Gen Xers mourn drowning death of actor Malcolm-Jamal Warner, known as Theo on ‘The Cosby Show’

By COREY WILLIAMS DETROIT AP For Black youth and teens growing up in the mid- s The Cosby Show offered something rarely seen on television up until that time a sitcom that placed characters who looked like them in a positive light And Malcolm-Jamal Warner s Theo Huxtable was the character Generation X most of related to Fans took rapidly to social media on Monday as news of Warner s accidental drowning in Costa Rica spread It s like losing one of us disclosed Harriet Cammock a -year-old Detroit author and speaker This is the thing with television When you re watching people every week on television you think you know them and you re related to them Warner was swimming Sunday afternoon at Playa Cocles in Costa Rica s Limon province when a current pulled him deeper into the Caribbean according to that country s Judicial Assessment Department First responders ascertained him without vital signs Cori Murray executive vice president of content at Ebony Magazine was saddened upon hearing about Warner s death She commented his Theo character mirrored the everyday Black teenager which was rare to see on TV at the time While so plenty of portrayals of young Black teenagers leaned negative The Cosby Show especially Theo proved warmth satisfaction and relatability He wasn t just a character We saw ourselves in him Murray commented You know how Kendrick Lamar has the song Not Like Us Well Theo was one of us He was like us Murray who met Warner a scant times recalled his character off-screen matched the warmth he exuded on television She called him respectful and pleasant and disclosed he had a megawatt smile that lit up the room His strength stayed with you Murray announced You don t have a bad memory when it comes to Theo or Malcolm-Jamal Warner As much as we loved the character we also watched Malcolm grow up in real life No scandals No mess Just a talented young man who matured into an upstanding handsome adult FILE Malcolm-Jamal Warner speaks on stage at the th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday Feb in Los Angeles AP Photo Chris Pizzello File The Cosby Show was groundbreaking and a ratings giant drawing in viewers across racial cultural and economic backgrounds The show ran for episodes from to In Warner earned an Emmy nomination for supporting actor in a comedy The show starring Bill Cosby as Cliff Huxtable and Phylicia Rashad as his wife Clair made the wider society aware that there are Black people who live like white people do announced Cammock who is Black The perception that we don t live like they do was hurtful Gil Robertson co-founder and president of the African American Film Critics Association reflected on Warner s rare path in the entertainment industry There was never any disgrace no conflict commented Robertson He transitioned from a teen star to a respected adult without the baggage we often see from others in his generation That s no small feat Robertson added The legacy of Theo Huxtable and Malcolm s performance will live on It left an imprint that will continue to resonate in our lifestyle for generations Lynn Reasonover of Oak Lawn Illinois began receiving messages Monday afternoon about Warner s death Her initial thoughts were Nope didn t happen Then I kept seeing the news flashes and friends started sending texts Reasonover disclosed So it s sinking in Makes you realize how much particular celebrities help shape our memories His work had such a huge impact I m feeling a personal loss because we grew up with him It s like losing a part of our childhood Reasonover saw much of her family in the Huxtables where both parents were professionals who valued guidance and handled family issues with understanding and love They had similar problems to what we experienced growing up she commented We could relate and that s why we laughed Rasheda Williams of Detroit was about the same age as Rudy the youngest character on The Cosby Show and Theo s little sister Williams declared she and others are mourning Warner s passing because of what they saw in the character he played He s like the ideal cousin you wish you had Williams noted Hearing the news has really affected various of us It was unexpected He wasn t sick That makes it even more tragic He wasn t just an actor she noted He was also an activist a positive role model not just for young Black men but for young Black women as well AP Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr in Los Angeles contributed to this assessment