Submission + - Gil Gerard, Star of TV Series 'Buck Rogers,' Dead at 82 (nytimes.com)
joshuark writes: Actor Gil Gerard is dead at eighty-two. He was best known for playing the title character in “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” which ran on NBC from 1979 to 1981. His death, from cancer, was announced in a social media post by his wife, Janet Gerard. Mr. Gerard was approached in the late 1970s to play the role of William “Buck” Rogers, which was based on a character in a comic strip that began running in newspapers in 1929 and that was later adapted for radio and film. At first, he wasn’t interested.
After turning down the part twice, his agent asked him to at least read the script before he passed on the project.
“So I read it, and I said, ‘Well, yeah, I like the character,’” he said. “Got a good sense of humor. It’s kind of fun.” Mr. Gerard signed onto the project, a film that would later become the pilot for “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” which ran on NBC for two seasons, from 1979 to 1981. “I thought the character had a sense of reality about him,” Mr. Gerard said in 2017. “He wasn’t a stiff kind of a guy. He was a guy who could solve problems on his feet, and he wasn’t a superhero.”
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Gib, whom he had with his first wife, the actor Connie Sellecca.
When announcing his death, Ms. Gerard also posted a note that Mr. Gerard had recently written on social media.
“If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to,” it read. “My life has been an amazing journey. 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.”
“Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love,” he added. “See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
After turning down the part twice, his agent asked him to at least read the script before he passed on the project.
“So I read it, and I said, ‘Well, yeah, I like the character,’” he said. “Got a good sense of humor. It’s kind of fun.” Mr. Gerard signed onto the project, a film that would later become the pilot for “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” which ran on NBC for two seasons, from 1979 to 1981. “I thought the character had a sense of reality about him,” Mr. Gerard said in 2017. “He wasn’t a stiff kind of a guy. He was a guy who could solve problems on his feet, and he wasn’t a superhero.”
In addition to his wife, he is survived by his son, Gib, whom he had with his first wife, the actor Connie Sellecca.
When announcing his death, Ms. Gerard also posted a note that Mr. Gerard had recently written on social media.
“If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to,” it read. “My life has been an amazing journey. 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.”
“Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love,” he added. “See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
