Lou Myers Dead, 'A Different World' Actor Dies After Falling Into a Comma
Lou Myers, the actor best known for his role as Mr. Gaines on the television series A Different World died on Tuesday at the age of 76, according to The Associated Press.
Tonia McDonald, the president of Myers' nonprofit organization Global Business Incubation Inc., said on Wednesday Myers died at Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia. McDonald confirmed the actor's age and said he was in and out of the hospital for pneumonia since before Christmas though he collapsed recently. TMZ reported that the actor died after undergoing a heart-related emergency that left him in a coma.
A Different World was created by Bill Cosby ran from 1987 to 1993 on NBC. It was conceived as a spinoff show from The Cosby Show, in which the characters attended a historically black university. Myers starred on the show alongside Kadeem Hardison, Jasmine Guy and Jada Pinkett Smith.
In his later years, Myers also made memorable appearances on other television shows and films such as Volcano, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Tin Cup and The Wedding Planner. His most recent film credit was the 2010 Emma Roberts drama It's Kind of a Funny Story.
Myers also appeared on Broadway including Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, African American Style and Oprah Winfrey's The Color Purple. Myers nabbed a NAACP Best Actor award for playing the Stool Pigeon in King Hedley II.
In 2005, the Appalachian Education Initiative listed Myers as one of 50 "Outstanding Creative Artists" from the state of West Virginia and featured him in their coffee table book Art & Soul.
He began singing jazz and blues with the touring company of Negro Music in Vogue, according to a biography provided by McDonald.
Myers served in the Army will receive a military burial in West Virginia. He is survived by his son and his 95-year-old mother.
