Malcolm-Jamal Warner, well known for his role as Theo Huxtable on ‘The Cosby Show’, has suddenly died at age 54.
The actor got caught in a strong current in the waters of Costa Rica and drowned as a result, TMZ reports.
The actor had started with small roles in series such as ‘Fame’ (1983), ‘Call to Glory’ (1984), and Matlock (1987). His big breakthrough was ‘The Cosby Show’.
At the time he played Theo Huxtable, the only brother of The Cosby Show’s family, Malcolm-Jamal Warner was only 14 years old. We saw him grow into a man on TV for eight years.
After the famous sitcom, he continued working on TV. We could see him in series like ‘Here and Now’ (1992 – 1993), ‘Malcolm & Eddie’ (1996–2000), ‘Jeremiah’ (2002 – 2004), and ‘Listen Up’ (2004-2005).
At only 16 years old, he got his first Primetime Emmy nomination in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
He was in a long-term relationship with Michelle Thomas, also an actress. They were together until she died in 1998 due to a rare type of cancer (an intra-abdominal desmoplastic small-round-cell tumor).
In later years, TMZ reported, the actor was married and had a daughter. He was very discreet about his relatives. On the day he died, the star was with his loved ones on a family vacation in Costa Rica, CNN reports.
In recent years, the famous actor remained active on the screens and the radio. He participated in productions such as ‘The Resident’ (2018 – 2023), ‘9-1-1’ (2024), ‘Grown-ish’ (2024), the podcast ‘Not All Hood (NAH)’ (2024), and ‘Alert: Missing Persons Unit’ (2025).
Tracee Ellis Ross wrote an emotional message to her colleague and dear friend. “I love you, Malcolm,” she wrote. “First I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place.”
“Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed,” Magic Johnson wrote on X. “Cookie and I are praying his family and close friends during this difficult time.”
A young star has left us unexpectedly, but he leaves behind a huge legacy. Malcolm-Jamal Warner had a career full of laughs and gave us memories for all who grew up watching Theo and the Huxtable family.
