Lou Myers, who played Mr. Vernon Gaines on the 1980s TV series A Different World, has died, TMZ reports. He was 77 years old.

The president of the late actor's nonprofit told TMZ that Myers passed away at the Charleston Medical Center in West Virginia, where he was being treated for a heart-related emergency. He had previously been hospitalized in December for pneumonia and again in January after he collapsed at home.

On Tuesday, Feb. 19, Myers' heart stopped and he fell into a coma. According to TMZ, he died just a few hours later.

The actoor, who also had roles in The Wedding Planner and How Stella Got Her Groove Back, is survived by his son and mother. An autopsy has been scheduled to determine his official cause of death.

This article originally appeared on Usmagazine.com: Lou Myers, A Different World Actor, Dies at 77