Clarence Gilyard Jr.
Actor
Biography
Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. (December 24, 1955 – November 23, 2022) was an American university professor, actor, and author. As a performer, he appeared in film, television, and stage productions; some sources give his middle name as Alfred.
Gilyard was 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; Pastor Bruce Barnes in the first two Left Behind movies; 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) Evan "Sundown" Gough in Top Gun.
Filmography
Top Gun
as Sundown 1986
The Karate Kid Part II
as G.I. #1 1986
Left Behind
as Pastor Bruce Barnes 2000
Left Behind II: Tribulation Force
as Pastor Bruce Barnes 2002
Walker, Texas Ranger: Trial by Fire
as Ranger James 'Jimmy' Trivette 2005
L.A. Takedown
as Mustafa Jackson 1989
A Matter of Faith
as Professor Portland 2014
The Great Los Angeles Earthquake
as Roy Bryant 1990
Walker Texas Ranger 3: Deadly Reunion
as Ranger James 'Jimmy' Trivette 1994
The Sector
as Reverend Raines 2016
Christmas on the Coast
as Fletcher Reese 2018
Off the Mark
as James B. White 1987
Little Monsters
as Ben Foreman 2012
The Perfect Race
as Coach Michaels 2019
The Kid with the 200 I.Q.
1983
Chasing Shakespeare
as Jeremiah Ward 2014