Clarence Gilyard facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clarence Gilyard
Gilyard in 2018
Born	Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. (1955-12-24)December 24, 1955 Moses Lake, Washington, U.S.
Died	November 28, 2022(2022-11-28) (aged 66) Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Other names	Clarence Alfred Gilyard, Jr.
Education	California State University, Dominguez Hills (BA) Southern Methodist University (MFA)
Occupation	University professor, actor, author
Years active	1980–2022
Spouse(s)	Catherine Dutko ​ (divorced)​ Elena Castillo ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	6

Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. (born December 24, 1955 – died November 28, 2022) was an American university professor, actor, and writer. He was known for his roles in movies, TV shows, and plays.

Gilyard became famous for playing important characters. He was the private investigator Conrad McMasters on the TV show Matlock from 1989 to 1993. He also played James "Jimmy" Trivette, the Texas Ranger partner of Chuck Norris, in the 1990s TV series Walker, Texas Ranger. In movies, he was Theo, the computer expert in Die Hard, and Lieutenant Evan "Sundown" Gough in Top Gun. He also appeared as Pastor Bruce Barnes in the first two Left Behind movies.

Early Life and Education

Clarence Gilyard was born on Christmas Eve in 1955, in Moses Lake, Washington. His father was an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Clarence was the second of six children. His family came from New Orleans, Louisiana, but he grew up on Air Force bases in places like Hawaii, Texas, and Florida.

During his teenage years, Gilyard lived in Rialto, California. He went to Eisenhower High School and graduated in 1974. After high school, he spent a year as a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy. He then attended Sterling College, where he played football and received a tennis scholarship. However, he left college before finishing his studies.

Gilyard later moved to Long Beach, California, and studied acting at California State University, Long Beach. While studying, he worked as a waiter. He earned his bachelor's degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills. In 2003, Gilyard went back to school and earned a master's degree in theatre performance from Southern Methodist University.

Career in Acting and Teaching

Becoming an Actor

In 1979, Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to start his acting career. He appeared in a play called Bleacher Bums. He then began getting roles on TV shows. He made guest appearances on popular shows like Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, and Simon & Simon. From 1982 to 1983, Gilyard played Officer Benjamin Webster in the TV series CHiPs. He also co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 1984 sitcom The Duck Factory.

Gilyard made his movie debut in 1986 in Top Gun, playing a radar officer named Marcus "Sundown" Williams. He also had a role in The Karate Kid Part II that same year. In 1988, he appeared in the action movie Die Hard as Theo, a computer expert working with criminals. He later played Reverend Bruce Barnes in the movies Left Behind: The Movie and Left Behind II: Tribulation Force.

From 1989 to 1993, Gilyard played Conrad McMasters, a private investigator, on the TV show Matlock, alongside Andy Griffith. He appeared in almost every episode starting from the third season.

In 1993, he started another long-running role on Walker, Texas Ranger. He played James "Jimmy" Trivette, a fellow Texas Ranger and best friend to Chuck Norris's character. Gilyard also made a brief appearance in the 2005 TV movie, Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.

After taking a break to teach, Gilyard returned to acting in 2012, mostly in independent films. In 2014, he appeared in the religious movie A Matter of Faith. In 2016, he performed on stage in the play Driving Miss Daisy with his former Walker, Texas Ranger co-star, Sheree J. Wilson.

In 2018, Gilyard played a high school coach in the "Longshot" section of the football video game Madden NFL. Two years later, he returned as his Die Hard character, Theo, in a commercial for car batteries, alongside Bruce Willis.

University Professor

In 2006, Clarence Gilyard took a break from acting to become a professor. He taught stage and screen acting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He continued to teach there for many years. After he passed away, the head of the film department at the university said that Professor Gilyard was a "beacon of light and strength" for everyone at UNLV.

Personal Life and Death

Clarence Gilyard was married twice and had six children. He married Catherine Dutko in 1989, and they later divorced. In 2001, he married his second wife, Elena Castillo.

Clarence Gilyard passed away at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 28, 2022, at the age of 66, after a long illness.

Filmography

Film

Television

See also

In Spanish: Clarence Gilyard para niños