Buck Rogers actor Gil Gerard passed away at the age of 82

Actor Gil Gerard, best known as the charismatic lead in the popular early 1980s sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, has passed away at the age of 82.Gil Gerard passed away after a battle with cancer in a hospice, with his wife Janet Gerard by his side. She announced the news via social media and later shared a personal message that Gerard himself had written and intended to be made public after his passing.

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Gil Gerard in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century

In that farewell message, Gerard looked back on his life with gratitude. He described his existence as an “incredible journey,” filled with special opportunities, valuable encounters, and much love given and received. He emphasized that his 82 years on earth deeply fulfilled him and urged others not to waste their time on things that do not bring joy or love. He concluded his message with a characteristic, cosmic salutation, fitting for his most famous role.

Gerard gained international fame as Captain William 'Buck' Rogers in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, a series that aired for two seasons on NBC and was produced by Glen A. Larson.

The series cleverly capitalized on the popularity of Star Wars in the late seventies but distinguished itself with a lighter tone filled with humor and camp. A notable element was the robot Twiki, with his jive-like way of speaking, voiced by the legendary Mel Blanc.

Buck Rogers was accompanied by Colonel Wilma Deering, played by Erin Gray, and the mysterious alien Hawk, portrayed by Thom Christopher. The series originated from a television film of the same title, which was also released in theaters and achieved reasonable success there; this film later served as the pilot episode.

After Buck Rogers, Gerard continued to work steadily in television and film. He mostly appeared in guest roles in series like Hawaii Five-O (1968), Baretta, and Little House on the Prairie; and appeared in various independent films. In later years, he made an impression with his role as Bergen Paulsen in the film The Nice Guys, where he starred alongside Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.

Even before his breakthrough as Buck Rogers, Gerard was a familiar face on American television. He portrayed Dr. Alan Stewart in more than 300 episodes of the NBC soap The Doctors, laying a solid foundation for his long acting career.

With his passing, the television world loses an actor who remains inextricably linked to an iconic science fiction era for many viewers and will be remembered by fans as a charming hero with a lasting place in pop culture.