'Cosby Show' Star, NJ Native Dies Suddenly At 54

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Malcolm-Jamal Warner, a Jersey City native and the star of one of the highest-rated sit-coms in the 1980s, has died.

Warner was known for his role as Theodore Huxtable — the son of Bill Cosby's character Dr. Cliff Huxtable — on "The Cosby Show," which aired from 1984 to 1992.

The actor, 54, drowned while swimming on a family vacation in Costa Rica, ABC News said. Costa Rican police told the outlet that Warner got caught in a high current near a beach called Cocles in the Province of Limón.

His body was discovered Sunday afternoon and the official cause of death was asphyxia, ABC said.

Residents in a Jersey City Facebook group said he once lived on Jersey Avenue.

"Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Jersey City native Malcolm-Jamal Warner," said Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday. "From his iconic portrayal of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show to his more recent role on Fox’s The Resident, Malcom-Jamal brought joy and hope to millions of Americans. We are praying for the Warner family during this incredibly difficult time."

Warner's family moved to Los Angeles when he was 5, said the Hollywood Reporter. He attended elementary school in California and high school in Manhattan.

Warner played the only son of Cosby's character on the show, which ran for eight seasons on NBC. The role earned him a 1986 Emmy nomination.

He would have turned 55 on Aug. 18.

Broke Barriers

The show was a No. 1 hit at the time of its airing and broke barriers with its portrayal of a Black middle class family and tackling of tough issues, BET noted. While the show was groundbreaking, Cosby's reputation as "America's Dad" was shattered after he was accused of sexual assault by multiple women.

"Regardless of how some people may feel about the show now ... I'm still proud of the legacy and having been a part of such an iconic show that had such a profound impact on — first and foremost, Black culture — but also American culture," Warner told People.

The actor would later star as one of the titular characters in the UPN sitcom "Malcolm & Eddie," which ran from 1996 to 2000. He voiced a character and executive produced the PBS Kids series "The Magic School Bus," appeared as a series regular on the medical drama "The Resident," and acted in "The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story."

A bass player and poet, Warner in 2015 earned a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance for his work on Robert Glasper's song "Jesus Children."

Most recently, he has cohosted the podcast "Not All Hood," focused on breaking down barriers to mental health in the Black community.

“When we talk about the Black community, we tend to speak of it as a monolith when the reality is there are so many different facets of the Black community, and we wanted to have a space where we can really explore, discuss, and acknowledge all of those different aspects," he told People.

Patch Editor Chris Lindahl contributed to this story.