The Cosby Show star Malcolm-Jamal Warner has died while on a family holiday.
The 54-year-old actor began his career playing Theo Huxtable, the son of Bill Cosby’s character Heathcliff Huxtable, on the sitcom from 1984 until 1992.
The role earnt him a Emmy nomination for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series in 1986, when he was just 16-years-old.
This week he was away with family in Costa Rica, where he got into trouble while swimming and drowned, a source confirmed to People.
He is survived by a wife and daughter, who he had chosen to keep out of the public eye.
After The Cosby Show wrapped up, Warner went on to star as Malcolm McGee in sitcom Malcolm & Eddie, which ran between 1996 and 2000, and Dr. Alex Reed in the sitcom Reed Between the Lines, in 2011 and 2015.
He was also known for playing Sticky in Sons of Anarchy, Al Cowlings in The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story, and Dr. AJ Austin in The Resident.
Behind the camera he was also a producer on the kids show The Magic School Bus.
Two years ago, Warner spoke about the legacy of the show on which he made his name.
In 2018 its star Cosby, now 88, was convicted of sexual assault. Although it was overturned in 2021, five more women then came forward to accuse him of sexual assault.
‘I know I can speak for all the cast when I say The Cosby Show is something that we are all still very proud of,’ Warner told People.
‘We share a unique experience that keeps us lovingly bonded no matter how much time goes between seeing or hearing from each other.
‘Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now, I’m still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture.’
Metro has contacted representatives for Warner for comment.
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