Lou Myers (actor)
American actor (1935–2013)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lewis Eddy Myers (September 26, 1935 – February 19, 2013)[1], also known professionally as Lou Myers or alternately as Lou Leabengula Myers,[2] was an American actor and pianist.
September 26, 1935
Lou Myers | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lewis Eddy Myers September 26, 1935 |
| Died | February 19, 2013 (aged 77) |
Burial place | Donel C. Kinnard Memorial State Veterans Cemetery, Dunbar, West Virginia |
| Education | |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Known for | Role as Vernon Gaines on the NBC-TV series A Different World |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
Branch |  United States Air Force |
Service years | 1951–1953 |
Rank |  Airman first class |
Conflicts | Korean War |
| Children | 1 |
Myers was typically typecast as a grumpy old man, but he appeared in many movies, plays, and television programs. He made his Broadway debut in 1975 as Reverend Mosely in the production The First Breeze of Summer, alongside Ethel Ayler, Moses Gunn, Bebe Drake, and Barbara Montgomery.[3] He joined them in recreating their roles for a television adaptation that aired on Great Performances in 1976.[4]
Myers was an original cast member of many August Wilson plays, including Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Fences, and The Piano Lesson.
He is perhaps best known as the feisty Mr. Vernon Gaines in the sitcom A Different World. Myers was also an accomplished pianist and founder/director of the Tshaka Ensemble Players in Africa.[5]
Early life
Myers was born in Chesapeake, West Virginia, the son of Dorothy Louise Brown Myers and Otis Louis Myers, a coal miner who spoke fluent German. He joined the U.S. Air Force in 1951. He was discharged in 1953 and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in sociology from West Virginia State University and an MFA in theatre from NYU.[6][7]
Personal life
Myers had a son, named Melvin Myers, and a grandson.[8]
Myers died at the Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia after battling pneumonia for several months.[9]
Awards
Myers won an NAACP Image Award for his role as the Stool Pigeon in the August Wilson play King Hedley II. He also won the Off-Broadway AUDELCO Award for his role in the play Fat Tuesday.[10]
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.[11]
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Missing Pieces | Attendant | |
| 1994 | Cobb | Willie | |
| 1995 | The Piano Lesson | Wining Boy | TV movie |
| 1994 | Living Single | Milton "The Baker" | |
| 1995 | The Passion of Darkly Noon | Quincy | |
| 1996 | Tin Cup | Clint | |
| 1997 | Volcano | Pastor Lake | |
| 1998 | Mama Flora's Family | Albie | TV mini-series |
| Goodbye Lover | Police Captain | ||
| Bulworth | Uncle Tyrone | ||
| How Stella Got Her Groove Back | Uncle Ollie | ||
| 1999 | The Big Confession | Tommy | |
| The Stand-In | Half-Step Wilson | ||
| 2001 | The Wedding Planner | Burt Weinberg | |
| All About You | Toomie | ||
| 2002 | Friday After Next | Mr. Johnson (Deleted scene only) | |
| 2003 | The Fighting Temptations | Homer T. | |
| Nobody Knows Anything! | Blue Smoke Jones | ||
| 2004 | Team Player | Coach Lou | |
| 2007 | Kings of the Evening | Counter Man | |
| 2010 | It's Kind of a Funny Story | Jimmy | |
| 2013 | Dreams | Mr. Harlan | (final film role) |
