At the age of 66, actor Clarence Gilyard dies. He was best known for his roles as naval flight commander Marcus “Sundown” Williams in “Top Gun” and computer hacker Theo in “Die Hard.”
He had been an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), which released a statement on his passing on Monday.
In a statement on Instagram, Dean Nancy Uscher said, “It is with tremendous sadness that I deliver this news.” “All those who knew him and his students found great inspiration in him. He was very well known in the institution for his numerous remarkable qualities, dedication to teaching, and career achievements.
Clarence Gilyard was remembered by Heather Addison, the UNLV film department head, as a “beacon of light and strength for everyone around him at UNLV.”
She said, “Whenever we inquired about his wellbeing, he would enthusiastically exclaim, ‘Blessed!’ But we are the ones who were fortunate to work with him and learn from him for such a long time. Professor G, you are very loved and missed!
His death’s circumstances have not been made public in any greater detail.
Clarence Gilyard reportedly started acting after pursuing a degree in theatre arts at California State University, according to UNLV. In 1981, he was cast in his first television appearance on “Diff’rent Strokes.”
In “Top Gun,” released in 1986, Clarence Gilyard made his acting debut as Sundown, one of the top jet pilots.
He was cast in the action movie “Die Hard” two years later as Theo, the computer expert who aids Hans Gruber’s terrorist organization.
He acquired the role of Conrad McMasters on the NBC courtroom drama “Matlock,” starring opposite Andy Griffith, and it gave him his big break in primetime television. Later, he played Jimmy Trivette, Chuck Norris’ companion in crime-fighting, on “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
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Along with “The Karate Kid Part II,” “CHiPS,” and the “Left Behind” movies, Clarence Gilyard has acted in them as well.
Despite having a successful playing career, Clarence Gilyard gave up performing in 2006 to begin teaching at UNLV and directing plays at the school’s Nevada Conservatory Theatre.
“I was born to teach. I’m a professional, yet my career must support my studies in the classroom. I’m aware of people’s lives in the 21st century. Therefore that inspires my characters,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2017.
“When I’m in a fertile environment, I work as an artist at my best. That denotes originality and imagination. Although I don’t understand what they’re saying, being among all those millennials drains their energy.
However, he did appear briefly again in 2021 when he reteamed with De’voreaux White, and Bruce Willis for a “Die Hard” battery commercial.