Bill Cosby mourns demise of his ‘The Cosby Show’ co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner

WASHINGTON,DC: Comedian and actor Bill Cosby mourned the demise of his ‘The Cosby Show’ co-star and onscreen son Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who passed away at the age of 54, according to E! News.

Warner died in an accidental drowning. More details regarding his demise have not been disclosed yet. The actor played the only son of Bill Cosby’s character, Heathcliff Huxtable, in the sitcom from 1984 to 1992.

The 88-year-old’s rep, Andrew Wyatt, shared that when Cosby received the call of Warner’s demise, it was as shocking and painful for him as when he learned of his own son Ennis Cosby’s 1997 murder, which was the result of a failed robbery attempt, reported E! News.

Wyatt also shared that Cosby spoke of his late son and Warner playing together as children, noting they “were amazing together.”

According to the representative, Cosby believed that Warner left an everlasting impact with his work. He also talked about Warner’s work ethic on the set of The Cosby Show.

“You could depend on Malcolm always going to the shelter, to learn his lines, to gather his character to come out and be ready,” said Cosby, adding, “When the news came, it was shocking.”

He added, “Of course, my thoughts went straight to his mother, who worked so hard. She was so wonderful with him.”

Before his demise, Warner was vacationing in Costa Rica and was swimming in the ocean on July 20, Costa Rica’s Judicial Investigation Agency confirmed to E! News in a statement.

“Regarding the preliminary investigation, the victim appears to have entered the sea and was apparently swept away by a current,” the July 21 statement said. “The man was rescued by bystanders and taken to shore, where he received treatment from the Costa Rican Red Cross. However, he was declared lifeless at the scene.”

Later, Costa Rican National Police confirmed to ABC News that Warner’s cause of death was asphyxia, a condition where the body is deprived of oxygen that can be caused by drowning, reported E! News.

According to Variety, after “The Cosby Show,” Warner played Malcolm McGee on the sitcom “Malcolm & Eddie,” which aired for four seasons on UPN. He starred opposite Eddie Griffin, who played the other title character. From 2011 to 2015, Warner led the BET sitcom “Reed Between the Lines,” and he also played Sticky on FX’s motorcycle drama “Sons of Anarchy.”

From 2018 to 2023, he played AJ Austin on “The Resident.”Warner’s acting roles also included Showtime’s post-apocalyptic drama “Jeremiah,” as well as “9-1-1,” “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” and “Suits.” He also played Al Cowlings on the limited series “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American

Crime Story” and had guest spots on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “Grown-ish”, and “Community.”
He also lent his voice to the Producer character on PBS Kids’ “The Magic School Bus,” which he also executive produced. (ANI)