Top Gun and Die Hard star Clarence Gilyard Jr has died aged 66.
The Hollywood actor has passed away following a battle with a 'long illness', according to reports. The star had an impressive career in TV and film spanning across three decades, and was best known for his role as computer hacker Theo in the Christmas action movie Die Hard.
He also played the naval flight officer Marcus "Sundown" Williams in Top Gun. Clarence had been working as a professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who confirmed his death, reports the Mirror.
He worked at the school as a film professor since 2006. The college told Las Vegas Review-Journal: "His generosity of spirit was boundless — he was always ready to contribute to projects and performances however possible."
Film chair Heather Addison said: "Professor Gilyard was a beacon of light and strength for everyone around him. Whenever we asked him how he was, he would cheerfully declare that he was ‘Blessed!’
"But we are truly the ones who were blessed to be his colleagues and students for so many years. We love you and will miss you dearly, Professor G!"
Clarence also starred in the hit drama Matlock between 1989 and 1993 as Conrad McMasters, as well as appearing in 1990s crime drama Texas Ranger.
Speaking of pausing his acting career for his professor role, he said back in 2010: "My manager-agent is not happy that I’m not working, but the university is just too much fun. And once you start a semester and meet those students, it’s like doing a TV series.
"You’re plugged into them. How can you leave them once you see in their eyes that they’re depending on you? They have aspirations for their own growth for those 15 weeks."
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