Gil Gerard

Gilbert C. "Gil" Gerard (born January 23, 1943) is an American actor, most notable for his role as Captain William "Buck" Rogers in the 1979–1981 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.

Early life

Gerard was born in Little Rock, Arkansas to a college instructor mother and a salesman father. While attending Little Rock Catholic High School for Boys, he was involved in acting. He worked at a Kroger grocery store in his teens. In 1960, he attended Maryknoll Seminary, in Glen Ellyn, Illinois and played the title role in an all male production of The Music Man. He attended the University of Central Arkansas but dropped out before graduation.

Career

Gerard was employed as an industrial chemist, and within a few years of starting he became regional manager of a large chemical company headed by governor Winthrop Rockefeller. Gerard's employers said they would appoint him as the firm's vice president if he undertook a master's degree course, so he quit rather than explain that he did not have a college degree.