Hollywood has lost a true pioneer with the passing of Gil Gerard, the beloved actor who brought Buck Rogers to life for a generation, as ABC7 reports.

The news of Gerard's death at 82, after a swift and brutal battle with a rare form of cancer, was shared by his wife, Janet, from their home in North Georgia.

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Gerard's journey to stardom was anything but conventional.

From Taxi Driver to Tinsel Town

In 1969, he headed to New York, honing his craft as an actor while paying the bills as a taxi driver.

A chance encounter with a passenger led to an audition for the 1970 film Love Story, where he worked for weeks on set, only to see his role cut from the final cut.

Far from discouraged, this early brush with Hollywood fueled his drive to stick with the industry, a decision that would eventually pay off.

Breakthrough with Buck Rogers Role

Gerard cut his teeth in hundreds of commercials and small roles, later appearing in films like Airport '77 and Hooch.

His big break came after a guest spot on Little House on the Prairie, when star Michael Landon took notice and pushed for him in a new project, though it didn't materialize.

Still, NBC executives were impressed enough to cast him as the lead in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, a 1979 film and subsequent series that ran for 32 episodes until 1981, cementing his place in pop culture history.

A Legacy Beyond the Screen

After Buck Rogers, Gerard continued to work in various television shows and made-for-TV movies, never straying far from the spotlight.

His personal life saw its share of ups and downs with four marriages and divorces, but he found lasting companionship with Janet, his wife of 18 years, in North Georgia.

A regular at Dragon Con, the pop-culture convention, Gerard remained a fan favorite, and the event's organizers mourned his loss with a heartfelt tribute on social media, saying, "The 25th century won't be the same without you," as posted on their Facebook page.

Heartfelt Farewells from Loved Ones

Janet Gerard shared the tragic news on Facebook, writing, "Early this morning Gil - my soulmate - lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer."

She added, "From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days," a stark reminder of how quickly life can change, even for those who seem larger than life on screen.

In a posthumous message on his own Facebook page, Gerard reflected on his journey, stating, "My life has been an amazing journey," leaving fans with a poignant farewell that speaks to a man grateful for every mile of the road, from Arkansas to Hollywood. It's a sentiment that cuts through the noise of today's often shallow celebrity culture, reminding us to value substance over spectacle in a world too obsessed with fleeting trends.