Gil Gerard, best known for playing Buck Rogers, has died aged 82.
His wife, Janet, shared the news in a Facebook post, confirming his death on Tuesday, December 16.
Early this morning Gil – my soulmate – lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer. 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.
Gerard played the titular light-hearted sci-fi hero in NBC series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, which ran from 1979-1981 following the successful theatrical release of a movie of the same name. The plot follows 20th-century astronaut Buck Rogers, who is frozen for 500 years after a space anomaly sends his shuttle off course. He awakes in the futuristic, post-nuclear-holocaust Earth of 2491. Revived by the alien Draconians, who are secretly planning to invade Earth, Buck adjusts to his new time, teams up with Earth Defense Directorate Colonel Wilma Deering (Erin Gray), and convinces humanity of the imminent threat.
The first made-for-TV movie was released theatrically in March 1979 as Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Fueled by a surge of interest in all things sci-fi following the blockbuster release of Star Wars, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century made $21 million at the North American box office, which was enough to convince Universal to greenlight a weekly series later that year. The movie was used to form the pilot and two-part first episode of the series, with key edits to give it a lighter tone.
After key changes were made for the second season, not just in tone but in characters and story, Gerard became unhappy. A new executive producer for Season 2 saw the show ditch Earth’s futuristic cities and political intrigue for a setting on board a starship called the Searcher, which was on a mission to find lost colonies of humanity.
In later interviews, Gerard heavily criticized the change of direction. “I hated that season,” Gerard told Star Wars Interviews in 2005. “It was such a rip-off of Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica. I was thinking: ‘Why are we doing this?’ I always wanted Buck to stay on Earth, but we got a new executive producer who had no respect for the audience and the show.”
Amid declining ratings, NBC canceled the series, with no finale storyline produced.
His wife, Janet, shared a farewell message from Gil on Facebook:
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.
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.
Photo by Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at [email protected] or confidentially at [email protected].
