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Malcolm Jamal-Warner, star of 'The Cosby Show,' dies at 54
Malcolm Jamal-Warner, known for his role on "The Cosby Show," died after he drowned on a family vacation in Costa Rica. FOX 5 NY's Antwan Lewis has more.
NEW YORK CITY - For many, Malcolm-Jamal Warner was a beloved actor who appeared on their TV screens for decades, but for one New York City community, he was so much more.
What they're saying:
News of "The Cosby Show" star's sudden passing left the country shocked on Monday as tributes poured in from former costars, friends, fans, and even his high school in Manhattan.
"The entire PCS community is deeply saddened regarding the tragic passing of our beloved alumnus, Malcolm Jamal Warner," Dr. James Dawson, head of the Professional Children's School, said in a statement to FOX 5 NY. "Malcolm was not only a very successful actor and musician, but, above and beyond that, he was a warm, engaging, humble, thoughtful, and welcoming representative of the very best that our legacy of PCS alums and students embody.
Warner graduated from the Upper West Side high school in 1988, and is remembered as "kind and encouraging, deep in his thinking, expansive in his reasoning, and a true friend to all. "
"Malcolm touched all of our lives and those of us fortunate enough to know him will forever miss his gracious smile, his warm embrace, his thoughtful demeanor, and his impact on our lives and on the lives of so many touched by his presence," Dawson said.
What we know:
Warner, best known for playing Theo Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," died at the age of 54 in an accidental drowning in Costa Rica, according to local authorities.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department said Monday that Warner drowned Sunday afternoon on a beach on Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. He was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.
"He was rescued by people on the beach," the department's initial report said, but first responders from Costa Rica’s Red Cross found him without vital signs, and he was taken to the morgue.
Warner was married with a daughter, but chose not to publicly disclose their names.
Bill Cosby reacts
"The Cosby Show’s" embattled patriarch, Bill Cosby, shared that the untimely death of his co-star, Malcolm-Jamal Warner, reminded him of his own late son’s death, according to a TMZ report.
Cosby’s representative, Andrew Wyatt, told TMZ that Warner’s death brought him back to January 1997, when he got a call informing him that his son, Ennis Cosby, was killed in an attempted robbery.
The backstory:
Warner played the role of Theo for eight seasons in all 197 episodes, winning an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy in 1986.
Warner later appeared in the sitcom "Malcolm & Eddie," co-starring with comedian Eddie Griffin in the series on the defunct UPN network from 1996 to 2000. And in the 2010s, he starred opposite Tracee Ellis Ross as a family-blending couple for two seasons on the BET sitcom "Read Between The Lines." He also had a role as O.J. Simpson's friend Al Cowlings on "American Crime Story" and was a series regular on Fox's "The Resident."
His film roles include the 2008 rom-com "Fool’s Gold" with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. A poet and a musician, Warner was a Grammy winner for best traditional R&B performance, and was nominated for best spoken word poetry album for "Hiding in Plain View."
His final credits came in TV guest roles, including appearances on "The Wonder Years," "Grown-ish," and "9-1-1," where he had a four-episode arc last year.
The Source: Information from this article was provided by Professional Children's School, the Associated Press and TMZ.