Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner died on Sunday, July 20, by accidental drowning in Costa Rica, per Variety and multiple outlets. According to the outlet via ABC News, "Warner was on a family vacation in Costa Rica and drowned while swimming after he was caught by a high current. He died of asphyxia near Cocles, a beach in the city of Limon, and his body was identified by Costa Rica's national police on Sunday."
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Warner, 54, is best known for his long-running, lovably relatable part on The Cosby Show. He portrayed Theo Huxtable, the son of Cliff Huxtable, the paternal character played by Bill Cosby. Warner was in all eight seasons of the highly successful sitcom and also snagged an Emmy nom for the role.
Malcolm Jamal-Warner Went On To Appear In Many Other TV Shows When 'The Cosby Show' Ended
He will be especially fondly recalled for "being" Theo Huxtable. But Warner took other television roles as an adult actor as well. Per the outlet, he was in many shows including Malcolm & Eddie on UPN, BET's Reed Between the Lines, Sons of Anarchy on FX, and The Resident.
He was also on Showtime's Jeremiah, Suits, and 9-1-1, among other shows.
More About His Early Years And Career
Warner showed an early aptitude for acting. A native of New Jersey, "...his parents...enroll[ed] him in a performing arts school in New York City." NBC had a national search for the right person to be Theo. On its final day, Warner was picked for the plum acting gig. Bill Cosby tapped Warner to be his on-air son.
He Had Various Directing Gigs
He eventually branched out into other areas of the entertainment world. Warner developed a flair for directing. He was behind the camera on music videos for popular acts such as New Edition. Warner also directed episodes of shows like Malcolm & Eddie and The Cosby Show. In addition, he directed a 1992 video about HIV/AIDS called "Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS, and You." It depicted personalities like NBA icon Earvin "Magic" Johnson and popular late-night TV show host Arsenio Hall talking about the subject.
Per ABC News, Warner was awarded a Grammy in 2015 "...for best traditional R&B performance alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway for their cover of Stevie Wonder's 'Jesus Children of America.'"
