Trending badgeTrendingPosted 2 hours agoSubscribe to Screen Time NewsletterCaret DownCelebrities React To The Tragic And Unexpected Death Of Malcolm-Jamal Warner"This one hurts."by Morgan MurrellBuzzFeed StaffFacebookPinterestLink Heartfelt tributes have been pouring in after news broke about the tragic death of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner. Derek White / Getty Images Malcolm was pronounced dead on Sunday, July 20, after drowning in Costa Rica. He was vacationing with family when he was reportedly "dragged by a water current at the beach." His official cause of death was asphyxia and was deemed an "accidental drowning." Malcolm was 54. Paras Griffin / Getty Images for SCAD aTVfest 2020 Malcolm was widely known for playing beloved characters like Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, Dr. AJ Austin on The Resident, and The Producer, who appeared at the end of every episode of The Magic School Bus. Mario Casilli / TV Guide / (C)NBC / courtesy Everett Collection Malcolm is survived by a wife and daughter, whose identities he opted to keep private. Monty Brinton/(C)CBS/Courtesy Everett Collection The New Jersey native kicked off his career in Hollywood as a child actor and has remained booked and busy for over 40 years, so it's no surprise that so many of his peers and fans honored his legacy with sweet memories they've shared together, and kind words about who he was as a person, and the undeinable impact he's left behind. Cindy Ord / Getty Images Taraji P. Henson took to Instagram to share her feelings on the loss: "This one hurt. Malcolm, we grew up with you. Thank you for the art, the wisdom, the grace you gave us!!!!! You left the world better than you found it. Rest easy, king!!!! Your legacy lives far beyond the screen." Randy Shropshire / Variety via Getty Images, Johnny Nunez / WireImage Eddie Griffin, who co-starred with Malcolm on the hit '90s sitcom Malcom & Eddie, wrote this about his friend: "My Heart is heavy today...
For what the world lost was a Father a Son a Poet a Musician a Actor a Teacher a Writer a Director a Friend a Warrior that I had the pleasure of going to war with against the Hollywood machine and sometimes with each other because that's what Brothers do but the Love was and is always there. You've taught me so much and I thank you. Rest Well My Big little Brother." UPN/Courtesy Everett Collection Tracee Ellis Ross honored her TV husband from their show Reed Between the Lines: "I love you, Malcolm. First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I'm so sorry for this unimaginable loss." Johnny Nunez / WireImage Jamie Foxx was at a loss for words: "Speechless on this one rest in power, my brother." Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic, Inc Niecy Nash Betts sadly recalled that she just spoke to him recently: "My God we just spoke. You were giving me my flowers for my work in @grotesqueriefx and we talked about how happy we both were in our marriages. Damn friend You were cornerstone of The Cosby Show. We all loved Theo! Never to be forgotten. You will be missed. Rest Easy." Todd Williamson / Getty Images Legendary actor, dancer and director, Debbie Allen, guest-starred on The Cosby Show alongside her sister Phylicia Rashad, and wrote this sweet message: "Malcolm, you are so loved. Gone too soon 🥲. Thank you for the joy, creativity and hope you brought the World. We will forever speak your name." Amy Sussman / Getty Images, Monica Schipper / Getty Images Questlove wrote two lengthy posts about seeing himself in Malcolm at a young age: "If you looked like me coming of age in the 80s, Malcom-as-Theo was a gps/lighthouse of navigating safety to adulthood. For those of us that didnt have 'examples' or 'safe environments'-I would like to think for anyone of age we used this entire show -and its offspring as life blueprints Losing the Huxtables was a painful divorce I wasn't ready for but I never once thought about the offspring of that show transitioning before I did." Alberto Rodriguez / Variety via Getty Images, Deadline / Deadline via Getty Images "Seeing myself in every episode through his shoes: like being bad at football, wanting clothes outside of my budget, hiding things from your parents (ear piercings or weed), living in a 'respectable politics' house of jazz vs 'teen music' --pssssh Theo being instrumental to a lion's share of gen x teens to see how a sampler worked!!! Or even singalongs at a family gathering--him dealing with dyslexia --he even had me think I too can get by in life surviving on 'bologna & cereal' and for the first time thinking about 'what does it mean to be an adult without depending on your parents?'Alot of us only had the Huxtables to vicariously live through and I was Malcolm. Meeting him on 94 was a thrill when I first got in the biz.
Mal Jam was the earli