MALCOLM-JAMAL WARNER Gone Too Soon

The beloved star of The Cosby Show drowned while trying to save his daughter during a family vacation. Costars and friends remember his enormous talent and generous spirit

- by JAIME HARKIN With reporting by Alejandra Araya, Norma Gomez, Andrea Simpson, Erin Strecker, Julia Tortoriello & Amanda Williams

On July 20, actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner drowned at the Playa Grande beach in Costa Rica during a family getaway. He was 54. “The victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current,” the Judicial Investigation Agency (OIJ) of Costa Rica told Us in a statement. “The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene.” Two days after his passing, the OIJ said his death had been ruled accidental and was caused by asphyxia due to submersion.

Warner — best known for playing the charming and relatable Theo Huxtable on the hit series The Cosby Show for eight seasons between 1984 and 1992 — leaves behind a wife, whom he wed in 2017, and an 8-year-old daughter (the private star has never publicly revealed their names). In addition to acting, he was an accomplished poet and jazz musician who often played live shows near his home in Atlanta and won a Grammy in 2015 for a spoken word performance. After The Cosby Show, he went on to star in Malcolm & Eddie and later The Resident from 2018 until 2023. Last June, he launched the Not All Hood podcast with cohost Candace Kelley.

Hollywood has been rocked by the loss. In a statement to Us, Warner's onscreen dad Bill Cosby said learning about his costar’s death reminded him of when he got the call about his son Ennis’ murder in 1997. (The character of Theo Huxtable had been based on Ennis, Cosby’s only son.) “It’s just devastating,” he said. Angela Bassett, who costarred with Warner on 9-1-1, told Us in a statement, “Malcolm is what's known as a soulful artist whose deep commitment to his craft left an impression on me that has never faded.”