Clarence Gilyard was an actor’s actor. He starred onscreen, in film and television, and in stage productions. He found fame playing a private investigator in Matlock, a legal drama series that ran from 1986 to 1995. Clarence wasn’t an original cast member, but he added an dynamism to the show that made many wish he was there all along. It was the same dynamism that helped him find a second act as a college professor and author.
For those wondering what happened to Clarence, there’s a clear answer to that question. He passed away on November 28, 2022 at his Las Vegas home after a prolonged illness. He was survived by his wife and six children. But there’s a whole story about his exit from Hollywood before his untimely passing.
He was in the Air Force Before He Became an Actor
Clarence grew up in the military base since his father was in the U.S. Air Force, and after high school, he also wanted to be like his father. Therefore Clarence joined the U.S. Air Force, but after only one year, he left to join Sterling College. He was a good student, juggling his studies and playing football where he was the wide receiver. Unfortunately, he dropped out and began working. The actor then moved to California, where he worked as a waiter while studying acting at California State University in Long Beach.
After a year of being in the acting class, Clarence Gilyard joined a repertory company that performed children’s plays during weekends. He, therefore, continued studying acting while performing in elementary schools since, with the company, they would do as much as three shows in a day. His dedication to theater paid off because he landed a role in Bleacher Bums in an evening presentation, making him the first black actor to get the cheerleader role in the play.
After trying his luck in the television industry without success, Clarence finally got the big break he had been waiting for through one line in Different Strokes. He made few appearances in other TV shows before making his movie debut in 1986 in Top Gun as Lt. Marcus “Sundown” Williams. Then two years after, he made his most notable film appearance as Theo in Die Hard. Other noteworthy film credits include The Karate Kid Part II and Left Behind: The Movie.
Clarence Gilyard Got His Big Break on TV
Clarence Gilyard’s most iconic role though was on TV. In 1989, he began starring in the mystery legal drama, Matlock, as Conrad McMasters, a private investigator. He joined the series in 1989, replacing Kene Holliday, who was fired for his drug and alcohol addiction. Despite being a replacement, Clarence went on the make the role his. He appeared in almost every episode of the show from the third season to the eighth season. As Conrad, Clarence’s youthful flirty personality shined through. He was a singer, and rodeo rider that knew how to cook and play the guitar.
After an indelible and career-defining four years on the show, Clarence began appearing in another 90s classic, Walker, Texas Ranger. He starred opposite Chuck Norris as fellow Ranger and best friend, James “Jimmy” Trivette. The role would end up being his largest body of work, with 196 episode appearances between 1993 and 2001. For his work on the show, he won one Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.
Leaving it All Behind to be a College Professor
For someone who had spent his entire youth playing Jimmy Trivette since Walker Texas Ranger had filmed 201 episodes from 1993 to 2001, you would wonder why he would not want to continue doing what he knew best, acting. However, Clarence Gilyard saw beyond his professional success.
He noticed that his children did not get to spend quality time with him, and he was not ready to repeat that mistake with his second wife, Elena, with whom he had three children. The actor, therefore, decided to put his family first lest the marriage ended up in divorce again. Such a commitment to family life even saw him only have a cameo appearance in Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire because filming conflicted with a family vacation he had planned.
With more time on his hands, Clarence went back to school and finally graduated with his master’s degree in theater. His decision to get professional training worked out for the best because the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, saw his skills as an asset and offered him a job to teach stage and screen acting. Despite several entreaties to return in front of the camera, he continued to teach for many years, choosing instead to spend his life impacting his student’s growth and aspirations.
Clarence Gilyard was a Devoted Catholic
Though he was raised a Lutheran, Clarence converted to Catholicism in the 1990s, according to Catholic News Agency. A chance invitation to Mass by a stranger in a therapy group sparked his turn towards Catholicism. After meeting the priest, he joined the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA), a conversion program for Catholics. In the end, Clarence became a Catholic and went ahead to work as a communications consultant for the US Bishops Committee on Communications.
Clarence Gilyard served the Catholic church in other ways. He supported local charities and helped develop a theater program in South Africa. And until his passing, the Walker, Texas Ranger actor appeared in Christian stage plays, using the skills gained in his youth in service of his faith.
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