Malcolm-Jamal Warner, greatest identified for his iconic position as Theo Huxtable on the groundbreaking sitcom The Cosby Present, died Sunday in an unintentional drowning off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. He was 54.
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Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Division confirmed that Warner was swimming at Playa Cocles within the province of Limón when he was caught in a powerful present and pulled out to sea. Based on authorities, he was rescued from the water by bystanders, however emergency responders from the Costa Rican Pink Cross have been unable to revive him. He was pronounced useless on the scene and transported to the native morgue.
Warner’s demise comes as a shock to followers globally, together with these within the Caribbean diaspora, who grew up watching him because the witty and relatable teenage son in considered one of tv’s most influential Black households. From 1984 to 1992, Warner portrayed Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Present, a task that catapulted him to fame and earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination at simply 16 years outdated. His portrayal helped problem unfavourable stereotypes and contributed to a cultural shift in American tv, presenting a middle-class African American household in a optimistic, aspirational mild.
Following The Cosby Present, Warner continued to evolve as an actor, director, musician, and spoken phrase artist. He appeared in a spread of tv collection together with Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Strains, and extra just lately, The Resident and Fits. In 2015, he earned an NAACP Picture Award for his efficiency in American Crime: The Individuals v. O.J. Simpson, the place he performed A.C. Cowlings. That very same yr, he received a Grammy Award for Finest Conventional R&B Efficiency for his contribution to Robert Glasper’s track “Jesus Youngsters.”
Along with his on-screen work, Warner was a revered voice on the earth of poetry and jazz, often mixing efficiency artwork with music. A longtime advocate for arts training and social justice, he typically used his platform to talk on problems with race, masculinity, and artistic freedom.
Born in Jersey Metropolis, New Jersey, Warner was raised by his single mom, Pamela Warner, who additionally served as his supervisor all through a lot of his early profession. Named after Malcolm X and jazz legend Ahmad Jamal, Warner embodied a novel mix of inventive expertise and cultural consciousness all through his life.
Information of his sudden passing has prompted an outpouring of grief from throughout the leisure world, with tributes flooding social media from fellow actors, musicians, and longtime followers.
Warner is survived by his companion and their daughter.
Funeral preparations haven’t but been introduced.