Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who starred as Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show, passed away over the weekend. He was 54 years old.
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TMZ received unconfirmed information from a reliable source that the actor died from an accidental drowning. PEOPLE further reported that he had been on a family vacation in Costa Rica when he passed away.
First entering the acting world in 1982, Warner’s first role was on the crime drama series Matt Houston. He snagged the role of Theodore Huxtable on The Cosby Show two years later and held it throughout the series. He also appeared in all of the show’s 201 episodes.
Along with The Cosby Show, Warner appeared on A Different World, Tour of Duty, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Touched By An Angel, The Magic School Bus and more.
Warner went into the music business in the early 2000s. He released his debut EP, The Miles Long Mixtape, in 2003. He followed up with his second album, Love & Other Social Issues, in 2007.
Warner is survived by a wife and a daughter, whom he kept out of the spotlight.
Malcolm-Jamal Warner Previously Addressed the Controversy Surrounding His Cosby Show Co-Star Bill Cosby
During a 2023 interview with PEOPLE, Malcolm-Jamal Warner spoke out about the controversy surrounding his co-star Bill Cosby.
“I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of,” he explained. “We share a unique experience that keeps us lovingly bonded no matter how much time goes between seeing or hearing each other.”
He went on to acknowledge that the show’s legacy has changed due to the allegations made against Cosby. The actor was convicted of sexual assault in 2018. While the charge was overturned in 2021, five more women have come forward to accuse him of assault.
“Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I’m still proud of the legacy,” Warner said. “And having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture.”