Clarence Gilyard, 'Die Hard' and 'Walker, Texas Ranger' star, dead at 66 |



The University of Nevada, Las Vegas announced Gilyard's decease connected Monday. Arlene Richie/Shutterstock

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Clarence Gilyard, the histrion satisfactory acknowledged for gambling microcomputer hacker Theo successful “Die Hard” and naval formation serviceman Marcus “Sundown” Williams successful “Top Gun,” has died connected the property of 66.

His nonaccomplishment of beingness changed into announced connected Monday successful a announcement from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), successful which helium had been moving arsenic an subordinate prof connected the College of Fine Arts.

Gilyard played Theo, the heist group's hacker, successful "Die Hard." 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock

“It is with profound sadness that I stock this information,” Dean Nancy Uscher said wrong the connection shared connected Instagram. “His students were profoundly inspired by means of him, arsenic person been each who knew him. He had galore fantastic abilities and go extraordinarily celebrated wrong the assemblage via his willpower to teaching and his nonrecreational accomplishments.”

UNLV movie seat Heather Addison remembered Gilyard arsenic a “beacon of mild and powerfulness for each assemblage circular him astatine UNLV.”

She brought: “Whenever we requested him however helium turned into, helium mightiness cheerfully assertion that helium turned into ‘Blessed!’ But we're without a uncertainty those who person been blessed to beryllium his colleagues and students for truthful galore years. We emotion you and could miss you dearly, Professor G!”

No successful summation accusation surrounding his decease had been made public.

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According to UNLV, Gilyard ventured into performing aft speechmaking Theatre Arts astatine California State University. He landed his archetypal relation astatine the TV amusement “Diff’hire Strokes” successful 1981.

In 1986, Gilyard made his movie debut successful “Top Gun,” successful which helium performed Sundown, 1 of the elite combatant pilots.

Two years later, helium go forged arsenic Theo, the laptop adept who enables Hans Gruber’s violent group, wrong the thriller “Die Hard.”

He got his ample primetime TV spoil successful 1989, erstwhile helium landed the relation of Conrad McMasters astatine the NBC felony play “Matlock,” starring contrary Andy Griffith. He past portrayed Chuck Norris’ crime-preventing subordinate Jimmy Trivette connected “Walker, Texas Ranger.”

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Gilyard’s appearing credits additionally encompass “The Karate Kid Part II,” “CHiPS” and the “Left Behind” films.

Despite his completed acting profession, Gilyard stepped distant from acting successful 2006 to commencement coaching astatine UNLV and directing productions connected the college’s Nevada Conservatory Theatre.

“I’m stressed retired to educate. And I’m a professional, but the vocation 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 20 archetypal century,” helium told the Las Vegas Review-Journal successful 2017.

“I enactment good arsenic an creator erstwhile I’m successful a fertile area. That method originative and inventive. Being with each those millennials — I don’t admit what they’re pronouncing but I’m siphoning disconnected their electricity.”

He did, however, marque a speedy spell backmost to the surface successful 2021, portion helium reunited with Bruce Willis and De’voreaux White for a “Die Hard” artillery commercial.