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The tragic death of Malcolm-Jamal Warner has stunned the world with many taking to social media to mourn the 54-year-old actor.
Warner, who played teen Theo Huxtable on the popular series “The Cosby Show,” died in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica Sunday while vacationing with family.
The actor was swimming on Sunday afternoon at Playa Cocles in Costa Rica’s Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the Caribbean, according to Costa Rica’s country’s judicial investigation department. First responders found him without vital signs.
The wildly popular Cosby show starred comedian Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad as his wife Clair.
Fans are mourning Warner’s passing who created a multitude of memorable moments on the show, which painted a black American family in a positive light. It ran from 1984 to 1992. In 1986, Warner earned an Emmy nomination as best supporting actor in a comedy.
“He’s like the ideal cousin you wish you had,” Rasheda Williams, 46 of Detroit told The Guardian. “Hearing the news has really affected some of us. It was unexpected. He wasn’t sick. That makes it even more tragic.”
Warner’s 40-year acting career also afforded him starring roles in sitcoms “Malcolm & Eddie, “Reed Between the Lines,” as well as the medical drama “The Resident.”
Cosby remembered his young co-star in an interview with CBS News Monday.
“He was never afraid to go to his room and study. He knew his lines and that he was quite comfortable even with the growing pains of being a teenager,” Cosby responded when asked how he wanted people to remember Warner, who played his son on the popular show.
When asked when he last spoke with Warner, Cosby said “Three months ago. What we talked about was something he was very proud of. He had done a concert in Minnesota with a symphony, and there was something he had written. But he was very proud of what he had done and what he had said. And it was about living in America.”
In one of his last interviews Warner was asked about his legacy to which he responded, “I will be able to leave this earth knowing–and people knowing–that I was a good person.”
And according to Beliefnet, Warner also opened up about his spiritual journey and Christian faith in recent years.
“He posted on social media about trusting in Christ and emphasized the importance of treating others well, rooted in Christ’s teachings,” the outlet reported. It went on the say that “Warner once said he believed that “good works without Christ are meaningless” and that “God is love, not a dictator.”
Meanwhile, tributes from co-stars and other celebrities are pouring in for the beloved actor.
Tracie Ellis Ross, who played Warner’s wife in the BET sitcom, “Reed Between the Lines,” wrote that her “heart is so, so sad.”
She went on to post on Instagram, “I love you, Malcolm. First, I met you as Theo with the rest of the world then you were my first TV husband. My heart is so, so sad. What an actor and friend you were: warm, gentle, present, kind, thoughtful, deep, funny, elegant. You made the world a brighter place. Sending so much love to your family. I’m so sorry for this unimaginable loss.”
Eddie Griffin, who starred alongside Warner on the UPN sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie,” posted a photo of Warner on his Instagram story with the words “R.I.P. King” and “My big little brother,” with prayer and heart emojis.
“Speechless on this one rest in power my brother,” Jamie Foxx wrote on Instagram.
Angela Bassett, who worked with Warner on Fox’s hit drama “9-1-1,” remembered him in a statement, writing, “When I met him, he was a star on the show that was TV royalty, ‘The Cosby Show.’ He warmly embraced me as a working actor who was trying to find my way. Even in his youth, Malcolm’s empathy, quiet strength, and his bright light surrounded us all. Then to have the opportunity to work with him again last year on ‘9-1-1 ‘was a memorable full circle moment for us both.
Warner is survived by a wife and daughter whose identity he chose to keep private.
