Clarence Alfred Gilyard, Jr. (born December 24, 1955) is an African American actor, college professor, and author who has been featured in movies and television since 1980; he is sometimes credited as Clarence A. Gilyard.

Gilyard is known for his roles as second private investigator and right-hand man Conrad McMasters, to Ben Matlock on the legal drama series, Matlock from 1989 to 1993; as Pastor Bruce Barnes in the Left Behind movie trilogy; as Cordell Walker's Texas Ranger partner, James "Jimmy" Trivette, on the 1990s crime drama, Walker, Texas Ranger, as Theo, the terrorist computer expert, in Die Hard and as Lieutenant (junior grade) Marcus "Sundown" Williams in Top Gun.

Biography

Gilyard was born into a military family in Moses Lake, Washington, 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.

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.

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.

While living with his parents in his high school years, Gilyard was preoccupied with women, alcohol and, occasionally, drugs. His parents urged him to move out and he relocated to Long Beach, California with a friend. He attended California State University, Long Beach, majored in acting, and worked as a waiter while continually seeking acting opportunities. He would eventually complete his bachelor's degree at California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Gilyard worked with a housemate at a clothing store, where he was soon promoted to manager but, despite this success, he quit and found another job selling industrial chemicals. He has said that he didn't do well at this second job.

In 2003, Gilyard returned to school, receiving a master's degree in teaching theater at Southern Methodist University. He is currently an Associate Professor in the College of Fine Arts - Department of Theatre at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Currently, Gilyard serves as the consultant of the Communications Committee of the U.S. Catholic Bishops.

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