Lou Myers, who played gruff but lovable Mr. Gaines on “A Different World”, has died. He was 77 years old.

Myers also appeared on “The Cosby Show”–from which “A Different World” was spun off–and often credited Bill Cosby with helping him get a foot in the door in the acting world. He later appeared on Broadway in productions of The First Breeze of Summer, The Piano Lesson, Oprah Winfrey’s Color Purple and Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.

The West Virginia native also took on several film roles, appearing in flicks like “Tin Cup” and “The Wedding Planner”, and he also sang jazz and blues with a touring company called “Negro Music In Vogue”. His achievements on screen and stage earned him a place in the Appalachian Education Initiative’s list of 50 “Outstanding Creative Artists” from the state of West Virginia.

Myers reportedly had been ill for several weeks and was in and out of the hospital with pneumonia complications earlier this month. After his heart stopped on Tuesday, doctors were able to revive him, but he went into a coma and passed away a short time later.