A second man is in a critical condition following the tragic incident that tragically killed Malcolm-Jamal Warner.
Warner, best known for his role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, died at the age of 54 after a drowning accident while on vacation in Costa Rica, per ABC News.
Warner was on a family trip in Cahuita, Limón, when tragedy struck at Playa Grande. According to the Costa Rican Red Cross, a “water-related” emergency was reported at around 2:10PM on Sunday, July 20.
By the time three ambulances arrived on the scene, Warner and another adult male had already been pulled from the water by bystanders, per PEOPLE.
Warner was unresponsive when first responders began CPR. Despite their efforts, he was declared dead at the scene. The other individual was rushed to a nearby clinic in critical condition.
The Costa Rican Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) confirmed that Warner had been “swept away by a current.” Their statement read: “However, he was declared lifeless at the scene.” Authorities also confirmed his cause of death as “asphyxiation by submersion.”
Warner shot to fame playing Theo Huxtable from 1984 to 1992 on The Cosby Show, a role that earned him an Emmy nomination in 1986 for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
Reflecting on his casting, he once recalled: “I was literally the last person they saw,” describing being handpicked by Bill Cosby at the end of nationwide auditions, per the BBC.
The Cosby Show broke ground as a portrayal of a stable, middle‑class Black family - something not often seen on TV at the time.
Warner commented on its cultural impact in 2013: “When the show first came out, there were white people and black people talking about [how] the Huxtables don't really exist, black people don't really live like that. Meanwhile, we were getting tens of thousands of fan letters from people saying, 'Thank you so much for this show.'”
After The Cosby Show, Warner continued to shine in both acting and music.
He co‑starred in Malcolm & Eddie alongside Eddie Griffin - who paid tribute on social media, writing “R.I.P. King” and “My big little brother” - and made memorable guest appearances on The Fresh Prince of Bel‑Air and Sesame Street.
More recently, he portrayed cardio‑thoracic surgeon AJ Austin on The Resident.
Musically, Warner earned a Grammy in 2015 alongside Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway for their rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Jesus Children of America.”
He later received a Grammy nomination in 2023 for his spoken‑word album Hiding in Plain View.
Additionally, he hosted the podcast Not All Hood, which launched last year and centered on mental health within the Black community.