One of the most beloved characters in Black sitcom history has died. Lou Myers, best known for playing Hillman College cafeteria manager Mr. Vernon Gaines on hit 1990s show A Different World, passed away on Tuesday after a heart-related emergency, reports TMZ.
Myers had been in ill health of late. He was hospitalized for pneumonia in December and then collapsed in his home just a few days after his release. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine his exact cause of death.
Myers was working right up until his last days. After A Different World wrapped, he guest-starred on nearly a dozen television shows including NYPD Blue and All About the Andersons. On the big screen, he recently co-starred opposite Zach Galifianakis in It's Kind of a Funny Story. Interestingly, that film also starred his A Different World co-star Lisa Bonet's daughter Zoe Kravitz. 
Myers is survived by a son and his mother, who is 95. May he rest in peace.
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(Photo: NBCU Photo Bank)