Gil Gerard, best known for starring in “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died. He was 82.
Gerard’s manager, Tina Presley Borek, confirmed the Hollywood actor’s death to Fox News Digital.
He died Tuesday in hospice care as a result of a rare, aggressive form of cancer, according to the Associated Press.
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Following his death, Gerard’s wife, Janet, shared a message he left behind for fans on Facebook, offering a final reflection on his life and outlook.
“Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos,” the note read.
In another message written before his death, Gerard reflected on his life and career.
“My life has been an amazing journey,” he wrote. “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.”
His death marks the passing of one of late 1970s television’s most recognizable sci-fi leads.
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Gerard played William “Buck” Rogers from 1979 to 1981, helping turn the character into a prime-time favorite.
The series, which ran for two seasons, followed a 20th-century NASA pilot who awakens 500 years in the future after being trapped in frozen animation when his spacecraft is struck by a meteor storm.
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The role came at a moment when space adventures were popular among audiences, in the wake of “Star Wars,” and Gerard’s charismatic, clean-cut presence made him an instant TV star. Alongside him were Erin Gray as Wilma Deering and the wisecracking robot Twiki, as Rogers navigated a domed, futuristic Earth filled with alien threats and the menacing Draconians.
The series was based on Philip Francis Nowlan’s 1928 book “Armageddon 2419 A.D.” The character, originally named Anthony Rogers, later became known as Buck Rogers as the story evolved through comic strips, radio, film serials and television adaptations.
Gerard, a Little Rock, Arkansas, native, worked steadily in television commercials before landing his breakout role. He went on to appear in numerous TV shows and movies, including starring roles in the 1982’s “Hear No Evil” and the series “Sidekicks” in 1986.
In 1992, he hosted the reality series “Code 3,” which followed firefighters responding to emergency calls across the country. Throughout the 1990s, he made frequent guest appearances on television, including a role on “Days of Our Lives.”
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Gerard later reunited with Gray for the 2007 TV film “Nuclear Hurricane,” and the two returned once more to the Buck Rogers universe in 2009, portraying Rogers’ parents in the pilot episode of James Cawley’s internet series “Buck Rogers Begins.”
Gerard was married and divorced four times before marrying Janet. He had one son, actor Gilbert Vincent Gerard, with model and actress Connie Sellecca. Their divorce included a contentious custody battle over their son, born in 1981, with Sellecca ultimately granted main custody.
In his final message shared publicly, Gerard summed up his life with gratitude and grace.
“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,” he wrote. “It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
