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Gil Gerard, the actor who starred as a comic-book hero on TV’s “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died at 82.
The actor’s wife Janet shared on Facebook Tuesday, “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,” she revealed. “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.”
Unusually, Gerard left a dying message for his fans that he asked his wife to post. It reads, “If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to. 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.”
He went on, “Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
What would become his biggest splash, “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” was initially a pilot for NBC, but execs instead released it theatrically. It scored at the box office, leading to a greenlight for what became a very expensive series — $800,000 per episode.
The 1979-1981 show was a mix of sci-fi situations, special effects, and disco-era camp. Gerard, stepping into the role made famous by Buster Crabbe in the ’30s, objected, pushing for meatier plots.
By Season 2, the episodes tackled issues like nuclear proliferation, attempting to be more “Star Trek” in nature, but its big budget, an actors’ strike, and its critical rejection — along with its own star’s skepticism — led to a cancellation.
Gerard was born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas He became an in-demand commercial actor once he moved to NYC in the ’70s, making his film debut in the gay-themed cult classic “Some of My Best Friends Are…” in 1971.
His big break on TV was a long run on the soap “The Doctors,” and he was also a frequent guest star on shows including “Little House on the Prairie” (1977) and “Hawaii Five-O” (1977).
His most important film role was as the young lover of a lonely, middle-aged wife in the disaster epic “Airport ’77” opposite Lee Grant.
Along with his work on “Buck Rogers,” he was for a spell a made-for-TV-movie king, and did another series called “Sidekicks” (1986-1987) with Nancy Stafford.
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In 2007, Gerard and his “Buck Rogers” co-star Erin Gray reunited in the TV movie “Nuclear Hurricane,” and they played husband and wife on the 2009 Web series “Buck Rogers Begins.”
His last feature was “Space Captain and Callista” in 2019.
Married five times, including to TV star Connie Sellecca, Gerard is survived by his wife Janet and by his son with Sellecca, Gib Gerard.
