Bill Cosby breaks silence following death of co-star Malcolm-Jamal Warner: 'It was shocking'

Malcolm-Jamal Warner, the actor perhaps best known for starring in the TV sitcom "The Cosby Show" as son Theodore "Theo" Huxtable, has died at 54.

Warner drowned off the coast of Costa Rica on Sunday, Costa Rican National Police told ABC News. Warner's official cause of death was asphyxia, police said.

MORE | Malcolm-Jamal Warner, known for playing Theo on 'The Cosby Show,' has drowned in Costa Rica

In an interview with 6abc, Bill Cosby spoke about Jamal Warner's death.

"You could depend on Malcolm always going to uh the shelter, to learn his lines, to gather his character to come out and be ready. When the news came, it was shocking. And of course, my thoughts went straight to his mother, who worked so hard. She was so wonderful with him," Cosby told 6abc anchor Sharrie Williams.

Warner died near Cocles, a beach in Limon, Costa Rica, police said. Police said he was caught by a high current in the water and was discovered Sunday afternoon.

Warner was formally identified by Costa Rica's national police.

Warner played Theo Huxtable for all eight seasons of "The Cosby Show," which ran from 1985-1992, receiving an Emmy nomination for the role.

He also starred with Eddie Griffin in the 1996-2000 sitcom "Malcolm & Eddie," and as Dr. Alex Reed in the BET sitcom "Reed Between the Lines." He also appeared in guest roles on dozens of television shows over the years.

Warner most recently starred in the Fox medical drama "The Resident" for five of the show's six seasons.

Born Aug. 18, 1970, Warner caught the acting bug early in life and attended and graduated from The Professional Children's School in New York City.

He made his first television appearance in an episode of the TV series "Matt Houston" in 1982 and also appeared in the "Fame" television series the following year.

In 1984, he landed his role in "The Cosby Show" alongside Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashad, Lisa Bonet and more.

The role earned Warner an Emmy nomination in 1986 for outstanding supporting actor in a comedy series.

Warner spoke to Bevy Smith about the legacy of "The Cosby Show" in 2023, saying, "There's a generation of us who went to college, they sought out higher education because of that show. There's a generation of us that went and got married and had loving relationships with each other and their children because of that show."

He added, "That impact is irreversible."

Following "The Cosby Show," Warner continued to appear in several television series including "The Michael J. Fox Show," "Key & Peele," "American Horror Story" and "Sons of Anarchy" in 2014, as well as "Suits" and "American Crime Story" in 2016.

In 2011, he starred in the BET comedy series "Reed Between the Lines," alongside Tracee Ellis Ross.

He also starred in several films, including "The List" in 2007, "Fool's Gold" in 2008 and "Shot" in 2017.

In 2015, Warner earned a Grammy Award for best traditional R&B performance alongside Robert Glasper Experiment and Lalah Hathaway for their cover of Stevie Wonder's "Jesus Children of America."

Warner also earned a Grammy nomination in 2023 for best spoken word poetry album for "Hiding In Plain View."

ABC News contributed to this report.