We are saddened to learn that Emmy-nominated actor and director Malcolm-Jamal Warner has passed away while on vacation with his family. The 54-year-old, who we first fell in love with as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, the Costa Rican National Police told ABC News. Warner’s official cause of death was asphyxia, police said.
According to the news report, “Warner died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, police said. Police said he was caught by a high current in the water and was discovered Sunday afternoon.”
The Cosby Show actor was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on August 18, 1970, to Pamela Warner and Robert Warner, Jr. His parents named him after Malcolm X and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal.
Because he had an early interest in acting, his parents enrolled him in a performing arts school in New York City. Variety reports that he auditioned for the role of Theo Huxtable on the last day of NBC’s nationwide search. Bill Cosby selected Warner himself.
He had a Solid Career as an Actor.
The actor grew up before our eyes on The Cosby Show, getting his first Emmy nomination while working on the show. However, he made sure never to play the same character twice. On Malcolm & Eddie, he played opposite Eddie Griffin, and he cast off his upwardly mobile upbringing. In Reed Between the Lines, he navigated the blended family life with Tracee Ellis Ross, a triple board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, on The Resident.
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Warner was also a Talented Director.
As a teen, Warner got his start directing music videos, according to Variety. He directed New Edition and Special Ed. Later, Warner directed episodes of The Cosby Show, Malcolm & Eddie, Kenan & Kel, All That, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Sesame Street. He won the NAACP Key of Life Image Award for the AIDS awareness video “Timeout: The Truth about HIV, AIDS, and You‘ which starred Magic Johnson and Arsenio Hall.
He was a Musician and Spoken Word Artist
A true multi-hyphenate, Warner is a self-described poet and a bass player, according to his bio. In 2015, Warner nabbed his first Grammy Award for “Best Traditional R&B Performance as a Featured Performer” on Robert Glasper’s version of the Stevie Wonder classic “Jesus Children of America.” Lalah Hathaway was also featured on the track.
Additionally, Warner’s jazz-funk band, Miles Long, has performed at several prominent jazz festivals, including the Playboy Jazz Festival. They also opened for artists such as Earl Klugh and the late Luther Vandross.
He had a new Podcast Project.
Warner was excited about his latest venture. A podcast he was cohosting with Candace Kelly and Weusi Baraka called Not All Hood. He spoke to People about it in early May, and it launched last month. There are three episodes out so far.
“It’s been an interesting experience for me, because it’s a place where I feel safe enough to be able to be as vulnerable as I allow myself to be,” he told the magazine.
His Private Life Was Off Limits
While we were aware of some of his early romances, Warner did not share any information about his private life in recent years. He was married and had a daughter, and beyond that, he preferred to keep his personal life private.
Our condolences go out to his entire family.
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Note: The World Health Organization says nearly 300,000 people die from drowning each year. That is 30 people every hour.
