US actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner Caught by current - star of "Bill Cosby Show" dies in swimming accident

"Cosby Show" star Malcolm-Jamal Warner is dead. The 54-year-old US actor was caught by a current while swimming and pulled out to sea.

US actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, who became famous for his role as teenage Theo Huxtable in the "Bill Cosby Show", has died in a swimming accident. The 54-year-old was caught by a current in Costa Rica on Sunday and pulled out to sea, local authorities announced on Monday. After it was initially reported that Warner had been rescued, the Red Cross later announced that the actor was no longer showing any signs of life. Warner's representatives initially refused to comment.

197 episodes of "Bill Cosby Show"

Warner had played his way into the hearts of millions of television viewers in his role as teenager Theo Huxtable, including when he fought with his father Cliff, played by Bill Cosby, over money and an ear piercing that he was trying to hide from his father. Warner played the role in all 197 episodes for eight seasons from 1984 to 1992 and was nominated for an Emmy in 1986 for supporting actor in a comedy.

Warner later appeared in the sitcom "Malcolm & Eddie", in which he co-starred with comedian Eddie Griffin from 1996 to 2000. In the 2010s, he played a couple in a chaotic family household together with Tracee Ellis Ross for two seasons in the series "Read Between The Lines". He also had a role as O.J. Simpson's friend Al Cowlings in "American Crime Story" and was a regular in the Fox series "The Resident".

His film roles include the 2008 romantic comedy "A Sweetheart to Fall in Love" with Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson. As a lyricist and musician, Warner was awarded a Grammy for Best Traditional R&B Performance.

Warner was married and has a daughter, whose name he did not want to disclose publicly, just like his wife.