CNN —
Clarence Gilyard Jr., the histrion champion known for playing machine hacker Theo successful “Die Hard” and naval formation serviceman Marcus “Sundown” Williams successful “Top Gun,” has died astatine the property of 66.
His decease was announced connected Monday successful a connection from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), wherever helium had been moving arsenic an subordinate prof astatine the College of Fine Arts.
“It is with profound sadness that I stock this news,” Dean Nancy Uscher said successful the connection shared connected Instagram. “His students were profoundly inspired by him, arsenic were each who knew him. He had galore bonzer talents and was highly well-known successful the assemblage done his dedication to teaching and his nonrecreational accomplishments.”
UNLV movie seat Heather Addison remembered Gilyard arsenic a “beacon of airy and spot for everyone astir him astatine UNLV.”
She added: “Whenever we asked him however helium was, helium would cheerfully state that helium was ‘Blessed!’ But we are genuinely the ones who were blessed to beryllium his colleagues and students for truthful galore years. We emotion you and volition miss you dearly, Professor G!”
No further details surrounding his decease person been made public.
According to UNLV, Gilyard ventured into acting aft studying Theatre Arts astatine California State University. He landed his archetypal relation connected the TV amusement “Diff’rent Strokes” successful 1981.
In 1986, Gilyard made his movie debut successful “Top Gun,” successful which helium played Sundown, 1 of the elite combatant pilots.
Two years later, helium was formed arsenic Theo, the machine adept who helps Hans Gruber’s violent group, successful the thriller “Die Hard.”
He got his large primetime TV interruption successful 1989, erstwhile helium landed the relation of Conrad McMasters connected the NBC ineligible play “Matlock,” starring other Andy Griffith. He past portrayed Chuck Norris’ crime-fighting spouse Jimmy Trivette connected “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
Gilyard’s acting credits besides see “The Karate Kid Part II,” “CHiPS” and the “Left Behind” films.
Despite his accomplished acting career, Gilyard stepped distant from acting successful 2006 to commencement teaching astatine UNLV and directing productions astatine the university’s Nevada Conservatory Theatre.
“I’m wired to teach. And I’m a professional, but the assemblage has to provender the classroom. It’s what stimulates my characters due to the fact that I’m successful interaction with people’s lives successful the 21st century,” helium told the Las Vegas Review-Journal successful 2017.
“I enactment champion arsenic an creator erstwhile I’m successful a fertile arena. That means originative and imaginative. Being with each those millennials — I don’t recognize what they’re saying but I’m siphoning disconnected their energy.”
He did, however, marque a little instrumentality to the surface successful 2021, erstwhile helium reunited with Bruce Willis and De’voreaux White for a “Die Hard” artillery commercial.
English (US) ·