," also appeared in sitcoms "Malcolm & Eddie" and "Reed Between the Lines."
"The Cosby Show," which ran from 1984 to 1992, was one of the biggest TV hits of its time, detailing the lives of a middle-class Black family in New York.
The show was inspired by the stand-up routines of Bill Cosby, who played the family's patriarch, a successful doctor.
The show was a commercial and critical hit, and was seen as groundbreaking for its depiction of a loving, happy Black family.
But its legacy has been overshadowed in recent years by dozens of complaints of sexual assault against Cosby, a man once known as "America's Dad."
© 2025 AFP
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Euronews
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- Euronews
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, star of 'The Cosby Show', dies aged 54
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who became widely known in the 1980s as Theo Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show', has died aged 54. Costa Rican authorities said the actor drowned on Sunday while swimming off Playa Cocles, on the country's Caribbean coast. He was pulled deeper into the ocean by a current and rescued by beachgoers, according to Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department, but showed no vital signs when Red Cross responders arrived. Warner was 13 when he landed the role of Theo – the Huxtables' only son – on what would become one of the most-watched American sitcoms of its time. The series, which ran from 1984 to 1992, became a cultural reference point for many, and Warner's performances were central to some of its most memorable moments, including an early debate about school grades and a later scene where Theo awkwardly tries to conceal an ear piercing. The role earned him an Emmy nomination and a kind of recognition that stayed with him for the rest of his career – not always comfortably. 'Theo was very good to me. And I think that show and that role is timeless,' Warner said in a recent interview with Melyssa Ford on her 'Hot & Bothered' podcast. But he also spoke of wanting to distance himself from the character: 'Somebody called me America's favourite white Black boy. And I was 15. ... It hurt me. ... That's cultural trauma.' After 'The Cosby Show', Warner continued working steadily across television, film and music. He starred in 'Malcolm & Eddie' with Eddie Griffin, played Tracee Ellis Ross's husband in 'Reed Between the Lines', and appeared in more recent dramas such as 'The Resident' and 'American Crime Story'. Tributes on Monday reflected both affection for the man and his long presence on screen. 'Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend,' wrote Viola Davis on Instagram. 'He was absolutely so familiar, and we rejoiced at how TV got it right!! But Malcolm got it right ... we reveled in your life and are gutted by this loss.' Also on Instagram, Ross said: 'I love you, Malcolm... What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant.' Griffin, meanwhile, wrote simply, 'My heart is heavy right now... Rest easy my Brother.' Warner was also known for his music and poetry, earning a Grammy for traditional R&B performance and a nomination for best spoken word poetry album. Behind the camera, he directed episodes of several of the shows he acted in. A post shared by VIOLA DAVIS (@violadavis) Like the rest of the 'Cosby Show' cast, Warner had to navigate the fallout from the sexual assault allegations against Bill Cosby. In 2015, Warner told the Associated Press that the show's legacy had been 'tarnished,' particularly in terms of how it had once stood as a positive example of Black representation on television. 'The fact that we no longer have that, that's the thing that saddens me the most,' he said. 'Because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale.' Warner largely kept his private life out of the spotlight. He was married and had a young daughter, though their names were never publicly shared. His representatives have not issued a statement regarding his death. He continued acting into his 50s, recently playing a burn survivor in a guest role on '9-1-1'. Jennifer Love Hewitt, a castmate from that show, wrote: 'This hurts my heart. A gentleman, an incredible talent... Heartbroken and sending love to his family.' Others shared similar sentiments. Magic Johnson said he'd had 'deep and fun conversations about basketball, life and business' with Warner. Taraji P. Henson thanked him for 'the art, the wisdom, the grace,' and Questlove recalled someone 'who always took the time out to school me and talk about his experiences... he expressed ZERO cynicism or bitterness.' Warner began acting at age nine, with early credits on 'Matt Houston' and Fame. By the time 'The Cosby Show' premiered, he was part of a cast led by one of the biggest names in American television – but no one could have predicted the scale of the show's impact, or the weight of the legacy that followed.
LeMonde
21-07-2025
- LeMonde
'Cosby Show' Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dead at 54 in drowning accident
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who as teenage son Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show was central to a cultural phenomenon that helped define the 1980s, died at 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, authorities there said Monday, July 21. 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. "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. TV memories that shaped Gen X childhoods 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. 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. 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. "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." 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. 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." Representatives for Cosby declined immediate comment.
France 24
21-07-2025
- France 24
'Cosby Show' actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies in drowning in Costa Rica
Warner played the loveable Theo Huxtable for all eight seasons of the show, helmed by disgraced comic actor Bill Cosby. "We received a report of an adult male who died of drowning asphyxiation at Coles Beach in Cahuita" on Sunday afternoon, said a statement from investigating police. "When the victim entered the sea he was apparently pulled out by a current. "The man was assisted by bystanders on the beach, but was pronounced dead by Red Cross lifeguards." Local authorities identified him as the actor, and said his body had been transferred to a morgue for further analysis. Warner, who was nominated for an Emmy for his work on "The Cosby Show," also appeared in sitcoms "Malcolm & Eddie" and "Reed Between the Lines." "The Cosby Show," which ran from 1984 to 1992, was one of the biggest TV hits of its time, detailing the lives of a middle-class Black family in New York. The show was inspired by the stand-up routines of Bill Cosby, who played the family's patriarch, a successful doctor. The show was a commercial and critical hit, and was seen as groundbreaking for its depiction of a loving, happy Black family. But its legacy has been overshadowed in recent years by dozens of complaints of sexual assault against Cosby, a man once known as "America's Dad." © 2025 AFP
