Clarence Gilyard, ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Walker, Texas Ranger’ actor, dies at 66
Loved by millions, Gilyard was known for his portrayals of Tom Cruise in ‘Mission: Impossible,’ the late Tom Gherson in ‘The Fugitive’ and the role of the father in the upcoming ‘Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,’ he died on Aug. 7 in Los Angeles. (Getty Images for Sony Pictures Entertainment, left and Sony Pictures TV via Getty Images) (From top)
Clarence Gilyard, whose grave in Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills, was marked on Sunday, Aug. 13 with an 11-foot-tall, bronze statue of himself and seven statues of his movies, a fitting tribute to one of the most beloved actors in Hollywood.
Gilyard was a tall man with a strong voice who was as close as ever to becoming a superstar.
Gilyard died at age 66 after a long battle with cancer. He was born Clarence Gilyard Jr. in 1944 in New York City to parents Clarence Gilyard Sr. and his wife Margo, who had three children. Margo died in a car accident five years before Gilyard was born.
“My dad is a guy who did everything by the seat of his pants,” his son, Clarence Gilyard III, said in a statement. “What I remember most is the way he took everything in stride — he was always the first to act and the last to complain. We were the kind of family who, if someone went out of line, we had to take sides. He always made us do what we were supposed to do.
“He was a giant of a man and he had a great sense of humor. When he made a wrong move, he got right back to work and did it again. He was a legend.”
Gilyard was in the service during the Vietnam War when