- published: 28 Oct 2013
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Clarence Alfred Gilyard, Jr. (born December 24, 1955) is an African American actor, college professor, and author who has been featured in movies and television since 1980. He is sometimes credited as Clarence A. Gilyard.
Gilyard is known for his roles as second private investigator and right-hand man Conrad McMasters, to Ben Matlock on the legal drama series, Matlock from 1989 to 1993; as Pastor Bruce Barnes in the Left Behind movie trilogy; Cordell Walker's Texas Ranger partner, James "Jimmy" Trivette, in the 1990s crime drama, Walker, Texas Ranger, Theo, the terrorist computer expert in Die Hard and Lieutenant (junior grade) Marcus "Sundown" Williams in Top Gun.
In 1979, Gilyard moved to Los Angeles to become an actor. He became the first African American actor to undertake the role of the cheerleader in the play Bleacher Bums before he segued into television roles. As a character actor, Gilyard has made guest appearances on TV shows such as Diff'rent Strokes, The Facts of Life, 227, Simon & Simon and Riptide. In 1982–1983, Gilyard was cast in the final season of the NBC TV series CHiPs as Officer Benjamin Webster, opposite Erik Estrada. He co-starred with Jim Carrey in the 1984 NBC sitcom, The Duck Factory.
Carlos Ray "Chuck" Norris (born March 10, 1940) is an American martial artist, actor, film producer and screenwriter. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist, and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do.
Norris appeared in a number of action films, such as Way of the Dragon, in which he starred alongside Bruce Lee, and was The Cannon Group's leading star in the 1980s. He played the starring role in the television series Walker, Texas Ranger from 1993 until 2001.
Norris is a devout Christian and politically conservative. He has written several books on Christianity and donated to a number of Republican candidates and causes. In 2007 and 2008, he campaigned for former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, who was running for the Republican nomination for president in 2008. Norris also writes a column for the conservative website WorldNetDaily. Since 2005 Norris has been widely associated with an internet meme which documents fictional and often absurd feats associated with him.