Gil Gerard best known for science-fiction Buck Rogers role

American actor Gil Gerard, best known for his role as Buck Rogers in the science-fiction television show Buck Rogers In The 25th Century (1979 to 1981), died on Dec 16 in hospice care in the state of Georgia.

- Jonathan Wolfe

He was 82.His death, from cancer, was announced in a social media post by his wife, Janet Gerard.

Gilbert Cyril Gerard was born on Jan 23, 1943, in Little Rock, Arkansas. He began his career in show business as a model and working in television commercials before landing roles in soap operas, including The Doctors (1973 to 1976), and films like Airport '77 (1977).

He was approached in the late 1970s to play the role of William “Buck” Rogers, which was based on a character in a comic strip that began running in newspapers in 1929. At first, he was not interested.

“I don’t want to do this campy stuff,” he recalled thinking in a 2018 interview.