Thursday, July 9, 2026

Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner dies at 54

Born on August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, he found fame in the 1980s as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a role he played for eight seasons.

• July 22, 2025
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
Malcolm-Jamal Warner [Credit; Variety]

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, known as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at 54.

The actor drowned on Sunday, July 20, while vacationing with his family in Limón, Costa Rica.

Authorities said he was caught by a strong current while swimming and pulled to sea at Playa Grande in Cocles between 2:00 and 2:30 p.m.

People nearby brought him back to shore, where the Costa Rican Red Cross attempted to resuscitate him. He was later pronounced dead from asphyxia caused by submersion. His body was officially identified.

Born on August 18, 1970, in Jersey City, he found fame in the 1980s as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, a role he played for eight seasons.

Bill Cosby chose him on the last day of a nationwide audition. Warner earned an Emmy nomination in 1986 for the role.

After The Cosby Show, Warner starred in Malcolm & Eddie and BET’s Reed Between the Lines.

He appeared on The Fresh Prince, Sesame Street, Suits, and 9‑1‑1. He recently played Dr. AJ Austin in The Resident.

Warner voiced The Magic School Bus and appeared in The Proud Family. On stage, he shone in Three Ways Home.

In 2015, the actor won a Grammy with Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway for Best Traditional R&B Performance for their rendition of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Jesus Children of America’.

Warner led a private life, leaving behind a wife and daughter. He had recently co-hosted ‘Not All Hood’, a podcast on Black life in the U.S.

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