Gil Gerard, the actor forever linked with the sci-fi hero Buck Rogers, has died at the age of 82.
Gerard passed away Tuesday while in hospice care in Georgia. His wife, Janet Gerard, confirmed the news in a social media post, saying the cause of death was cancer.
He was best known for playing the title role in “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” the campy science-fiction series that aired on NBC from 1979 to 1981 and made him a familiar face to TV audiences around the world.
Born Gilbert Cyril Gerard on Jan. 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas, Gerard attended the University of Central Arkansas. While there, he sang in a vocal group and acted in — and directed — stage productions.
Before finding fame, Gerard followed a very different path. He worked as an industrial chemist in Arkansas, conducting studies in the petroleum industry. But the job didn’t satisfy him.
“But I was just kind of bored,” he told the Tulsa World in 2017. “This is OK, but this is not something I want to be doing when I’m 70.”
In the late 1960s, he quit his job and moved to New York City. He drove a taxi overnight, often working 12-hour shifts, while attending acting school during the day.
Gerard first broke into show business as a model and commercial actor, appearing in more than 400 TV commercials by his own count. He later landed roles on soap operas such as “The Doctors,” where he appeared in around 300 episodes, and films including “Airport ’77,” where he played a romantic lead.
“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” began as a made-for-TV movie in 1979 that briefly played in theaters and served as the pilot for the series, according to Deadline. The show followed an astronaut who awakens after 500 years in suspended animation and ran for two seasons, riding the wave of space-travel popularity sparked by “Star Wars.”
After his death, Gerard’s wife shared a farewell message he had written for fans.
“My life has been an amazing journey,” he wrote. “The opportunities I’ve had, the people I’ve met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying.”
He reflected on his journey from Arkansas to New York, then Los Angeles, and finally North Georgia, where he lived with Janet, his wife of 18 years.
“It’s been a great ride,” he wrote, “but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has.”
Gerard ended with a piece of simple advice: “Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
According to IMDb, his final starring role came in the 2019 film “Space Captain and Callista.”
