'Top Gun' actor Clarence Gilyard Junior dead at 66
Clarence Gilyard was 66.
Actor Clarence Gilyard Junior, best known for his role in 'Top Gun' and 'Die Hard', has passed away at the age of 66. No further details about his death have been made public.
The actor's death was confirmed by the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) where he was working as a film and theatre professor.
"Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him," UNLV film chair Heather Addison said in the statement. "Whenever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was 'Blessed!' But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years. We love you and will miss you dearly, Professor G!"
According to Variety, Gilyard was born on December 24, 1955, in Moses Lake, Washington. Gilyard spent a year at the US Air Force Academy as a cadet before he became an actor. He later earned his bachelor's degree in acting from California State University.
The actor had made several guest appearances in a string of films in the 1980s. Gilyard made his debut as Sundown in 'Top Gun' which starred Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer in the lead. Gilyard is also featured as the terrorist computer whiz Theo in 'Die Hard'.
