The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner dead at 54 after accidental drowning

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Bill Cosby's son on the hit NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54 in an accidental drowning while on holiday with his family in Central America.

TMZ and People first reported his death.

The Associated Press reported Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department said Warner drowned Sunday while he was swimming at Playa Grande de Cocles in Limon province, on the Caribbean coast, 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.

CBC News reached out to a representative for confirmation. Persona PR, an international media and communications firm, said it would not be providing any statements at this time.

Warner played Theodore (Theo) Huxtable, the only son of Cliff and Claire Huxtable (played by Cosby and Phylicia Rashad), on The Cosby Show throughout its run between 1984 and 1992.

The role earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 1986.

In the years that followed, Warner appeared as a guest actor on several television series.

His most recent work included a three-episode stint this year on Fox's Alert: Missing Persons Unit and a four-episode run on ABC's 9-1-1 in 2024.

Tributes appeared on social media following the news of Warner's death.

NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson was among those paying tribute Monday, posting on X that he and his wife were 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 & 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."

Actor Viola Davis said in an Instagram post that she was "speechless" at the loss but celebrated his legacy.

"Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend… He was absolutely so familiar and we rejoiced how TV got it right!! But… Malcolm got it right… we reveled in your life and are gutted by this loss," she wrote.

Actor and friend Niecy Nash echoed those sentiments, saying she had just spoken with Warner recently.

"Damn friend. You were [the] cornerstone of The Cosby Show. We all loved Theo! Never to be forgotten. You will be missed. Rest Easy," Nash wrote on Instagram below a photo of her with Warner.

Many of the other tributes also focused on the impact he had with his performance over 197 episodes of The Cosby Show.

"A generation grew up with Warner as Theodore 'Theo' Huxtable. His portrayal helped redefine Black boyhood on screen, offering humour, vulnerability, and depth across eight seasons," read a post from Essence magazine on X.

"Your talent and spirit touched many lives, and your legacy will continue to inspire. Thank you for the memories and the impact you made in the world of entertainment." the NAACP posted on X, noting Warner was the recipient of an NAACP Image Award in 2012 for his leading role in the BET comedy series Reed Between the Lines.

Speaking of his time on The Cosby Show, Warner highlighted in a 2013 interview with the Archive of American Television the show's impact and how it shattered "the narrow vision of Black life."

"When the show first came out, there were white people and Black people talking about the Huxtables don't really exist, Black people don't really live like that. Meanwhile, we were getting tens of thousands of fan letters from people saying, thank you so much for this show."

He also discussed his rapport with Cosby, saying how it benefited the fictitious father-son relationship on the show and that Cosby's relationship with his own son Ennis — who was murdered in 1997 — was reflected in the relationship between Cliff and Theo.

But years later, he spoke about how the multiple sexual assault allegations against Cosby "tarnished" the legacy of the series.

"My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of colour on television and film, no matter what … negative stereotypes of people of colour, 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," he said in a 2015 interview.

Earlier that same year, Warner said it was difficult to see Cosby face the accusations.

"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 said.

Warner was born on Aug. 18, 1970, in Jersey City, N.J.

According to his IMDB page, his name was inspired by Black activist Malcolm X and jazz musician Ahmad Jamal.

He first appeared on television in 1982 in the Aaron Spelling-produced crime drama Matt Houston, followed by a guest role in an episode of Fame the following year.

Aside from The Cosby Show, Warner had a long list guest appearances, including in its spin-off series, A Different World, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched by an Angel, Dexter, Key & Peele, Sons of Anarchy, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and American Horror Story: Freak Show.

He starred in two of his own sitcoms: Malcolm & Eddie, which ran on the former United Paramount Network (UPN) from 1996 to 2000, as well as Reed Between the Lines, alongside Tracee Ellis Ross, between 2011 and 2015. He also served as a producer on both series.

Ross wrote on Instagram Monday that Warner's death was "an unimaginable loss."

"I love you, Malcolm," she said. "My heart is so sad. What an and actor and friend you were: warm, gentle present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny elegant. You made the world a better place."

Warner also appeared in films, including the 2008 romantic comedy Fool's Gold, opposite Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson, and the Emmy Award-winning TV movie The Tuskegee Airmen, co-starring Laurence Fishburne.

He was a poet and a musician, winning a Grammy for best traditional R&B performance in 2015, as well as being nominated for best spoken word poetry album for Hiding in Plain View in 2023.

Warner was married with a daughter, but chose to not publicly disclose their names.