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Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor who starred as Theo in ‘The Cosby Show,' dead at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, actor who starred as Theo in ‘The Cosby Show,' dead at 54

CTV News4 days ago
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, an actor and artist who rose to fame as a child as Theodore Huxtable on 'The Cosby Show,' has died, according to a source close to the actor.
He was 54.
Warner died in a drowning accident in Costa Rica, where he was on vacation with his family, the source said.
CNN has reached out to representatives for Warner for further information.
A native of New Jersey, Warner started acting at age 9, making appearances in shows like 'Fame.' He was a young teen when he was cast as the only son of Bill Cosby's character, Heathcliff Huxtable, in 'The Cosby Show,' which ran from 1984 to 1992.
Warner later reflected on the legacy of the popular, Emmy-winning sitcom.
'The fact that the Cosby Show for Black America and White America alike finally legitimized the Black middle class, which has always been around since the inception of this country but, as with everything, is not legitimate til it's on television,' Warner said. '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.'
Warner was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1986 for his supporting work on 'The Cosby Show.'
By the time the show was over, Warner said in a 2013 interview, 'we were still on top enough to go out on top, but we were ready to live our own lives.'
'We were all ready to move on and as Mr. Cosby said, by that point, we had pretty much said all that we could say,' Warner added.
After the perennial hit series ended in 1992, the actor continued working primarily in television until recently, with credits including 'Touched by an Angel,' 'Community,' 'Key and Peele,' 'Suits,' 'Sons of Anarchy' and 'American Horror Story.'
As much as he honored the Theo character, Warner also worked hard to show how multifaceted he was, including being a Grammy-winning musician.
He won best traditional R&B performance in 2015 for the song 'Jesus Children.' He was also nominated for a Grammy in 2023 for best spoken word poetry album.
Warner also starred opposite Eddie Griffin in the series 'Malcolm & Eddie' for four seasons between 1996 and 2000.
His more recent acting credits include 'The Resident,' 'The Wonder Years' reboot, 'Grownish' and '9-1-1.'
Last year, Warner launched his podcast 'Not All Hood' last year with the goal of continuing to be a voice that explores the diverse experiences of the Black community and touch on themes of representation in media.
'When we talk about the Black community, we tend to speak of it as a monolith when the reality is there are so many different facets of the Black community, and we wanted to have a space where we can really explore, discuss, and acknowledge all of those different aspects,' he told People magazine in an interview last year.
This story is developing and will be updated.
By Elizabeth Wagmeister.
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Malcolm-Jamal Warner was struggling along with daughter, 8, at time of drowning
Malcolm-Jamal Warner was struggling along with daughter, 8, at time of drowning

Toronto Sun

timea day ago

  • Toronto Sun

Malcolm-Jamal Warner was struggling along with daughter, 8, at time of drowning

Actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner attends 2023 Beloved Community Awards at Hyatt Regency Atlanta on January 14, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Paras Griffin / Getty Images Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Malcolm-Jamal Warner was swimming with his eight-year-old daughter when he drowned in Costa Rica earlier this week, according to reports. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The 54-year-old actor and musician, who was best known for playing Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show , died on Sunday during a family vacation with his wife and daughter. Police told ABC News that surfers spotted Warner and his daughter struggling in the water and dove in to try and help them. Lifeguard instructor Mike Geist, who is also the vice-president of Caribbean Guard, explained to Us Weekly how the tragedy unfolded. Geist said that after group surf lessons earlier in the day, Warner and a few other individuals 'decided to get back in the water.' He recalled three people later being seen in 'distress,' who lifeguards were 'able to get out with some help.' He continued: 'Another person that was on the beach with a boogie board went out to go and look for Malcolm because they learned there was a fourth person,' Geist said, noting that a doctor was among those searching for the actor and eventually the one who found him submerged in water. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Once brought to shore, Warner was given 45 minutes of CPR, ABC News reported, but it was too late. Warner's cause of death was ruled as accidental asphyxiation by submersion, according to the outlet. RECOMMENDED VIDEO A man trying to help Warner had been discharged from hospital after receiving treatment 'without complications.' The late Grammy winner, who won Best Traditional R&B Performance in 2015, kept much of his personal life private, never sharing his daughter's name as well as keeping the identity of his wife from the public. However, in 2023 he posted a throwback video of him dancing with his daughter and singing to her when she was 1, noting how fast she was growing up. Warner also called his daughter a 'mini us' in a 2021 Instagram post while sharing how their family came to be. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Whatever 'bigger than family' ideas I had in my head before these two beautiful spirits came into my life are now fuelled to be even bigger. Life is even more fulfilling,' he wrote. 'When people ask me how I'm doing, I often tell them that I am living the mother****ing dream,' the Resident actor continued. 'And on the days it doesn't feel like it, I just remind myself that I'm still living SOMEBODY's dream. And I press on. I am so FULL now. Of Love. Of joy. Of gratefulness.' Read More After Warner's Cosby Show run ended in 1992, he went on to star alongside Eddie Griffin in Malcolm & Eddie . In recent years he appeared on Suits , Major Crimes and 9-1-1 and hosted podcast Not All Hood alongside Candace O. Kelley and Weusi Baraka. Sports Ontario Wrestling Canada Canada

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