Gil Gerard
|
Gil Gerard as Buck Rogers |
Gilbert Vincent Gerard, better known as
Gil Gerard (born
January 23,
1943) is an
American actor. Born in
Little Rock, Arkansas, he is most famous for his role as
Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the
1979-
1981 television series
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. He was married to
Connie Sellecca (
1979 -
1987) and they have a son, Gilbert "Gib" Vincent Gerard born in 1981. Gerard also has a daughter.
Gil Gerard did a good deal of acting in
high school (
Little Rock Catholic High School for Boys) while working for a
Kroger grocery store in his teens. He attended the
University of Central Arkansas but dropped out before graduation.
He landed a job as an industrial
chemist. Within a few years, he became regional manager of a large chemical company headed by governor
Winthrop Rockefeller. Gerard's employers said they would name him the firm's vice president if he went for his
master's degree, so he quit rather than tell everyone that he didn't have a college diploma.
He then went to
New York where he studied
drama by day and drove a
cab at night. Gerard picked up a fare who showed a lively interest in the problems of unknown, unemployed actors. Before he left the cab, he told Gil to report in a few days to the set of
Love Story, which was being filmed on location in New York. When Gerard arrived on the
Love Story set, he was hired as an extra. Later that day, he was singled out for a "bit" role, which eventually wound up on the cutting room floor, but he now had his first professional
credit.
During the next few years, he did most of his acting in television
commercials, some four hundred of them, including a stint as spokesman for the
Ford Motor Company. Then came a leading role in the daytime TV series,
The Doctors. Gerard formed his own production company in partnership with a writer-producer, co-authored a screenplay called
Hooch and filmed it as a starring vehicle for himself. With
Hooch completed, he was summoned to
California to co-star with
Yvette Mimieux in
Ransom for Alice! and to play
Lee Grant's youthful lover in Universal's
Airport '77. A guest shot in
Little House on the Prairie impressed producer-star
Michael Landon, who cast him in the leading role in an ambitious
TV movie of the week,
Killing Stone. Perhaps Gerard's best known role was that of Captain
Buck Rogers in the television series,
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century which ran from
1979 through
1981. After this, he was featured in a number of other TV shows and movies, including starring roles in the series
Sidekicks and
E.A.R.T.H. Force.
Gerard is an avid golfer, and has played in several celebrity golf tournaments. He is an active supporter of the
Special Olympics, and takes part in other children's causes. He continues to produce, acting only occasionally.
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