‘Buck Rogers’ Star Gil Gerard Dead at 82

Gil Gerard, the star of the hit 1980s sci-fi series “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century,” has died.

His wife, Janet Gerard, announced the sad news Tuesday, sharing on her Facebook page he succumbed to “a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer” early that morning, She added he died just days after they knew “something was wrong.”

She later posted a message written by the actor himself on his Facebook page … “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 reminisced about the various adventures he’s had over the years, moving “from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles” and finally to Georgia. He ended his note with words of wisdom to fans, urging … “Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”

Janet clarified she was by his side as he took his last breath in hospice care Tuesday morning.

Gil gained fame for starring in 2 seasons of ‘Buck Rogers,’ which was based on Philip Francis Nowlan’s comic strip, and rode the coattails of “Star Wars” success. The show followed the adventures of handsome and charming NASA Capt. William “Buck” Rogers, who froze aboard his spaceship in May 1987 and was discovered 500 years later.

Gil acted in an array of indie films and one-off TV gigs over the years, and also starred as Dr. John Harding in CBS’ “E.A.R.T.H. Force” (1990) and had a six-episode stint on “Days of Our Lives” in 1997. He notably starred opposite Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in 2016’s “The Nice Guys.” His last credit was in 2019’s drama “Space Captain and Callista.”

He was 82.