Malcolm-Jamal Warner Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for playing Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show comedy, has died. He was 54. The veteran actor and director died from an accidental drowning off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, according to ABC News, with the Costa Rican National Police telling the news site Warner's official cause of death was asphyxia. ABC News reported Warner died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, with the police saying the Hollywood actor was caught by a strong ocean current. His body was discovered and formally identified by Costa Rica's national police. Related Stories TV Gary Smith, Eight-Time Emmy-Winning Producer, Dies at 90 TV Dog the Bounty Hunter's Stepson Shoots and Kills His 13-Year-Old Son in "Incomprehensible Tragic Accident" Warner's role in the long-running Cosby series earned him a primetime Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy and positioned him for later success in Hollywood. His more recent TV work included the role of surgeon AJ Austin on the Fox medical drama The Resident and the courtroom drama Accused, also from Fox. He also appeared opposite Kyra Sedgwick in ABC's Ten Days in the Valley drama, and played A.C. Cowlings in FX's American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson. Born on Aug. 18, 1970 in Jersey City, New Jersey, Warner was named after Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal. His other screen credits include Amazon's Sneaky Pete, TNT's Major Crimes, USA Network's Suits, Community, Sons of Anarchy, The Michael J. Fox Show, The Cleaner and Dexter. As a director, Warner helmed several episodes of The Cosby Show, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Sesame Street. In 2011, he directed and starred alongside Tracee Ellis Ross in the BET series Reed Between the Lines, and helmed the AIDS awareness video Timeout: The Truth about HIV, AIDS, and You, which had appearances by Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall.
Warner also made his feature film debut in Paramount Pictures' Drop Zone and appeared in Warner Bros. Pictures' Fools Gold, opposite Matthew McConaughey, Kate Hudson and Donald Sutherland. And on the live theatrical stage, Warner appeared in the off-Broadway plays Three Ways Home, Cryin' Shame, Freefall and in a production of A Midsummer Nights' Dream at the La Jolla Playhouse in California. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up Obituaries Gary Smith, Eight-Time Emmy-Winning Producer, Dies at 90 Live Feed 'Are You My First?' Reality Series Brings Together Virgins Searching for Love Live Feed 'Ted Lasso' Kicks Back Into Gear With Key Returnees, New Cast for Season 4 hbo Billy Joel Breaks Silence About Brain Disorder: "I Feel Good" Live Feed 'Love Island USA' Star Amaya Espinal, the People's Princess, Will Never Let Anyone Dim Her Light Live Feed Josh Johnson Joins 'Daily Show' Host Rotation (Exclusive) Obituaries Gary Smith, Eight-Time Emmy-Winning Producer, Dies at 90 Live Feed 'Are You My First?' Reality Series Brings Together Virgins Searching for Love Live Feed 'Ted Lasso' Kicks Back Into Gear With Key Returnees, New Cast for Season 4 hbo Billy Joel Breaks Silence About Brain Disorder: "I Feel Good" Live Feed 'Love Island USA' Star Amaya Espinal, the People's Princess, Will Never Let Anyone Dim Her Light Live Feed Josh Johnson Joins 'Daily Show' Host Rotation (Exclusive)