Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr.[1](December 24, 1955 – November 23, 2022[2]) was an American actor. He was best known to television audiences for his roles as private investigatorConrad McMasterson thelegaldramaseriesMatlock(1986–95) andTexas RangerJimmy Trivette onWalker, Texas Ranger(1993–2001).
Clarence Gilyard | |
|---|---|
 Gilyard in 2018 | |
| Born | Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. December 24, 1955 |
| Died | November 23, 2022(aged 66) Las Vegas, Nevada,U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park,Los Angeles,California, U.S. |
| Other names | Clarence Alfred Gilyard, Jr. |
| Education | California State University, Dominguez Hills(BA) Southern Methodist University(MFA) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1980–2022 |
| Spouses | Catherine Dutko (divorced)Elena Castillo (m.2001) |
| Children | 6 |
Gilyard was also known for his supporting roles in the 1980s action filmsTop Gun,asRadar Intercept Officer"Sundown", andDie Hard,as terrorist computer expert Theo.
Gilyard was an associate professor of acting at theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegasfrom 2006 until his death in 2022.
Early life and education
editGilyard was born into a military family inMoses Lake, Washington,onChristmas Eve,in 1955,[1]the son of Barbara and Clarence Alfred Gilyard Sr., aU.S. Air Forceofficer. Gilyard was the second of six children.[1]His family was originally fromNew Orleans, Louisiana,but Gilyard grew up on Air Force bases in Hawaii, Texas, and Florida. Raised primarily as aLutheran,he becameCatholicin the 1990s.[1][3][4]
During his young adulthood, Gilyard lived in theSan Bernardinosuburb ofRialto, California,and attendedEisenhower High School.He was an excellent student, graduating in 1974, and afterward spent a year as anAir Force Academycadet before leaving the service to attendSterling College.[5]In college, he played football, and became a member of theSigma Chifraternity. He also received a tennis scholarship, but dropped out of school before completing his studies.
While living with his parents during his college years, Gilyard was preoccupied with women, alcohol, and occasionally, drugs.[1]His parents urged him to move out, so he relocated toLong Beach, California,with a friend. He attendedCalifornia State University, Long Beach,majoring in acting, and worked as a waiter while seeking acting opportunities. He completed his bachelor's degree atCalifornia State University, Dominguez Hills.[6][7]
Gilyard worked with a housemate at a clothing store, where he was promoted to manager. He left this to work briefly selling industrial chemicals.[1]In 2003, Gilyard returned to school, receiving aMaster of Fine Artsin theatre performance atSouthern Methodist University.
Career
editActor
editIn 1979, Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. Among other work, a role in the playBleacher Bumsmade him what one magazine called "the first black actor to play a cheerleader",[1]before he segued into television roles. As acharacter actor,Gilyard made guest appearances on TV shows such asDiff'rent Strokes,The Facts of Life,227,Simon & Simon,andRiptide.In 1982–1983, Gilyard was cast in the final season of theNBCTV seriesCHiPsas Officer Benjamin Webster, oppositeErik Estrada.He co-starred withJim Carreyin the 1984 NBC sitcomThe Duck Factory.He appeared in a commercial forMcDonald'sin 1987.[citation needed]
Gilyard's movie debut in 1986 was as anF-14 Tomcatradar intercept officer, LT. (JG) Marcus "Sundown" Williams, inTop Gun.He was also a military man in the 1986 filmThe Karate Kid Part II.He appeared in the 1988 action filmDie Hardas Theo, a criminal computer expert. He also appeared as Reverend Bruce Barnes inLeft Behind: The Movieand its sequel,Left Behind II: Tribulation Force.
Gilyard played the role of Ben Matlock's private investigator, Conrad McMasters, onMatlockopposite Andy Griffith from 1989 to 1993. He replacedKene Holliday,who was fired for his dependency on drugs and alcohol. Gilyard appeared in almost everyMatlockepisode starting in season 3 of the show. When the show moved fromNBCtoABCfor the series' seventh season, production moved from Los Angeles toWilmington, North Carolina.Andy Griffith suggested to Gilyard that he move there, too, which he did, before departing to work on apilotfor another series atCBSthe following year.
In 1993, he began another long-time co-starring role opposite Chuck Norris onWalker, Texas Ranger.Gilyard portrayed fellowTexas Rangerand best friend of Walker, James "Jimmy" Trivette. Gilyard had acameo appearancein the 2005television movie,Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.
In 2012, after taking time off to teach, Gilyard began appearing onscreen again, mostly in independent projects. In 2014, he appeared in the religious filmA Matter of Faith.
On January 17, 2016, Gilyard performed the role of Hoak Colburn onstage at theUniversity of New Mexico's Popejoy Hall in the Neil Simon Festival'sDriving Miss Daisy,opposite his formerWalker, Texas Rangerco-star,Sheree J. Wilson.[8]
In the 2018 edition of the football video gameMadden NFL,Gilyard plays high school coach Devin Wade in the "Longshot" section of the game. Two years later, Gilyard reprised his role as criminal gang member Theo fromDie Hard,alongside star Bruce Willis, in a commercial forAdvance Auto Parts'DieHardbrand of car batteries.[9]
Associate professor
editIn 2006, Gilyard took a break from acting and became an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts – Department of Theatre at theUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas,where he taught stage and screen acting.[10][6]He continued to teach for many years. Following his death, the school's film chair said "Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around at UNLV".[10]
Personal life and death
editGilyard was married twice and had six children. His first marriage, to Catherine Dutko in 1989,[11]ended in divorce, and he married his second wife, Elena Castillo, in 2001.[1][12]He served as the consultant of the communications committee of theUnited States Conference of Catholic Bishops.[1][13]
After a long illness, Gilyard died at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 23, 2022, at the age of 66.[14][15]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Top Gun | Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus "Sundown" Williams | |
| The Karate Kid Part II | G.I. #1 | ||
| 1987 | Off the Mark | James B. White | |
| 1988 | Die Hard | Theo | |
| 2000 | Left Behind: The Movie | Bruce Barnes | |
| 2002 | Left Behind II: Tribulation Force | ||
| 2012 | Little Monsters | Ben Foreman | |
| 2013 | From Above | Jeremiah Ward | |
| 2014 | A Matter of Faith | Professor Portland | |
| 2015 | The Track | Psychiatrist | |
| 2016 | The Beast | Auguste Porter | |
| The Sector | Reverend Raines | ||
| 2019 | The Perfect Race | Coach Michaels | |
| 2021 | Legacy of a Spy | Bill Pope | Short, (final film role) |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Diff'rent Strokes | Frank Simpson / The Student | 2 episodes |
| 1982 | Making the Grade | Unknown | Episode:Teach Me Tonight |
| 1982–83 | CHiPs | Officer Benjamin Webster | 20 episodes |
| 1983 | The Kid with the 200 I.Q. | Unknown | TV movie |
| 1984 | Things Are Looking Up | Clement McCallister | |
| The Duck Factory | Roland Culp | 13 episodes | |
| Riptide | William Collins | Episode:It's a Vial Sort of Business | |
| 1985 | Solomon's Universe | Casey | TV movie |
| 1986 | Simon & Simon | Wally Stokes | Episode:A.W.O.L. |
| 1987 | 227 | Harold Bailey | Episode:Matchmakers |
| The Facts of Life | Matt | Episode:The More the Marrier | |
| 1989 | L.A. Takedown | Mustafa Jackson | TV movie |
| 1989–93 | Matlock | Conrad McMasters | Main cast |
| 1990 | The Great Los Angeles Earthquake | Roy Bryant | TV movie |
| 1993–2001 | Walker, Texas Ranger | Ranger James Trivette | Main cast |
| 1994 | Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion | TV movie | |
| 1999 | Sons of Thunder | Episode:Flighting Back | |
| 2005 | Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire | TV movie | |
| 2018 | Christmas on the Coast | Fletcher Reese | |
| 2020 | Eleanor's Bench | Reginald |
References
edit- ^abcdefghiFeister, John (April 2009)."The Eucharistic Faith of Actor Clarence Gilyard".St. Anthony Messenger.Archived fromthe originalon July 21, 2012.
- ^"Clarence Gilyard".Find a Grave.RetrievedJanuary 10,2025.
- ^"Clarence Gilyard Jr. (Junior)".TV.Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2008.
- ^Pattison, Mark (June 10, 2005)."Actor Gilyard finds Catholicism is role for a lifetime".The Tidings.Archived fromthe originalon April 10, 2011.RetrievedOctober 7,2010.
- ^"Clarence Gilyard Biography – Yahoo! Movies".
- ^ab"Clarence Gilyard, M.F.A."University of Nevada, Las Vegas.April 20, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2020.RetrievedOctober 19,2020.
- ^"Clarence Gilyard: Professor, Stage & Screen Acting/ Film".University of Nevada, Las Vegas. September 19, 2012.Archivedfrom the original on October 19, 2020.RetrievedOctober 19,2020.
- ^"The Neil Simon Festival's Driving Miss Daisy".Popejoy Hall, The University of New Mexico: Popejoy Presents. Archived fromthe originalon March 4, 2016.
- ^Ramos, Dino-Ray (October 18, 2020)."Bruce Willis Reprises His Role As John McClane In Commercial For Die Hard...Car Batteries".Deadline Hollywood.RetrievedOctober 19,2020.
- ^ab"Clarence Gilyard, 'Die Hard' and 'Matlock' actor, dies at 66".AP NEWS.November 29, 2022.RetrievedNovember 30,2022.
- ^"Erratum".Palm Desert, California: Palm Desert Post. March 28, 1990. p. 84.RetrievedDecember 1,2022.
- ^Murphy, J. Kim (November 29, 2022)."Clarence Gilyard Jr., 'Walker, Texas Ranger' and 'Die Hard' Star, Dies at 66".Variety.RetrievedNovember 29,2022.
- ^"Texas Marriages, 1966-2010," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VY9B-HWJ:December 6, 2014), Clarence A Gilyard and Helen Castillo, August 25, 2001; citing Dallas, Texas, United States, certificate number 135708, Vital Statistics Unit, Texas Department of State Health Services, Austin.
- ^Katsilometes, John (November 28, 2022)."'Die Hard' actor, UNLV professor Clarence Gilyard dies ".Las Vegas Review-Journal.RetrievedNovember 28,2022.
- ^"Clarence Gilyard obituary".The Times.December 2, 2022.RetrievedDecember 3,2022.