Gil Gerard, who led NBC’s ‘Buck Rogers in the 25th Century’, dies at 82
Gil Gerard, who led NBC’s 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century', dies at 82
Gil Gerard, the American actor best known for playing Captain William ‘Buck’ Rogers in NBC’s “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century“, has died at 82. ABC News, citing the Associated Press, reported that Gerard died on December 16, 2025, and that his manager said he died in hospice care after a rare, aggressive cancer. He is survived by his wife Janet Gerard and his son, Gilbert Vincent “Gib” Gerard, from his marriage to Connie Sellecca.
Janet Gerard announced his death in a Facebook post, and shared a message written by Gerard for his fans. In that post, Gerard wrote: “Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos.”
NBC aired “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” for two seasons from 1979 to 1981, following a 1979 theatrical film that launched the TV run. The story starts with a NASA pilot who awakens 500 years in the future, alongside characters including the robot Twiki and pilot Wilma Deering (Erin Gray).
Outside “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century”, Gerard appeared in the TV movie “Hear No Evil”, the short-lived series “Sidekicks” and the film “The Nice Guys” (2016) to name just a few. He also hosted the reality series “Code 3”.
About Buck Rogers and Gil Gerard
Buck Rogers began as a character in Philip Francis Nowlan’s science-fiction novella “Armageddon 2419 A.D.”, first published in the August 1928 issue of “Amazing Stories”. In that original story, Nowlan named the character Anthony Rogers. Later adaptations and the comic strip used the name “Buck” Rogers. The Buck Rogers newspaper strip debuted on January 7, 1929. Writer Philip Nowlan created it with artist Dick Calkins.
A “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” radio serial ran across multiple periods between 1932 and 1947, and it probably was the first science-fiction radio show. Universal Pictures also released a 12-chapter “Buck Rogers” film serial in 1939, starring Buster Crabbe. An ABC television series aired from April 15, 1950 to January 30, 1951, with 36 black-and-white episodes.
But Buck Rogers really got launched on the TV-screen thanks to Universal’ released a’s “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” theatrical film on March 30, 1979. After that NBC launched the weekly TV series on September 20, 1979. The core setup in that version: Buck Rogers is a 20th-century NASA pilot who ends up in suspended animation and wakes roughly 500 years later, with allies including Twiki and Wilma Deering.
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