Clue Gulager, a veteran actor best known for his roles in the NBC series “The Virginians” and the 1985 horror-comedy “The Return of the Living Dead”, has died of natural causes. He was 93 years old.
Gulgar’s son, John shared a picture of his father on his Facebook as a tribute. Filmmaker Sean Baker, who directed Gulgar on the 2015 feature ‘Tangerine’, confirmed the news of his death on Twitter.
Gulgar’s daughter-in-law Diane Goldner also confirmed the news by sharing a family statement on Facebook, saying that he died “surrounded by his loving family”.
“Clue was as caring as he was loyal and devoted to his craft, a proud member of the Cherokee nation, a rule-breaker, sharp and shrewd and on the side – always – of the oppressed. He was good-humored, An avid reader, gentle and kind. Loud and dangerous,” the statement reads. “He was astonished that he still lived a day after Mary Bird-Nedry, the love of her life, died 18 years earlier.”
Gulgar’s acting career spanned seven decades, beginning with small guest appearances in 1950s television series. A mainstay of TV Westerns, Gulager starred as Billy the Kid in NBC’s “The Tall Man” for two of his seasons and was a regular in the network’s “The Virginian” for four of his nine seasons. She also had a role in Peter Bogdanovich’s “The Last Picture Show” in 1971.
In the 1980s, Gulgar was reintroduced to a new generation of audiences with leading roles in horror films. The actor starred opposite Vera Miles in 1984’s “The Initiative”. A year later, he could be seen in Dan O’Bannon’s “The Return of the Living Dead” and Jack Sholder’s “A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge”.
Gulaggar was a favorite of director Quentin Tarantino, whose 2019 film “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” marked the actor’s final screen credits. The actor played a bookstore owner in Tarantino’s film. In his personal life, Gulgar was a regular filmmaker at Tarantino’s New Beverly Cinema in recent years.
Born William Martin Gulager on November 16, 1928, in Holdenville, Okla., Clue’s father was a former actor and a cowboy entertainer. In the 1940s the U.S. After serving in the Marine Corps, Gulgar attended Northeastern State University and later Baylor University, beginning his venture into acting.
Gulgar’s first screen credit is listed as a 1955 episode of the variety series “Omnibus”. After a series of guest appearances on the TV show, Billy the Kid made his first major role on “The Tall Man”, starring alongside Barry Sullivan as Pat Garrett. Although the NBC series was short-lived, Gulgar found himself back in the saddle a few years later as a regular cast member on “The Virginian.”
In 1964, Gulager played a leading role in Don Siegel’s “The Killers”, starring Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson, John Cassavetes and Ronald Reagan (in his final film role).
Gulaggar also directed his short film, “A Day with the Boys”, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or for Best Short Film at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.
Later in his career, Gulgar was directed by his son John Gulgar. The pair collaborated on the horror-comedy film series “Feast” and in 2012’s “Piranha 3DD”.
Gulgar married fellow actor Miriam Bird-Nedry in 1960. The two remained married until Bird-Nedry’s death in 2003. He is survived by his sons, John and Tom; his partners, Diane and Zoe; his cherished grandson Clue Mosha; Dedicated fans and exceptional students of decades.