Gil Gerard, Actor Best Known for Playing ‘Buck Rogers,’ Dies At 82: What Was the Cause of His Death?

Gil Gerard, the Arkansas native who rose to fame as the quick-witted lead in NBC’s 1979–81 sci-fi series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, passed away Tuesday at the age of 82.

His wife, Janet Gerard, shared the heartbreaking news on Facebook, revealing that he had been battling a rare and highly aggressive cancer. “Early this morning, Gil – my soulmate – lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer. From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days,” she wrote.

She went on to reflect on their life together, adding, “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.”

In another post, Janet noted that Gerard died while receiving hospice care and included words he had written himself before his passing.

“My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities I’ve had, the people I’ve met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying,” he wrote, as cited by the New York Post.

He also looked back fondly on the path his life had taken. “My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has,” Gerard shared.

He ended with a final piece of advice and a farewell that reflected his sci-fi legacy: “Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”

“Buck Rogers” originated from Philip Francis Nowlan’s comic strip, which debuted in U.S. newspapers in 1929. The tale centers on NASA Captain William “Buck” Rogers, who becomes frozen aboard a spacecraft in May 1987 and awakens 500 years later, in 2491, to a future shaped by a devastating nuclear war that wiped out the world he once knew.

Gerard first stepped into the role in a 1979 feature film that later became the launchpad for the NBC television series, according to Deadline. The show featured Erin Gray as Col. Wilma Deering, Felix Silla as the robot Twiki — primarily voiced by Mel Blanc — and Wilfrid Hyde-White as Dr. Goodfellow. The series aired for two seasons, totaling 32 episodes, before ending in April 1981.

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