Gil Gerard, the actor who literally helped define a generation’s space-age hero, has died at 82 after a brief but fierce battle with a rare form of cancer, his wife announced Tuesday. Surrounded by loved ones in hospice care, Gerard spent his last days exactly how he lived much of his life — reflecting on a long, winding journey filled with passion and connection.
Early on the morning of December 16, Gerard’s wife, Janet, shared a deeply personal tribute on Facebook that stopped fans in their tracks. “Early this morning Gil — my soulmate — lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer,” she wrote, noting that from the first moment they sensed trouble to the end was only days. “Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely.”
What made the announcement especially poignant was the farewell message Gerard had written himself, asking Janet to share it if he passed. “My life has been an amazing journey,” he wrote, words that now stand as a testament to the full and extraordinary arc of a life spent chasing dreams and love — from Arkansas to New York and Los Angeles, and finally to a quiet home in North Georgia. “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 said before signing off with a cosmic goodbye: “Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love… See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
Gerard wasn’t born with stardom handed to him. Born January 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas, he landed in New York in the late 1960s to study acting and started his career doing commercials and daytime dramas. But everything changed in 1979 when he took on the role of Captain William “Buck” Rogers — a NASA pilot frozen in space and awakened 500 years later in a futuristic world — for the NBC series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Riding the wave of late-’70s science fiction fever, the show became a cultural touchstone for kids and adults alike, turning Gerard into a household name.
Though beloved for his sci-fi heroics, Gerard’s career stretched far beyond laser guns and starships. Over the decades he appeared in a mix of television and film projects, including guest spots on Little House on the Prairie, CHiPs, and Hawaii Five-O, as well as roles in movies like Airport ’77 and later, in 2016, The Nice Guys alongside Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe.
His personal life was just as layered as his career. Gerard married five times, including a high-profile union with actress Connie Sellecca with whom he had a son, Gib, who followed his father into the entertainment world. For the past 18 years he’d shared life with Janet, an artist and entrepreneur whose tribute showed the depth of their bond.
Fans from around the globe poured out memories and gratitude after the news broke, many recalling how a young Gerard sparked their imaginations or inspired them through both his on-screen heroics and his honesty about life’s struggles. Stories of his generosity, humor, and resilience now mingle with memories of that iconic space pilot in fan conversations and social media tributes.
Gil Gerard’s passing closes a chapter on a career that spanned decades, genres, and hearts. But through his own words and the countless stories he helped shape on screen, his final message — urging love, joy, and courage — may be the truest legacy of all.
