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Gil Gerard

Known For
Acting

Known Credits
47

Gender
Male

Birthday
January 23, 1943 (83 years old)

Place of Birth
Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

Gil Gerard

Biography

Gilbert C. Gerard (January 23, 1943 – December 16, 2025) was an American actor, known for his role as Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–81 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Gerard was employed as an industrial chemist, and within a few years he became regional manager of the chemical company headed by governor Winthrop Rockefeller. Gerard's employers said they would appoint him as vice president if he undertook a master's degree, so he resigned rather than explain that he did not have a bachelor's degree.

He then went to New York City where he studied drama by day and drove a taxicab at night. Gerard picked up a fare who showed an interest in the problems of unknown, unemployed actors. He told Gerard 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, but his role was not included in the finished film.

During the next few years, he did most of his acting in 400 television commercials, including a stint as spokesman for the Ford Motor Company. After small roles in Some of My Best Friends Are..., and Man on a Swing, Gerard gained a prominent role in the daytime soap opera, 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 appeared in Ransom for Alice! and Universal's Airport '77. A guest appearance on Little House on the Prairie impressed producer-star Michael Landon, who cast him in the leading role in the 1978 TV movie Killing Stone.

Gerard then landed his best-known role, as Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the TV series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century which ran from 1979-81, with the feature-length pilot episode being released theatrically some months prior to the first broadcast of the series. After this, he was featured in a number of other TV shows and movies, including starring roles in the 1982 TV movie Hear No Evil as Dragon, the short-lived series Sidekicks and E.A.R.T.H. Force.

In 1992, Gerard presented the reality TV series Code 3, and for the remainder of the 1990s, Gerard made guest appearances on various TV shows, including Fish Police, Brotherly Love, The Big Easy, Days of Our Lives and Pacific Blue.

In January 2007, Gerard was the subject of the one-hour documentary Action Hero Makeover on the Discovery Health Channel, which documented his year-long progress after undergoing life-saving mini-gastric bypass surgery in October 2005. According to the program, he had been struggling with his weight for 40 years, losing weight only to gain it back. By the time of the program's production, his weight had risen to over 350 pounds (159 kg). Within ten months he lost a total of 145 lb (66 kg).

Gerard and his Buck Rogers co-star Erin Gray reunited in 2007 for the TV film Nuclear Hurricane, and also returned to the Buck Rogers universe by playing the characters' parents in the pilot episode of James Cawley's Buck Rogers Begins Internet video series in 2009.

Gerard guest-starred as Admiral Jack Sheehan in "Kitumba", the January 1, 2014, episode of the fan web series Star Trek: Phase II.

In 2015, Gerard voiced Megatronus in Transformers: Robots in Disguise.

Known For

Acting

2019Space Captain and Callistaas Lance
2016The Nice Guysas Bergen Paulsen
2012Blood Fareas Professor Meade
2011The Lost Valentineas Neil Thomas Jr
2009Ghost Townas Preacher McCready
2009Dire Wolfas Col. Hendry
2009Reptisaurusas General Morgenstern
2008Bone Eateras Big Jim Burns
2007Nuclear Hurricaneas Bob
2001Air Rageas Victor Quinn
2000The Stepdaughteras Jesse Conner
1999Fugitive Mindas Karl Gardner
1998Mom, Can I Keep Her?as Reinhart
1996Pacific Blueas Raymond Annandale
1995Brotherly Loveas Big Mike
1991Soldier's Fortuneas Robert E. Lee Jones
1990Commando Earth Forceas Dr. John Harding
1990E.A.R.T.H. Forceas Dr. John Harding
1989Final Noticeas Harry Stoner
1989Nightingalesas Dr. Paul Petrillo
1987Happy 100th Birthday, Hollywoodas Self
1986George Lucas' Star Toursas
1986Sidekicksas
1986The Last Electric Knightas Jake Rizzo
1985Fury to Freedomas Officer
1985International Airportas David Montgomery
1985Stormin' Homeas Bobby Atkins
1984For Love or Moneyas Mike
1982Hear No Evilas Dragon
1982Not Just Another Affairas Bob Gifford
1982Help Wanted: Maleas Johnny Gillis
1980Monsters, Madmen & Machines: 80 Years of Science Fictionas Host
1979Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Planet of the Slave Girlsas Buck Rogers
1979Buck Rogers in the 25th Centuryas Buck Rogers
1979Buck Rogers in the 25th Centuryas Capt. William " Buck " Rogers
1978Killing Stoneas Gil Stone
1977Hoochas Eddie Joe
1977Ransom for Alice!as Clint Kirby
1977Airport '77as Frank Powers
1976Battle of the Network Starsas
1975Barettaas
1974Little House on the Prairieas Chris Nelson
1974Man on a Swingas Donald Forbes
1971Some of My Best Friends Are...as Michel Mireaux
1968Hawaii Five-Oas Marty Cobb
1963Miss USAas Self - Judge
1957Code 3as

Production

1986Sidekicks...Director
1977Hooch...Producer