education and learning | February 19, 2026

Clarence Gilyard Net Worth 2024, Age, Height, Bio, Birthday, Wiki!

Explore Clarence Gilyard net worth, age, height, bio, birthday, wiki, and salary! In this article, we will discover how old is Clarence Gilyard? Who is Clarence Gilyard dating now & how much money does Clarence Gilyard have?

Clarence Gilyard Biography

Clarence Gilyard is one of the most popular and richest TV Actor who was born on December 24, 1955 in Moses Lake, Washington, United States. He played the role of James Trivette on the series, Walker Texas Ranger and is also well-known for his part as Conrad McMasters in TV’s Matlock.

He played his first regular role as a defender against He had his first recurring role opposite Erik Estrada during the final season of Chips. in his final year of Chips.

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.

During his young adulthood, Gilyard lived in the San Bernardino suburb of Rialto, California and attended Eisenhower High School. He was an excellent student, graduating in 1974, and afterward spent a year as an Air Force Academy cadet before leaving the service to attend Sterling College. In college, he played football and he is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He also received a tennis scholarship but dropped out of school before completing his studies.

He was married to the second time to his wife Elena Gilyard, in 2001. He has three children.

NameClarence Gilyard
First NameClarence
Last NameGilyard
OccupationTv Actor
BirthdayDecember 24
Birth Year1955
Place of BirthMoses Lake
Home TownWashington
Birth CountryUnited States
Birth SignSagittarius
Full/Birth Name
FatherNot Available
MotherNot Available
SiblingsNot Available
SpouseElena Gilyard
Children(s)Peter Gilyard

Ethnicity, religion & political views

Many peoples want to know what is Clarence Gilyard ethnicity, nationality, Ancestry & Race? Let's check it out! As per public resource, IMDb & Wikipedia, Clarence Gilyard's ethnicity is Not Known. We will update Clarence Gilyard's religion & political views in this article. Please check the article again after few days.

Gilyard is the second of six children. He has a younger brother who graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1985. Another brother, Milton, suffers from a moderate developmental disability and resides in an assisted-living residence.

Clarence Gilyard Net Worth

Clarence Gilyard is one of the richest Tv Actor from United States. According to our analysis, Wikipedia, Forbes & Business Insider, Clarence Gilyard's net worth $5 Million. (Last Update: December 11, 2023)

His first TV part in a 1981 episode on Diff’rent Strokes.

He was a part of the iconic action films of the ’80s, Die Hard and Top Gun.

Clarence Alfred Gilyard Jr. was born into a military family in Moses Lake, Washington, on Christmas Eve, in 1955, the son of Clarence Gilyard Sr., a U.S. Air Force officer. His family was originally from New Orleans, Louisiana but Gilyard grew up on Air Force bases in Hawaii, Texas, and Florida. Raised primarily as a Lutheran, he became Catholic in the 1990s.

Net Worth$5 Million
SalaryUnder Review
Source of IncomeTV Actor
CarsNot Available
HouseLiving in own house.

Gilyard’s movie debut in 1986 was as an F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer (RIO), LTJG Marcus “Sundown” Williams, in Top Gun. He was also a military man in the 1986 film The Karate Kid Part II. He appeared in the 1988 action film Die Hard as Theo, a computer expert and thief. He also appeared as Reverend Bruce Barnes Left Behind: The Movie and its sequel, Left Behind II: Tribulation Force.

He played the role of Ben Matlock’s private investigator, Conrad McMasters, on Matlock, opposite Andy Griffith, from 1989 to 1993. He replaced Kene Holliday, who was fired for his dependency on drugs and alcohol. Gilyard appeared in almost every Matlock episode during his first three seasons on the show. When the show moved from NBC to ABC for the series’ seventh season, production moved from Los Angeles, California to Wilmington, North Carolina. Andy Griffith suggested to Gilyard that he move there, too, which he did, before departing to work on a pilot for another series at CBS the following year.

Height, Weight & Body Measurements

Clarence Gilyard height 5 ft 9 in Clarence weight Not Known & body measurements will update soon.

Height5 ft 9 in
WeightNot Known
Body MeasurementsUnder Review
Eye ColorNot Available
Hair ColorNot Available
Feet/Shoe SizeNot Available

In 1979, Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. He became the first black 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. He appeared in a commercial for McDonald’s in 1987.

In 1993, he began another long-time co-starring role opposite Chuck Norris on Walker, Texas Ranger. Gilyard portrayed fellow Texas Ranger and best friend of Walker, James “Jimmy” Trivette. The show proved to be a big hit. Gilyard again enjoyed the chance to perform stunts. The chemistry between Norris & Gilyard made for memorable 1990s television and included Noble Willingham, who played C.D. Parker in the show’s six seasons. All three actors were good friends on and off the set, esp. Sheree J. Wilson.

Who is Clarence Gilyard Dating?

According to our records, Clarence Gilyard married to Elena Gilyard . As of December 1, 2023, Clarence Gilyard’s is not dating anyone.

Relationships Record: We have no records of past relationships for Clarence Gilyard. You may help us to build the dating records for Clarence 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; 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.

Top Facts about Clarence Gilyard

  1. Clarence Gilyard was an American actor, professor, and author.
  2. He was born on December 24, 1955, in Moses Lake, Washington.
  3. Gilyard graduated from Sterling College with a degree in theater.
  4. He is best known for his roles in “Matlock” and “Walker, Texas Ranger.”
  5. Gilyard also appeared in films such as “Die Hard” and “Top Gun.”
  6. In addition to acting, he taught at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
  7. Gilyard authored several books on theology and spirituality.
  8. He passed away on November 24, 2022, at the age of 66.
  9. His death was confirmed by his family via social media.
  10. Fans and colleagues mourned his loss and celebrated his legacy.

Facts & Trivia

Clarence Ranked on the list of most popular TV Actor. Also ranked in the elit list of famous people born in United States. Clarence Gilyard celebrates birthday on December 24 of every year.

He has been married twice and has five children. He and his second wife, Elena, have been married since 2001.

What is Clarence Gilyard doing now?

Gilyard is currently associate professor in the Department of Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He also serves as the consultant of the Communications Committee of the U.S. Catholic Bishops.

Was Clarence Gilyard a martial artist?

You need to fit a character in a television series. And why did you think that – because of the physicality of it? Because of the physicality – because I was a martial artist, because I rodeoed, because I played college football.

Who was Clarence Gilyard first wife?

Clarence Gilyard
Spouse(s)Elena (second wife; 2001–present)
Children6

What does Clarence Gilyard teach?

After working 13 years straight as the costar of two successful television series; Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger, he took a professional sabbatical and earned his MFA in theater performance. He now teaches acting and works professionally not only in television and film but also in theater.

Is Chuck Norris part Indian?

1. Chuck Norris and the character Cordell Walker are both part Native American. Chuck Norris was born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma in 1940 to an Irish mother and a Cherokee father.

You may read full biography about Clarence Gilyard from Wikipedia.