Top Gun actor Clarence Gilyard Jr. passed away at age 66

• Clarence Gilyard Jr. passed away on November 28 at the age of 66.
• Played roles in Die Hard, Top Gun, and Matlock, among others.
• Was an associate professor at the College of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Actor and college professor Clarence Gilyard Jr., who played roles in Die Hard, Top Gun, and Matlock, among others, passed away on November 28 at the age of 66.

The loss of one of their own is being lamented in Hollywood.

Actor and college professor Clarence Gilyard Jr., whose nearly four-decade-long career included parts in Top Gun, Die Hard, Matlock, and Walker, Texas Ranger, passed away on November 28 at the age of 66.

Gilyard was an associate professor at the College of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), which released a statement to confirm his passing and pay tribute to the actor’s legacy.

In a post on Instagram on November 29, Dean Nancy J. Uscher stated, “It is with profound sadness that I share this news.”

“His students were deeply inspired by him, as were all who knew him. He had many extraordinary talents and was extremely well-known in the university through his dedication to teaching and his professional accomplishments. He had a national and international following through his celebrated work in the theatre, in film, and television.”

“His generosity of spirit was boundless,” she added. “He was always ready to contribute to projects and performances however possible. We remember Clarence with joy and gratitude for all he contributed to the College of Fine Arts, the UNLV community, and, through his impressive personal achievements, to the world.”

Heather Addison, the chair of UNLV’s film department, described Gilyard as “a beacon of light and strength.”

She noted, “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.”

Nate Bynum, a theatre professor at UNLV, observed that even though the actor had a distinguished career, Gilyard was immensely proud of his role as a teacher.

Bynum said that some people might be surprised to learn that Clarence valued his position as a university professor as highly, if not more so, than his illustrious career as a TV star. “It was a major goal for him. He loved his UNLV family and, in particular, the students he instructed in his classroom. Gone too soon.”

His cause of death is still unknown at this point.

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