Gerard left behind a statement for his wife to share in which he wrote that life has been “a great ride.”

Buck Rogers actor Gil Gerard dies at 82

Gerard left behind a statement for his wife to share in which he wrote that life has been "a great ride."

By Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt

Raechal Shewfelt is a writer at **. She has been working at EW since 2024. Her work has previously appeared on Yahoo and in American *Journalism Review* and *The Shreveport Times*.

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December 17, 2025 1:14 a.m. ET

Gil Gerard as Captain William 'Buck' Rogers. Credit:

Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Gil Gerard, the actor known for playing Capt. William "Buck" Rogers, on *Buck Rogers in the 25th Century*, beginning in 1979, has died of cancer, his wife, Janet Gerard, shared on social media. He was 82.

"Early this morning Gil — my soulmate — lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer," she posted late Tuesday. "From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days. No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have ever been enough. Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely."

She also released a statement on his verified Facebook account that he asked her to share:

"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," he wrote. "My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It's been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has. Don't waste your time on anything that doesn't thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos."

The actor played Buck beginning in the 1979 movie *Buck Rogers in the 25th Century*, which was released into theaters and served as the pilot for two seasons of the TV show of the same name.

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The character had first been introduced in 1930s comic strips and had previously been adapted for the silver screen.

Gerard was reluctant to take the part at first.

"I saw what it did to Adam West's career with Batman, and this was another cartoon character," he said in a 2018 interview. "I didn’t want to do this campy stuff."

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In the sci-fi series, Gerard portrayed an astronaut who finds himself 500 years in the future. It costarred the late Mel Blanc, who provided the voice of cartoon characters including Bugs Bunny.

Gilbert Cyril Gerard, a native of Little Rock, Ark., enrolled at what was then called Arkansas State Teacher College, according to *The Hollywood Reporter*, but he moved to New York in 1969. He then studied acting under Philip Burton at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, until, by a chance meeting, he ended up as an extra on the 1970 movie *Love Story *and began working on commercials.

Gil Gerard at a fan convention in 2016.

Mark Sagliocco/Getty

Gerard was a working actor for decades, having earned his first credits on daytime soap operas such as *Another World *and *The Doctors*, on which he played Dr. Alan Stewart on more than 300 episodes.

He made appearances on TV hits including *Little House on the Prairie*, *CHiPs*, *Baretta*, and *Hawaii Five-0,* and he worked on movies such as 1977's *Airport '77*, with Jack Lemmon and Olivia de Havilland.

In the '90s and beyond, he was a guest on TV series *E.A.R.T.H. Force*, *Pacific Blue*, *Drop Dead Diva*, and *Days of Our Lives*. One of his final credits came in 2016, when he was cast in buddy comedy *The Nice Guys*, alongside Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.

Gerard was married to *Hotel* actress Connie Sellecca from 1979 until 1987, and they share one son.

He and his wife, Janet, were married for 18 years.**

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