Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard was the proud mother of Clarence Gilyard an American actor, professor, and acclaimed author. Barbara is primarily known as the mother of Clarence, who has appeared in several films, TV shows, and theatre. Clarence achieved success when he played Conrad McMasters, a private investigator, in the legal drama series Matlock from 1989 to 1993. In her other notables roles, he portrayed Pastor Bruce Barnes in the movie trilogy Left Behind, James “Jimmy” Trivette in Walker, Texas Ranger, terrorist computer expert Theo, in Die Hard, Lieutenant Marcus “Sundown” Williams in the 1986 film Top Gun, and military man in the Karate Kid Part II (1986).
Presently Clarance is serving as an associate professor in the College of Fine Arts at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard’s Family Background
Barbara was born on 6 December 1935 in New Orleans, Louisiana to Henry and Joanna Ballard. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in New Orleans. She had 6 children, 10 grandchildren, and 3 great-grandchildren. Being the wife of an Airforce officer, Clarence Gilyard, she lived in different parts of the U.S., from Washington, Florida, Illinois, California, and Texas to Hawaii. In the late 1960s, she settled in California. She served as a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Rialto, California for over 40 years. Barbara died at the age of 76 on 29 April 2012 in Norwalk, California.
Barbara’s son Clarance Gilyard was born on December 24, 1955, with her husband Clarence Gilyard, a U.S. Air Force officer, in Moses Lake, Washington. Clarence grew up moving around the U.S as his father was posted on different Air Force bases in Hawaii, Texas, and Florida.
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard’s Career
Barbara was a religious woman as she was baptized at an early age, she loved to attend church and study the bible. She also enjoyed watching sports on TV and solving word puzzles.
Barbara’s son Clarance Gilyard, after getting a degree in acting from the California State University, and a master of fine arts in theatre performance from Southern Methodist University worked as a waiter, a housemate at a clothing store, and sold industrial chemicals during his struggle to get an acting opportunity.
After moving to Los Angeles in 1979, Clarence, played a cheerleader in the play Bleacher Bums, becoming the first black actor to do so. Afterward, as a character actor, he made guest appearances in a couple of TV programs: Simon & Simon, Riptide, Diff’rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, and 227.
He acted as Officer Benjamin Webster in the final season of the NBC TV series CHiPs (1982–1983). His initial notable appeared was in the 1984 NBC sitcom The Duck Factory as a co-star.
Barbara Stanwyck Gilyard’s Family Net Worth
Since the death of Barbara in 2012, there has not been much information about her wealth in media, which is still being reviewed. On the other hand, her multitalented son is the owner of wealth equal to $5 million. Since 1981, he has appeared in several films and TV shows, which got him a lot of laurel and fortune. In 1999, Clarence won awards for her role as a supporting actor in Walker, Texas Ranger at Lone Star Film & Television Awards and the 2000 Image Awards. Commercials have also been a major source of his income, as in 1987 he appeared in an endorsement for fast food company McDonald’s.
