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Following reports that the 54-year-old former cast member of The Cosby Show drowned accidentally off the coast of Costa Rica on July 20, Costa Rican National Police confirmed to ABC News that asphyxia was the official cause of death.
The actor was swimming at Playa Cocles in Limon province when a current dragged him farther out into the ocean, according to a report from Costa Rica's Judicial Investigation Department that the Associated Press was able to obtain.
According to the report, first responders from the Costa Rican Red Cross discovered him without vital signs, despite the fact that he was soon rescued by beachgoers.
Over the following few decades, Warner starred in a number of popular television programs, such as Malcolm & Eddie, Reed Between the Lines, and The Resident, after becoming well-known for his portrayal of Theodore Huxtable on the NBC sitcom.
But in the end, his iconic performance during the eight-year run of The Cosby Show was what led to his 1986 Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. The native of New Jersey has since stated that he will always be appreciative of the show's influence on his life.
"I don't want to be associated with the show," he told NPR in 2014. "People kind of have a misconception, because when someone calls me Theo and I correct them and say, no, my name is Malcolm, they think I have an attitude about it." Like, no. My name is Malcolm, but that show will always be a part of me.
Warner's passion for acting extended beyond his enduring work in film to the theater.
At the time, he exclaimed, "I love the character development process." "There isn't much time when you're working on movies and television. Practice is a luxury. Rehearsal is essential in theater. That just occurred to me. I think that's the most succinct way to put it.
The Jeremiah actor, who is survived by his daughter, dabbled in podcasting in more recent years with his Not All Hood podcast, which addressed contemporary Black community issues.
"It’s not just that I was on this insanely popular TV show, but that it had such an impact on Black America, and I've always carried that understanding with me," he told Forbes in 2017. "I think that's why I tend to be as vocal as I've always been about my experiences and about how I feel about Black culture."
