Clarence Gilyard
| Clarence Gilyard | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Clarence Alfred Gilyard, Jr. December 24, 1955 Moses Lake, Washington, U.S. |
| Other names | Clarence A. Gilyard |
| Occupation | College professor, actor, author |
| Years active | 1981–2005 2012–Present |
| Spouse(s) | Catherine (divorced) Elena (2001–present) |
| Children | 5 |
Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. (born December 24, 1955) is an American actor, college professor, and author who has been featured in movies, television and regional theatre, since 1980. He is sometimes credited as Clarence A. Gilyard.
Gilyard is known for his roles as second private investigator and right-hand man Conrad McMasters, to Ben Matlock (played by Andy Griffith) on the legal drama series, Matlock from 1989 to 1993; as Pastor Bruce Barnes in the Left Behind movie trilogy; Cordell Walker's (played by Chuck Norris) Texas Ranger partner, James "Jimmy" Trivette, in the 1990s crime drama, Walker, Texas Ranger, Theo, the terrorist computer expert in Die Hard and Lieutenant (junior grade) Marcus "Sundown" Williams in Top Gun.
In 1979, Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. He became the first African American actor to undertake the role of the cheerleader in the play Bleacher Bums before he segued into television roles. As a character actor, Gilyard has made guest appearances on TV shows such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, 227, Simon & Simon and Riptide. In 1982–1983, Gilyard was cast in the final season of the NBC TV series CHiPs as Officer Benjamin Webster, opposite Erik Estrada. He co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 1984 NBC sitcom, The Duck Factory.
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