Los Angeles, CA – July 21, 2025
Malcolm-Jamal Warner, best known for his iconic role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show, has died at the age of 54. The news was first reported by TMZ, which cited the cause of death as an accidental drowning.
Warner rose to national fame in the 1980s as the only son of the Huxtable family on The Cosby Show, a sitcom that became a cultural landmark and ran for eight seasons. His role earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination and made him one of the most recognizable young actors of the era.
Following his breakout success, Warner continued to build a solid career in entertainment. He starred in the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie in the late 1990s, led the cast of Reed Between the Lines, and appeared in numerous television dramas including Suits, The Resident, 9-1-1, Major Crimes, and Alert: Missing Persons Unit. He was also a prolific voice actor and narrated episodes of The Magic School Bus.
In 2015, Warner won a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his collaboration on the song “Jesus Children” with Robert Glasper and Lalah Hathaway. Most recently, he hosted a podcast titled Not All Hood, which explored culture, identity, and the Black experience in America. A new episode had been released just days before his death.
Warner was also a director, musician, and poet, with a reputation for being thoughtful and deeply committed to his craft. He remained private about his personal life, but it is known he is survived by his wife and daughter, whose names have not been publicly disclosed.
No additional details have been released by his family or representatives at this time.
Warner’s passing marks the loss of a talented performer who left a lasting impact on multiple generations of television viewers. He is remembered for his warmth, intelligence, and the legacy he built both on and off screen.
