2 years ago
63
- Clarence Gilyard Jr. was an actor, author, and assemblage professor.
- He starred successful the archetypal ‘Top Gun’ movie.
- He died astatine the property of 66.
Actor Clarence Gilyard Jr. passed distant astatine the property of 66. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, wherever Clarence was a professor, confirmed his decease successful a connection connected November 28, according to Variety. “Professor Gilyard was a beacon of airy and spot for everyone astir him,” said UNLV movie chair Heather Addison. “Whenever we asked him however helium was, helium would cheerfully state that helium was ‘Blessed!’ But we are genuinely the ones who were blessed to beryllium his colleagues and students for truthful galore years. We emotion you and volition miss you dearly, Professor G!”
Clarence is champion cognize for starring successful the original Top Gun movie with Tom Cruise. He besides appeared successful respective fashionable TV shows including Walker, Texas Ranger. To larn much astir Clarence, support speechmaking below!
Clarence Gilyard Jr. (Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection)Clarence is from a subject family.
Clarence was calved into a subject household successful Washington state. His father Clarence Gilyard Sr. was a U.S. Air Force officer. Clarence grew up on Air Force bases successful Hawaii, Texas, and Florida, earlier helium moved to San Bernardino, California wherever helium went to precocious school.
His archetypal movie was ‘Top Gun’.
Clarence played Lieutenant Junior Grade Marcus ‘Sundown’ Williams successful 1986’s Top Gun. The movie starred Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer, and Anthony Edwards. Clarence did not look successful the 2022 sequel film, Top Gun: Maverick, which became the highest-grossing movie of the twelvemonth with implicit $1.4 cardinal worldwide.
Clarence’s different astir notable movie relation is Bruce Willis‘ Die Hard, wherever helium played the violent machine whiz Theo. On television, Clarence played Ranger James Trivette successful the enactment transgression series Walker, Texas Ranger. He besides starred successful the ineligible play series Matlock as Conrad McMasters.
Clarence Gilyard Jr. successful ‘Die Hard’ (Photo: 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock)He was a assemblage professor.
Clarence was a movie and theatre prof astatine UNLV College of Fine Arts earlier his death. He joined the theatre section backmost successful 2006. According to his biography astatine the university, Clarence took a professional sabbatical and earned his masters of good arts (MFA) successful theatre show from Southern Methodist University successful 2003, earlier helium started teaching.
He was an author.
Clarence authored 10 books successful his lifetime. His archetypal book, The Dance of the Star, was released successful 1990. His last book, Red Lights, came retired successful 2011.
He had six children.
Clarence was the arrogant dada of six children from 2 marriages. He got divorced from his archetypal wife, Catherine Dutch. He joined his 2nd wife, Elena, successful 2001 and they were inactive unneurotic astatine the clip of his passing. Clarence spoke astir his committedness to his household successful an interview with Las Vegas Review-Journal successful November 2017.
“I met my wife, got married, past we had kids, and my archetypal 2 children didn’t person me,” Clarence said. “I was retired acting each the clip — 15 consecutive years connected web television. But the committedness to my household and my woman is paramount. I knew if I didn’t enactment connected the matrimony that it wouldn’t work.”
English (US) ·