“Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” star Gil Gerard has died at the age of 82 after a battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
Gerard left a message for fans, shared on Facebook by his wife, Janet Gerard, who said she was with him when he passed in hospice care.
The type of cancer was not shared.
The message read: “If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to
“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.
“My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has.
“Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
In a separate post, Janet Gerard said that, “From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days.”
Gil Gerard was from Little Rock, Arkansas, but moved to New York in 1969 to pursue acting, CNN reported.
He said he was cast in “Love Story” and worked on the film for 10 weeks but his role was cut. He stuck with acting, despite being on the cutting room floor, and got parts in commercials and eventually films in films such as “Airport 77″ and “Hooch,” CNN reported.
He was a guest star in “Little House on the Prairie,” where Michael Landon told him he was writing and producing a series and offered him a role.
NBC did not pick up the Landon-helmed show, but offered Gil Gerard a role in their movie and television show, “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.”
It ran for two seasons and featured the actor as Captain William “Buck” Rogers, an astronaut from the 20th century who was frozen, waking up 504 years later in 2419, Variety reported.
He continued acting over the decades since the end of “Buck Rogers” in 1981, appearing in shows such as “Sidekicks,” “Days of Our Lives,” and “Drop Dead Diva.” His final role was 2019’s “Space Captain and Callista,” according to IMDB.
He was a frequent guest at Atlanta’s Dragon Con, which posted a tribute to him on social media, writing, “The 25th century won’t be the same without you, and #DragonCon will miss a beloved friend fan favorite. Rest among the stars, Gil Gerard. You will be missed."
Gil Gerard leaves behind his wife and his son, CNN reported.