Malcolm-Jamal Warner, The Cosby Show Star, Dies at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo Huxtable on more than 170 episodes of The Cosby Show between 1984 and 1992, has died. He was 54. According to a new TMZ report, the actor died Monday as the “result of an accidental drowning.” Sources also confirmed the news of Warner’s death to PEOPLE. Besides his role as the only son of Bill Cosby’s Dr. Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashād’s Clair Huxtable on the iconic NBC sitcom, Warner starred opposite Eddie Griffin as sports bar co-owner Malcolm McGee on UPN’s Malcolm & Eddie and as English professor Dr. Alex Reed on the Tracee Ellis Ross-fronted BET comedy Reed Between the Lines.

Warner was reportedly on a family vacation in Costa Rica and “drowned while swimming,” according to PEOPLE.

The actor received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for The Cosby Show in 1986 and became a Grammy Award-winning poet for Best Traditional R&B Performance as a Featured Performer on Robert Glasper’s version of the Stevie Wonder song “Jesus Children of America” in 2015. He previously released albums The Miles Long Mixtape, Love & Other Social Issues, Selfless, and Hiding In Plain View, which was nominated for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album at the 2022 Grammys.

In 2018, Warner was promoted to a series regular on FOX medical drama The Resident, where he played cardio-thoracic surgeon AJ “The Raptor” Austin, and directed the season 6 episode “The Chimera.” He directed several episodes of The Cosby Show and Malcolm & Eddie, as well as some of the most popular shows of the ’80s and ’90s, including All That, Keenan & Kel, Sesame Street, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in addition to guest-starring in season 2 as law student Eric.

Following his launch to fame on The Cosby Show, Warner reprised his role on the spinoff A Different World and went on to host an episode of Saturday Night Live. With nearly 100 acting credits, Warner led the cast of the NBC sitcom Here and Now and famously voiced the Producer, host of Is This the Magic School Bus?, on Scholastic’s The Magic School Bus animated series. Warner’s most recent credits include episodes of Sneaky Pete, Major Crimes, Suits, American Horror Story: Freak Show, Sons of Anarchy, Community, Dexter, and 9-1-1.

In 2024, Warner, with Emmy-nominated commentator and reporter Candace O. Kelley and cultural curator Weusi Baraka launched the NAH (Not All Hood) podcast, described as a “provocative look at the vastly different lived experiences and identities of Blacks in America.” Per his website, Warner “explores the diverse experiences and identities of Black Americans, blending incisive cultural commentary with pop culture, music, and headlining news” on the podcast.

“This dynamic platform not only reaffirms his commitment to authenticity and community empowerment but also highlights the many layers of the Black experience in America,” Warner’s website reads. “Whether discussing issues of Black masculinity, love, or media representation, Malcolm continues to break barriers and inspire conversations that challenge conventional narratives and celebrate the rich tapestry of Black culture.”