Clarence Gilyard Jr., who appeared in the successful 1980s films "Top Gun" and "Die Hard", changed his life after a battle with an unknown illness. He was 66.
The actor's death was confirmed by the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, where he had worked as a film and theatre professor at the College of Fine Arts.
"With deep sadness I am sharing this news," Dean Nancy Uscher wrote in an Instagram post. "His students were very inspired by him, as were all who knew him. He had many extraordinary talents and everyone at university knows his great dedication to teaching and his professional achievements."
Gilyard reportedly died of a "long illness", however the details of his death are still unclear.
Born in 1955 in Moses Lake, Gilyard made his film debut alongside Tom Cruise in "Top Gun" (1986), in which he portrayed an elite fighter pilot named Marcus "Sundown" Williams.
The actor then starred with Bruce Willis in "Die Hard (1988)" as Theo, Hans Gruber's eccentric computer hacker who commands nakatomi Plaza's security codes.
His other roles include parts in the films "The Karate Kid Part II", "CHiPS" and "Left Behind".
Along with his work on the big screen, Gilyard had roles in successful TELEVISION shows, most notleast starring in "Matlock" and CBS's western drama "Walker, Texas Ranger." In the latter he played Jimmy Trivette, the right arm of Chuck Norris Walker's sergeant.
