Actor and director Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his role on “The Cosby Show,” has died in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, officials there said. He was 54.
Warner drowned Sunday afternoon at a beach in Cocles de Limón, on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast, the country’s Judicial Investigation Department said. He appeared to be pulled out to sea by a current.
Warner was assisted by people who were at the beach, but he was declared dead by the staff of the Costa Rican Red Cross, the department said.
Warner starred as Theo Huxtable on “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992. His performance earned him an Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 1986.
In 2023, Warner told CBS Pittsburgh that being part of “The Cosby Show” was an “awesome” experience.
“That show had such an impact on the culture here in America but also a global impact on how Black people saw ourselves globally and how the rest of the world saw us,” he said. “So I’m proud to have been part of that legacy and it’s been a great ride ever since.”
Warner went on to star in other TV shows, including “Malcolm & Eddie,” “Reed Between the Lines,” and “The Resident.” He also voiced The Producer on “The Magic School Bus.” He made his feature film debut in “Drop Zone” in 1994.
Warner also directed episodes of several TV shows, including “The Cosby Show,” “All That,” “Keenan & Kel” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” according to his biography on his website.
Most recently, he appeared in a few episodes of “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” and was hosting the podcast “Not All Hood,” looking at the different experiences of Black Americans.
Warner was also a poet and a musician. He won a Grammy for best traditional R&B performance in 2015 for his part in a cover of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”
This is a breaking story. It will be updated.
Nicole Brown Chau is a deputy managing editor for CBSNews.com. She writes and edits national news, health stories, explainers and more.
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