American actor Gil Gerard, known for starring as the titular hero in the 1979 NBC sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, has died aged 82. Gil died on Tuesday, December 16, aged 82.
Gil’s wife, Janet Gill, confirmed his death in a Facebook post. “Early this morning Gil – my soulmate – lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer,” she wrote. “From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days. No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have ever been enough. Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely.”
Gil Gerard’s family
Gil was married to Janet, his fifth wife, until his death. The couple resided in northern Georgia.
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Gerard had been married and divorced four times by the end of the 1980s. He first married a secretary in his home state of Arkansas in the 1960s, but the marriage lasted just eight months. His second marriage was to a bank executive, which happened after he moved to New York to pursue his acting ambitions. This marriage lasted for seven years, on and off.
Gil married model and actress Connie Sellecca in 1979 after moving to Los Angeles. The two of them share a son, Gilbert Vincent Gerard, or Gib, who was born in 1981.
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Gil and Connie’s marriage, which lasted for seven years, began to go downhill after the cancellation of his show Buck Rogers in the 25th Century and his increasing drug and alcohol addiction, and overeating. Their marriage was formally dissolved in 1987. Following a bitter custody battle, Connie got main custody of their son.
Gib, who was born in Los Angeles, is an actor and producer known for Discarded (2013), Currency Rising (2011) and Desecrated (2015).
The same year, Gil married interior designer Bobi Leonard but it lasted only a year. Their marriage was formally dissolved in 1989.
