More information has come to light about Malcolm-Jamal Warner’s tragic death.
After news broke that The Cosby Show alum died after an accidental drowning off the coast of Costa Rica on July 20, Costa Rican National Police confirmed to ABC News that the 54-year-old’s official cause of death was asphyxia.
Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Department stated, per a report obtained by the Associated Press, that the actor was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the ocean.
And though he was rescued by people on the beach soon after, per the report, first responders from Costa Rica’s Red Cross found him without vital signs.
After Warner rose to prominence with his role as Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom, he went on to star in various beloved shows over the next few decades including Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Lines and The Resident.
But ultimately, it was his iconic presence in The Cosby Show’s eight-year run that earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1986. And the New Jersey native has since made it clear that he would always be grateful for the way the show impacted his life.
“People kind of have a misconception, because when someone calls me Theo and I correct them and say, no, my name is Malcolm, they think I have an attitude about it,” he told NPR in 2014, “and I don’t want to be associated with the show. It’s like, no. I will forever be associated with that show, but my name is Malcolm.”
Beyond his lasting work onscreen, Warner’s love for acting extended to theater as well.
“I love the character development process,” he gushed at the time. “When you’re working on television and film, you don’t really have time. Rehearsal is a luxury. In theater, rehearsal is a necessity. I just thought of that. That’s probably the most concise way I could put it.”
In more recent years, the Jeremiah actor—who is survived by his daughter—dabbled in the podcasting space with his Not All Hood podcast, which focused on discussing current issues surrounding the Black community.
“It’s not just that I was on this insanely popular tv show, but that it had such an impact on Black America and I’ve always carried that understanding with me,” he told Forbes last year. “I think that’s why I tend to be as vocal as I’ve always been about my experiences and about how I feel about Black culture.”
To look back at Warner’s life in photos, keep reading.
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