Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who became a household name thanks to his role as Theodore “Theo” Huxtable on the classic NBC sitcom “The Cosby Show,” has died in an apparent drowning. He was 54.
Celebrity news and gossip site TMZ was first to report Warner’s death. A source told People.com that the actor was in Costa Rica on a family vacation and drowned while swimming. No additional details have been made available, and an official statement from his reps or his family has yet to be released.
Warner was just 14 when he became a permanent fixture of 1980s pop culture after being cast as Theodore “Theo” Huxtable in “The Cosby Show.” The show became an instant cultural phenomenon. He grew up before the eyes of viewers in the role he portrayed from 1984 until the show ended in 1992.
He voiced The Producer from 1994-1997 on “The Magic School Bus” and co-starred on the sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie) alongside comedian and actor Eddie Griffin from 1996-2000. He remained a familiar face on the small screen thanks to roles in “Jeremiah,” “Sherri,” “Reed Between The Lines” and most recently “The Resident” and “9-1-1.”
Warner was also a Grammy winner. His win was in the “Best Traditional R&B Performance” category for the Robert Glasper Experiment’s 2015 song “Jesus Children,” which also featured Lalah Hathaway.
Information from People.com and TMZ.com contributed to this report.