You probably recognize him. Maybe it’s the guy with the headsets in the back of the F-14 in Top Gun. Or maybe you remember him as the only guy in Hans Gruber’s crew who actually knew how to crack a safe in Die Hard. If you grew up in the 90s, he was Jimmy Trivette, the man who had Chuck Norris’s back for nearly a decade.
Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. was everywhere.
Then, he wasn't. At the height of a career most actors would kill for, he basically hit the brakes. He didn't vanish into some tabloid scandal or burn out on drugs. He just chose a different life. He traded the red carpets of Hollywood for the dusty chalkboards of a university classroom in Las Vegas.
From Air Force Cadet to Hollywood Legend
Clarence wasn't exactly a "theater kid" from birth. Born on Christmas Eve in 1955 in Moses Lake, Washington, he grew up as a military brat. His dad was an Air Force officer, and that discipline rubbed off. For a while, it looked like Clarence would follow that same path. He even spent a year at the Air Force Academy as a cadet.
But the rigid life of a pilot didn't stick. He transferred to Sterling College in Kansas on a football scholarship. It was there, of all places, that the acting bug bit him.
By 1979, he was in Los Angeles. He was lanky, charismatic, and had a smile that could light up a room. His first big break wasn't even on screen; he was the first Black actor to play the cheerleader in the play Bleacher Bums.
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Then came the 80s. Honestly, if you look at the credits of that decade, Gilyard was in the middle of everything. He did the TV rounds: CHiPs, The Facts of Life, and Diff'rent Strokes. But 1986 changed everything. He was cast as "Sundown" in Top Gun. He wasn't the star, sure, but being in the biggest movie of the year is a hell of a business card.
The Roles We Can't Forget
When people talk about Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr., they usually bring up three specific projects. These weren't just jobs; they were cultural landmarks.
Theo in Die Hard (1988)
Think about the heist at Nakatomi Plaza. While the other henchmen were running around with machine guns, Theo was the brains. He was cool, smug, and sarcastic. "You want money? What kind of a person are you?" he quips to the vault. Gilyard brought a weirdly likable energy to a villainous role. He was the tech guy before "the tech guy" was a standard movie trope.
Conrad McMasters in Matlock
In 1989, Gilyard joined Matlock as Andy Griffith’s private investigator. He replaced Kene Holliday and stayed for over 80 episodes. It was a massive shift from playing a terrorist in an action flick to a folksy, dependable investigator. Working with Griffith was a huge deal for him. He later admitted he was starstruck, having grown up watching The Andy Griffith Show.
Jimmy Trivette in Walker, Texas Ranger
This is the big one. From 1993 to 2001, he was James "Jimmy" Trivette. He played the former Dallas Cowboys player turned Texas Ranger. He and Chuck Norris became one of the most iconic duos on television. They had that "old school vs. new school" chemistry that kept the show at the top of the ratings for eight seasons.
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The Great Pivot: Why He Left Hollywood
Most actors cling to fame until it kicks them out. Clarence did the opposite. In 2006, he stepped away.
He didn't retire. He pivoted.
He went back to school and earned an MFA in Theatre Performance from Southern Methodist University. Then, he moved to Las Vegas to become an Associate Professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
He loved it. He once said that being a professor was a major goal for him, maybe even higher than being a TV star. He wanted to teach the next generation how to actually live as an artist, not just how to be famous. He wasn't some celebrity guest lecturer who showed up once a semester. He was a full-time, hands-on professor who cared deeply about his students.
A Man of Deep Faith and Quiet Legacy
There was a spiritual side to Gilyard that he didn't flaunt, but it guided his later years. After a period of personal struggle and a divorce in the 90s, he had a "reawakening" and became a devout Catholic. He served on the board of Holy Cross Family Ministries and was very active in faith-based cinema, most notably appearing in the Left Behind movie series.
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He lived a quiet life in Vegas with his second wife, Elena, and his children.
When he passed away on November 28, 2022, at the age of 66, the news hit hard. It wasn't just Hollywood mourning a "character actor." It was the UNLV community mourning a mentor. He had been battling a long illness, though he kept the details mostly private, continuing to teach almost until the end.
What We Can Learn from His Career
Clarence Gilyard Jr. represents a rare breed of performer. He proved that you don't have to be the "leading man" to be indispensable. He was the ultimate "second lead"—the guy who made the hero look better and the story feel more grounded.
But more than that, his life is a lesson in priorities. He walked away from the "industry" because he found something he valued more: education and family. He didn't let Hollywood define his worth.
Actionable Takeaways from His Life:
- Diversify your skills: He was an actor, a director, a martial artist, a college professor, and an author. Don't let one job title define your entire identity.
- Mentorship matters: His transition to academia showed that sharing knowledge can be more rewarding than receiving applause.
- It's okay to pivot: You can be at the top of your field and still decide you want to do something completely different. Success isn't a straight line; it's a series of choices.
Clarence Gilyard Jr. left behind a filmography that will live on in reruns and streaming forever. But in the hallways of UNLV and the hearts of his six children, his legacy is something much more personal. He was a man who figured out how to be a star without losing himself in the process.
To truly honor his work, revisit his performances with an eye for the "team player" energy he brought. Whether he was a pilot, a computer hacker, or a Texas Ranger, he always played his part with a level of professionalism and soul that is increasingly rare in the business today. Reach out to a mentor who helped shape your career path, much like Gilyard did for hundreds of students in his final chapter.