(NewsNation) — “The Cosby Show” alum Malcolm-Jamal Warner has died. He was 54.
Warner drowned Sunday afternoon in Costa Rica after getting caught in a current at Playa Cocles in Limon on the country’s Caribbean coast, Costa Rican authorities confirmed. He was on a family vacation at the time, according to People magazine.
“The victim was assisted by people who were at the beach,” Costa Rican authorities said. “However, he was declared without vital signs by personnel from the Costa Rican Red Cross. The victim was identified as a 54-year-old male with the surname Warner and of American nationality.”
Warner was best known for portraying Theo Huxtable, the only son of Cliff and Clair Huxtable, in “The Cosby Show” from 1984 to 1992, which earned him an Emmy nomination in 1986 for supporting actor in a comedy.
After “The Cosby Show,” Warner went on to star alongside comedian Eddie Griffin in the UPN Network television series “Malcolm and Eddie” from 1996 to 2000. He is also well-known for his role in the 2011-2015 series “Reed Between the Lines,” where he starred opposite Tracee Ellis Ross.
“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,” Ross said in a post on Instagram paying tribute to him. “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.”
According to Warner’s IMDb page, he has also starred in episodes of “Major Crimes” as Chuck Cooper, “Suits” as Julius Rowe and AJ Austin in “The Resident.”
Last June, Warner started a podcast called “Not All Hood” with cohosts Weusi Baraka and Candace Kelley, telling People it was a space where he could be his “most vulnerable.”
Aside from acting, Warner won a Grammy in 2015 for best traditional R&B performance and was nominated for best spoken word poetry album for “Hiding in Plain View.”
NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson paid tribute to Warner in a post on social media, saying he and his wife were saddened to hear about the death of their “dear friend.”
“We were both super fans of the hit ‘Cosby Show’ and continued to follow his career on shows like ‘Malcolm and Eddie’ and ‘The Resident,'” Johnson said. “Every time I ran into Malcolm, we would have deep and fun conversations about basketball, life, and business. He will truly be missed.”
He is survived by his wife and daughter, according to TMZ. Warner’s representatives have declined immediate comment.