Bill Cosby Responds To Death Of Costar

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — Actor Bill Cosby has spoken out about the loss of Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played his son for years on "The Cosby Show."

The legendary actor and Cheltenham Township resident told ABC News that Warner — who played his son Theo Huxtable on the NBC sitcom from 1984 to 1992 — was “very professional” and “a great studier.”

"You could depend on Malcolm always going to uh the shelter, to learn his lines, to gather his character to come out and be ready. When the news came, it was shocking. And of course, my thoughts went straight to his mother, who worked so hard. She was so wonderful with him," Cosby told 6abc anchor Sharrie Williams.

Warner, 54, died Sunday after an accidental drowning while swimming off the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica during a family vacation. According to local authorities, the actor was caught in a strong current. Despite efforts by beachgoers and first responders, Warner could not be revived.

“I enjoyed working with him very much,” Cosby said. “He always knew his part, he always knew his lines, and he always knew where to go.”

The role of Theo Huxtable was loosely inspired by Cosby’s real-life son, Ennis, who was murdered in 1997. Cosby noted the parallels between the two young men and shared that Warner and Ennis were friends during their youth. Cosby’s spokesperson, Andrew Wyatt, told People, the grief “reminded him of the same call he received when his son died,” Variety Magazine reported.

Cosby said he maintained a paternal bond with Warner long after “The Cosby Show” ended its eight-season run from 1984 to 1992.

“Malcolm calls here regularly,” Cosby told ABC. “While I was their TV dad, I never stopped being a father to them.”

According to Wyatt, Cosby has been in contact with other “Cosby Show” alumni, including Phylicia Rashad, who played his onscreen wife Clair Huxtable, Variety Magazine said.

The comedian was sentenced to three to 10 years behind bars in 2018 after being convicted of drugging and sexually abusing Andrea Constand inside his Cheltenham home in 2004. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturned Cosby's sexual assault sentence in 2021, citing an immunity deal reached with a prosecutor in 2005.