Clarence Alfred Gilliard Jr. was an American actor, writer, and scholar.
He is best known to television audiences for his roles as private investigator Conrad McMasters in the courtroom drama Matlock (1986-95) and Texas Ranger Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001).
contour
- Full name: Clarence Alfred Gilliard
- Stage name: Clarence Gilyard
- Date of Birth: December 24, 1955
- Age: 66
- Birthplace: Moses Lake, Washington
- Date of death: November 23, 2022
- Country: United States
- Occupation: actor, writer and scholar.
- Height: 1.78 m
- Parents: Barbara Alfred and Clarence Alfred
- Siblings: Unknown
- Spouse: Katherine Dutko Alfred and Elena Castillo Alfred
- Children: 6
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: £7 million.
Early life and education
Clarence Gilliard was born on December 24, 1955, in Moses Lake, Washington, United States. Gilliard was born into a military family, his father was Barbara, and his mother was a U.S. Air Force officer, Clarence Alfred Gilliard I. Gilliard was the second of six children in the family, and he probably grew up with some siblings who were unknown to the media.
Gilyard was successful in his studies, graduating from high school in 1974. He initially followed his father’s wishes and enrolled at the United States Air Force Academy. However, his life path took a turn. He later attended Sterling College, where he played football and received a tennis scholarship. While there, he also joined a fraternity (Sigma Chi).
He also received a tennis scholarship but dropped out before completing his studies. Therefore, he moved to Long Beach, California with his friends. He enrolled at California State University, Long Beach, majoring in acting, and worked as a waiter while looking for acting jobs. He received a bachelor’s degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Profession
In 1979, Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. His role in the play Bleacher Bums, among other roles he played, led to him being called “the first black actor to play a cheerleader” by one magazine, and he subsequently moved on to television roles. Gilyard had roles in several television shows, including “Diff’rent Strokes,” “The Facts of Life,” “227,” “Simon & Simon” and “Riptide.”
Gilyard played Officer Benjamin Webster in the final season of the NBC television series CHiPs, which aired from 1982 to 1983. He starred alongside Jim Carrey in the 1984 NBC sitcom Duck Factory. In 1987, he appeared in a McDonald’s commercial.
In 1986, Gilyard made his film debut as F-14 Tomcat radar intercept officer, Lieutenant (JG) Marcus “Sundown” Williams, in the film Top Gun. He also played a soldier in the 1986 film The Karate Kid 2. In the 1988 action film Die Hard, he played criminal computer expert Theo. He also played Reverend Bruce Barnes in Left Behind: The Movie and its sequel Left Behind 2: Force of Misery.
In 1993, he began his long-running co-starring relationship with Chuck Norris on The Texas Ranger. Gilyard played James “Jimmy” Trivette, a Texas Ranger teammate and Walker’s best friend. In 2005, Gilyard made a surprise appearance in the television movie The Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire.
In 2006, Gilyard took a break from acting to become an associate professor of theater at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ College of Fine Arts. He taught acting for stage and screen. He continued to teach for several years. After Gilyard’s death, the school’s film department chair said, “Professor Gilyard was a light and strength to all of us at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.”
social media
- Instagram account: @claygil
- Twitter account: @TxRSgtJimmyT)
personal life
Gilyard was married twice. His first wife was Kathryn Dutko, whom he married in 1989. They later divorced. He married Elena Castillo in 2001 and she remained his wife until his death in 2022.
Gilliard has six children whose names are unknown to the media. Gilliard, 66, died on November 23, 2022 at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, after a long illness.
Filmography
net worth
Clarence Gilliard’s net worth is estimated to be $7 million.
