Matthew-Jamal Warner last updated his followers with a post promoting his podcast on Instagram.
Warner gained fame for his role as Theodore Huxtable in the iconic sitcom The Cosby Show, which aired from 1984 to 1992. His portrayal of Theo earned him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 1986.
Tragically, it has been reported that the actor passed away at the age of 54 due to an accidental drowning in Costa Rica. Just two days prior to the announcement of his death by TMZ on July 21, Warner had posted a snippet from his show Not All Hood, encouraging fans to listen to the latest episode. Prior to his most recent successes he had acted on a number of hit shows, including working with award-winning fellow actors.
The update, initially shared on the Instagram page of Not All Hood and tagging Warner along with his episode guest, Tameka “Georgia Me” Harper, highlighted the upcoming content. Harper is celebrated as a poet and spoken word artist hailing from Atlanta, Georgia.
“This week on Not All Hood, Malcolm and Candace sit with the legendary Tameka ‘Georgia Me’ Harper as she gets real on being Black, brilliant and unapologetically hood. She drops gems on ATL gentrification, cultural erasure and radical self-love,” the caption announced, reports the Mirror US.
In the wake of Warner’s sudden passing, fans have flooded the comments section of the post with messages of grief and disbelief. “Is he gone? ! ? ! ?” one fan questioned, unable to grasp the news.
“I was just watching him on The Resident last night!” another shared, their comment punctuated with praying hands and broken heart emojis. A third expressed their shock, commenting, “Yoooooo! ! ! ! What is going on? ? ? ? I don’t believe it! !”
While The Cosby Show brought him fame, Warner remained active in the entertainment industry right up until his passing. He took on the role of Al “A.C.” Cowlings in Ryan Murphy’s acclaimed American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson and featured in hit series including Dexter, Community, Major Crimes, Sons of Anarchy, and Suits.
Behind the scenes, Warner served as executive producer for the beloved PBS Kids programme The Magic School Bus and clinched a Grammy Award in 2015 for Best Traditional R&B Performance for “Jesus Children” alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway. The New Jersey-born star also stepped behind the camera to direct episodes of The Cosby Show, All That, Keenan and Kel, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and Sesame Street, plus the short film This Old Man.
Reports suggest Warner was enjoying a holiday with his wife and daughter when the tragedy unfolded. The Mirror US has contacted his representatives for a statement.