Gil Gerard, actor who played Buck Rogers, dies at 82

Gil Gerard, the actor best known for playing Buck Rogers in the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century movie and TV series, has died. 

He was 82.

Gil Gerard’s death

Gerard died Tuesday of "a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer," his wife, Janet, confirmed in a Facebook post.

What they're saying:

"Early this morning Gil - my soulmate - lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer," his wife Janet said. "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 [n]ever been enough.  Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely."

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Gerard left his own message about his life and death on his Facebook page, posted by his wife on his behalf: 

"If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to," he said. "My life has been an amazing journey. 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.

My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has. 

Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos."

Gil Gerard’s career

The backstory:

Gerard was best known for his role as Buck Rogers in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, a sci-fi movie and subsequent TV series that first aired in 1979.

Gerard said in a 2018 interview that he was apprehensive at first about taking the role.

"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," he said in the interview. 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gerard grew up in Arkansas and moved to New York to study acting in 1969. While working as a cab driver, one of his passengers helped Gerard audition for "Love Story." He played an extra in the movie, but his small part was cut from the final product. 

Gerard then appeared in hundreds of commercials before he started landing more TV and movie roles. He produced the movie Hooch at his own production company, later conceding that the film was a rip-off of Smokey and the Bandit. 

Gerard played a doctor on the NBC soap opera The Doctors from 1973-1976.

In 1977, he appeared on an episode of Little House on the Prairie, which prompted Michael Landon to hire Gerard as the star of Stone, a TV series Landon produced but was never picked up. 

In 2007, Gerard appeared on a Discovery Health Channel documentary called Action Hero Makeover, which chronicled his gastric bypass weight loss surgery after his weight had reached 350 pounds. He told People magazine in 1990 that his overeating cost him $1 million in acting work. 

Gerard was a longtime friend of former President Bill Clinton and was married four times. Survivors include his wife Janet and his son Gib, whom he shared with actress Connie Selleca.