Gil Gerard, star of Buck Rogers, died at 82 after a brief battle with aggressive cancer. Photo / Getty Images
Gil Gerard, star of Buck Rogers, died at 82 after a brief battle with aggressive cancer. Photo / Getty Images
Buck Rogers star Gil Gerard has died just days after being diagnosed with a “viciously aggressive” form of cancer.
The actor – who played the title role in TV show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and the 1979 film of the same name – died on Tuesday. Hewas 82. His wife, Janet, confirmed he had been fighting a “rare” cancer and he only received his diagnosis “days” before his death.
In a post on Facebook, Janet wrote: “Early this morning Gil - my soulmate - lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer.
“From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days.
“No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have ever been enough. Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely.”
Gerard was born in Arkansas in 1943 and began his career as an actor in New York City after landing a role as an extra on the set of 1970 film Love Story.
Gil Gerard and Connie Sellecca circa 1981 in New York City. Photo / Getty Images
He went on to appear in 1971’s Some of My Best Friends Are ... and Man on a Swing in 1974 before landing a regular role in soap opera The Doctors.
He played Dr Alan Stewart in 162 episodes of the daytime show between 1973 and 1976 as well as shooting parts in TV series Little House on the Prairie and Hawaii Five-O and films Hooch (1977) and Airport ’77 (1977) before landing his break-out role in the sci-fi show.
Gerard signed up for the part of Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers and filmed a feature-length pilot episode which was given a theatrical release in 1979.
The TV show ran for two series from 1979 until it was cancelled in 1981 but the 32 episodes cemented Gerard’s place in sci-fi history.
However, the actor previously admitted he wasn’t keen on the part at first.
Speaking on YouTube show GenXGrownUp in 2018, Gerard explained: “I saw what it did to Adam West‘s career with Batman, and this was another cartoon character. I didn’t want to do this campy stuff.”
Gil Gerard with Ernie Reyes jnr in a promotional photo for the ABC TV series 'Sidekicks'. Photo / Getty Images
After Buck Rogers, Gerard appeared in a number of TV movies including Not Just Another Affair, Hear No Evil and Johnny Blue, as well as a starring role in TV show Sidekicks, which ran for just one season from 1986 until 1987.
He also landed roles in Nightingales, E.A.R.T.H. Force and soap opera Days of Our Lives before later making an appearance in 2016 comedy movie The Nice Guys.
Gerard was married four times, including to actress Connie Sellecca – the mother of his son, Gib Gerard – between 1979 and 1987. Janet was his fourth wife. They were married for 18 years.
