Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who became a household name as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at age 54 after an accidental drowning off Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, officials and multiple news sources report.
Warner was on a family trip when the incident occurred, AP News, Reuters among many others reported on Monday.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department (OIJ) said Warner was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limón Province on Sunday afternoon, July 20, when a strong current pulled him out to sea.
Beachgoers brought him to shore; first responders from the Costa Rican Red Cross attempted lifesaving measures but he was pronounced dead at the scene, CBS News also reported.
The Red Cross said it was alerted at about 2:10 p.m. local time and treated two adult men, transporting one in critical condition.
Local authorities subsequently listed the official cause of death as “asphyxia by submersion,” language echoed in statements provided to U.S. media outlets.
Police told ABC News that Warner had been caught in a rip current; Entertainment Weekly and PEOPLE likewise reported that preliminary findings pointed to asphyxiation following submersion.
In a statement, the OIJ said the victim “appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current… [and] was declared lifeless at the scene” after treatment by the Costa Rican Red Cross.
Fox Entertainment, which worked with Warner during his run as cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. AJ Austin on the network drama The Resident, called the loss “tragic.”
“Everyone at FOX is heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and colleague, the extraordinary Malcolm-Jamal Warner,” the company said in a statement.
Theo Huxtable OR Malcolm-Jamal Warner?
Born August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, New Jersey, and named after Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, Warner pursued performance from an early age and attended the Professional Children’s School in New York.
He broke out as the witty, vulnerable Theo in The Cosby Show (1984–1992), earning an Emmy nomination in 1986.
He later starred in Malcolm & Eddie, appeared in Reed Between the Lines, and had a prominent turn in The Resident.
Tributes Pour In
Tributes have poured in from across the entertainment world, AP, CBS News and Reuters all reported.
Viola Davis remembered the actor’s cultural impact, writing that “Theo was OUR son, OUR brother, OUR friend… we are gutted by this loss.”
Actor Morris Chestnut, who appeared with Warner on The Resident, told PEOPLE, “He was just a really, really good, genuine guy,” adding that Warner welcomed him warmly and even took him to dinner early in their working relationship. Author-activist Kevin Powell told CBS News that Warner “was never someone who was into the celebrity of it… He literally was America’s son.”
A spokesperson for Bill Cosby said the comedian found the news “devastating,” likening the shock to the 1997 killing of his own son Ennis.
The NAACP also honored Warner on social media, writing “#RestinPower… Your talent and spirit touched many lives, and your legacy will continue to inspire.”
Warner’s talents extended beyond acting: he directed episodes of hit television series, recorded spoken-word and music projects, and won a Grammy Award in 2015 for his contribution to a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”
He kept his personal life largely private, but is survived by his wife and daughter, whom he rarely discussed publicly.
