Malcolm-Jamal Warner, 'The Cosby Show' star, dies at 54

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who played Theo Huxtable in The Cosby Show, has died at 54 after drowning off the coast of Costa Rica.

According to reports, he was on vacation with his family as he was swimming near Cocles, a beach in Limón, a province in the Central American country.

Costa Rican National Police told the news outlets that a strong current pulled him deeper in the ocean, resulting in his death from asphyxia.

Nonetheless, The Cosby Show played a key part in Malcolm's life, leading him to get a nomination for an Emmy. In a previous interview, he opened up about the legacy of sitcom.

“The fact that the Cosby Show for Black America and White America alike finally legitimized the Black middle class, which has always been around since the inception of this country but, as with everything, is not legitimate til it’s on television,” the late actor said. 

He continued, “When the show first came out, there were White people and Black people talking about (how) the Huxtables don’t really exist, Black people don’t really live like that. Meanwhile, we were getting tens of thousands of fan letters from people saying, thank you so much for this show.”

He also appeared in projects such as The Resident, Accused, Ten Days in the Valley, and American Crime Story: The People v. O.J. Simpson.

Malcolm was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Aug 18, 1970.