Gil Gerard (1943–2025)

Actor/producer Gil Gerard was best known for his role as Buck Rogers in the 1979 movie Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century and the spin-off television series that followed. He was raised in Little Rock (Pulaski County) and attended Arkansas State Teachers College (now the University of Central Arkansas in Conway in Faulkner County), where he pursued a career in chemistry.

Gil Gerard was born Gilbert Cyril Gerard on January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, the youngest of three sons, and graduated from Catholic High School for Boys. He gave up a promising business career as an industrial chemist to pursue his dream of acting, leaving at the age of twenty-six for New York, where he attended the American Music and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) for two semesters. To make ends meet while studying, he got a job driving a cab at night. Gerard appeared on stage in plays such as Stalag 17 and Oklahoma, and while he was driving his cab, a passenger suggested that he audition as an extra for the film Love Story (1970), in which he made a brief appearance in a scene in the background behind Ryan O’Neal.

Gerard went on to appear in more than 400 commercials over a period of six years and, in 1974, starred as Dr. Allen Stewart in the daytime soap opera The Doctors. He played the role two years before moving to Hollywood. It was around this time that Gerard formed his own production company, Prudhomme Productions. He then went on to produce and star in his first film, Hooch (1976). He soon landed guest-starring roles in an episode of Little House on the Prairie called “The Handyman,” an episode of Hawaii Five-0 called “The Ninth Step,” and an episode of Baretta called “Dear Tony.” He also starred in TV movies Ransom for Alice (1977) and Killing Stone (1978). Then, in 1979, he landed the leading role in the movie and TV series Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century, although he only accepted the role after turning it down twice, feeling it “campy.”

After the cancellation of Buck Rogers in 1981, Gerard went on to star in TV movies such as Not Just Another Affair (1982) and Stormin’ Home (1985), as well as the TV series Sidekicks (1986) and E.A.R.T.H. Force (1990); he was also the host of the reality show Code 3 (1993–1994). In 1983, he produced the musical The Amen Corner, which opened in the Nederlander Theater in New York. However, the cancellation of Buck Rogers was personally stressful for Gerard, who subsequently developed an addiction to cocaine and, later, struggled with overeating.

Gerard was involved in many charities over the years. He was on the board for the national Make-a-Wish Foundation and on the celebrity advisory board for the Childhood Leukemia Foundation. He was also active with the Special Olympics for many years. In about 1997, he began attending science fiction conventions, meeting fans in the United States and internationally.

In 2007, Gerard appeared on the show Action Hero Makeover on the Discovery Health Channel, which documented his year-long progress after undergoing life-saving mini-gastric bypass surgery in 2005.

Gerard was inducted into the Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame in 2007.

Gerard had a starring role in TV movies Beyond (2006) and Reptisaurus (2009), and appeared in TV movies Nuclear Hurricane (2007), Bone Eater (2007), Ghost Turn (2009), and The Lost Valentine (2011). He also starred in the film Blood Fare (2012). In 2013, he was a guest star on the TV series Star Trek New Voyages: Phase II. He later appeared in an episode of the television series Drop Dead Diva in 2014, voiced the character of Megatronus for three episodes of Transformers: Robots in Disguise, and had a small role in the 2016 Shane Black movie, The Nice Guys. His last credited appearance was in the 2019 movie Space Captain and Callista.

Gerard died on December 16, 2025, shortly after being diagnosed with cancer. He was survived by his fourth wife, Janet, and his son, Gib, whom he had with his first wife, Connie Selleca.

For additional information:
Gil Gerard. http://gilgerard.com/ (accessed December 17, 2025).

“Gil Gerard.” Internet Movie Database. http://imdb.com/name/nm0001266/ (accessed December 17, 2025).

“Gil Gerard 2018 Interview – Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.” GenXGrownUp. YouTube, October 2, 2028. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DDLUN_FYPE (accessed December 17, 2025).

Trammel, Jimmie. “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Tulsa-Bound Gil Gerard Talks about His Career–And Broken Bow.” Tulsa World, October 7, 2017. https://tulsaworld.com/life-entertainment/buck-rogers-in-21st-century-tulsa-bound-gil-gerard-talks-about-career—/article_10d1d46f-9990-54d5-af49-2cfc5c86a603.html (accessed December 17, 2025).

Wolfe, Jonathan. “Gil Gerard, Star of ‘Buck Rogers,’ Dies at 82.” New York Times, December 17, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/17/arts/gil-gerard-buck-rogers-dead.html (accessed December 17, 2025).