Photo: Ren1man / CC BY-SA 4.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Clarence Gilyard represented something I value enormously: the dependable presence who makes the lead look good and the whole show feel grounded. As Conrad McMasters on Matlock and Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger, he played the kind of steady sidekick that audiences quietly trust, and his NAACP Image Award felt earned rather than ceremonial. What moves me most is that he later taught at university while still acting, treating performance as something to pass on. From Moses Lake, Washington to that double life of artist and educator, he carried real warmth. His passing in 2022 was a genuine loss to that tradition of generous supporting work.
Overview
Clarence Darnell Gilyard Jr. (December 24, 1955 – November 28, 2022) was an American actor. On television, he played private investigator Conrad McMasters on the legal drama series Matlock (1986–95) and Texas Ranger Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001).
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Clarence Gilyard
- Name (Japanese)
- クラレンス・ギルヤードJr.
- Reading
- くられんす・ぎるやーどJr.
- Born
- December 24, 1955 – November 28, 2022
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Capricorn / Goat
- Origin
- Moses Lake, Washington, United States
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- actor / pedagogue / film actor / television actor / television director
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Eisenhower High School
- University
- Southern Methodist University
Awards & achievements
- 2000 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarence%20Gilyard
Actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.