Malcolm-Jamal Warner vowed to keep mom's advice until his 'dying day'

Malcolm-Jamal Warner kept his mom's words dear to him until his last breath

The Cosby Show alum, who recently tragically passed away by drowning at the age of 54 during a family vacation in Costa Rica, shared his mother Pamela Warner's advice and how he held onto it throughout his acting career.

"I think probably the biggest influence — and I talk about this all the time, and I will probably continue to talk about this until my dying day — my mother. I think she really made the most impact on me," he told People one year ago his untimely death.

Malcolm-Jamal went on to say, "When The Cosby Show first hit and, out the box, it was this phenomenon... I was 14 years old, and my mother sat me down and said, 'Listen baby, it's great that this show is the phenomenon that it is, but at some point this show is going to be over. This show could be over next year. What are you going to do when this show is over?'"

Pamela told her son that even though she had other skills to rely on, he needed to think about how to build a long-lasting career in acting and beyond.

"She pointed out, 'If you look at anyone in this business who's had longevity, they've had periods where they were hot and periods they were not.' She said, 'If longevity is what you want in this business, then you have to decide what you're going to do during those times when you're not hot, so you're not out there making desperate career choices,'" he noted.

It is pertinent to mention that Malcolm-Jamal is well known for his work in The Cosby Show and also famous for the sitcom Malcolm & Eddie that ran from 1996 to 2000.