NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� Clarence Gilyard Jr., a popular supporting actor whose credits include the blockbuster films 鈥淒ie Hard" and 鈥淭op Gun鈥� and the hit television series 鈥淢atlock鈥� and 鈥淲alker, Texas Ranger,鈥� has died at age 66.
His death was announced this week by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where he taught stage and screen acting. Additional details were not immediately available Tuesday.
"Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him at UNLV,鈥� the school's film chair, Heather Addison, said in a statement. 鈥淲henever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was 鈥楤lessed!鈥� But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years."
Gilyard was a Moses Lake, Washington, native. He had a prolific career as an actor, starting in the 1980s with appearances in 鈥淒iff'rent Strokes," 鈥漈he Facts of Life" and other shows. He then appeared in two of the biggest movies of the decade: 鈥淭op Gun,鈥� in which he played Sundown, a radar intercept officer, and 鈥淒ie Hard,鈥� when he was featured as a villainous computer maven whose one liners included 鈥淵ou didn鈥檛 bring me along for my charming personality.鈥�
In the 1990s, he was on the side of law enforcement in 鈥淢atlock,鈥� playing opposite Andy Griffith, and 鈥淲alker, Texas Ranger,鈥� which starred Chuck Norris. His other credits include 鈥淭he Karate Kid: Part II,鈥� a stage production of 鈥淒riving Miss Daisy鈥� and an appearance alongside 鈥淒ie Hard鈥� star Bruce Willis in a commercial for DieHard batteries.
The Associated Press
