Veteran actor Bernie Casey, who co-starred in classic 80s comedies like I'm Gonna Git You Sucka and Revenge of the Nerds, has died at age 78.

TMZ reports that Case died "peacefully" in an L.A. hospital on Wednesday (Sept. 20), with family on-hand. Although it is mentioned that the star had been hospitalized, but his illness hasn't been disclosed as of press time.

Casey played in the NFL in the 1960s as wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. In 1969, he broke into Hollywood via Guns of the Magnificent Seven alongside fellow NFLer Jim Brown. Casey landed roles in blaxploitation films like Black Gunn and Cleopatra Jones, along with appearances in acclaimed films Brian's SongCornbread, Earl & Me and The Man Who Fell to Earth.

Casey would go on to become a fixture in several hit comedies during the 1980s. He was famously featured as U.N. Jefferson, the national head of the predominantly Black fraternity Lambda Lambda Lambda, in 1984s Revenge of the Nerds, and he appeared in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure as high school history teacher Mr. Ryan. And, of course, Casey starred as activist/action hero John Slade in Keenan Ivory Wayans' classic spoof I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988. 

He also appeared in the 1992 Steven Seagal hit Under Seige and alongside Ice Cube in 1994s cop drama The Glass Shield. Casey was also consistently on the small screen; with appearances in the mini-series Roots: The Next Generations and on popular television shows like Trapper John, M.D., Hunter and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

On Twitter, fans paid tribute to the late actor:

Watch the 1988 Trailer for I'm Gonna Git You Sucka:

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