(This story was updated to add new information.)
“The Cosby Show” star and Emmy-nominated actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner has reportedly died at 54.
Malcolm Jamal Warner drowning — what happened?
ABC News reported that Costa Rican National Police told the outlet that Warner drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday and was formally identified by the country’s national police. People reported that the actor was there on a family vacation and drowned while swimming.
USA TODAY reported that it has reached out to Warner’s reps.
Malcolm Jamal Warner shows — what did he star in?
Warner played Theo Huxtable, the son of Bill Cosby and Phylicia Rashad’s characters, on the award-winning sitcom.
Warner also starred alongside Eddie Griffin in the comedy series “Malcolm & Eddie” and in shows including “Jeremiah,” “Listen Up” and “Reed Between the Lines” with Tracee Ellis Ross. He also appeared in Fox’s “The Resident” and in “American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.”
In addition to his work in television and film, Warner starred in several off-Broadway play and is a NAACP Theater Award winner, according to this website.
Malcolm Jamal Warner California connections
Warner was born in New Jersey but reportedly lived in Los Angeles as a child.
Apple TV and Backstage reported in 2019 that the Emmy-nominated actor had moved as a young child to Los Angeles.
In an interview with Going Natural in 2011, Warner echoed moving back to his mother’s home of Los Angeles after living in Jersey City until he was 5 and talked about performing music at Los Angeles clubs with his jazz-funk band Miles Long.
Warner is survived by a wife and daughter.
Celebrities mourn loss of Malcolm-Jamal Warner
In a post on X, Magic Johnson wrote that he and his wife, Cookie Johnson, were sad to hear about the passing of “our dear friend.”
“We were both super fans of the hit Cosby Show and continued to follow his career on shows like Malcolm and Eddie and The Resident,” he wrote. “Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed. Cookie and I are praying his family and close friends during this difficult time.”
Instagram users were leaving comments on Warner’s recent posts reacting to his death. They included former NFL player Emmanuel Acho, who wrote “Rest well, King” on a post Warner made on Feb. 9.
Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin described Warner as “the nicest guy” in a tribute on Instagram.
“It was a privilege to have been in the same company with him, sharing a directors’ panel along with [Howard Gordon] and Michael Chiklis,” Martin wrote. “My heart goes out to his family and friends. RIP Malcolm.”
City News Service contributed to this story.
Paris Barraza is a trending reporter covering California news at The Desert Sun. Reach her at pbarraza@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: ‘The Cosby Show’ and Emmy-nominated actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner reportedly dead at 54
Reporting by Paris Barraza, Palm Springs Desert Sun / Palm Springs Desert Sun
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