Remembering Clarence Gilyard!

Hello everyone. This week I’m taking a look back at the life of Clarence Gilyard Jr. Born Dec 24, 1955 in Moses Lake, WA. Gilyard Sr was an Air Force Officer, so they moved around some while he was growing up, but he ended up in Long Beach, CA as a young adult and ended up getting his masters in fine arts from SMU in 2003, but already had a long list of tv and movies he had been in.

Gilyard started acting on tv in the early eighties. He played minor parts on shows such as Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of life, and Making the Grade. Gilyard had main rolls such as Officer Benjamin Webster in one of my all time favorite shows CHiPs, Conrad McMasters in Matlock, and James Trivette in Walker Texas Ranger. Gilyard also was in a fair share of box office hits including pilot Sundown in one of my all time favorite movies Top Gun, Theo in Diehard, and Bruce Barnes in Left Behind.

Gilyard had his hands in many rolls and was still working right up till his death. Gilyard was loved by the Hollywood community and will be missed dearly. His mark will be left on the world with his many performances. RIP Mr. Gilyard.