Clu Gulager, Return of the Living Dead and Character Actor, Dead at 93

Clu Gulager, a character actor best known for appearing in horror films and westerns throughout his long career, has passed away. Word of his passing had been spreading around social media and now The Hollywood Reporter brings confirmation of his death. According to the trade, Gulager died at his Los Angeles home on Friday of natural causes, his son John confirmed the news. Born November 16, 1928 in Holdenville, Oklahoma, Gulager made a name for himself for appearing in countless western TV shows like The Virginian and starring in horror movies like The Return of the Living Dead. He was 93 at the time of his death.

Gulager got his start on television, appearing in shows like The United States Steel Hour, Goodyear Playhouse, and Studio One in Hollywood. He got his big break playing Billy the Kid on The Tall Man for 75 episodes, later appearing on The Virginian as Emmet Ryker for over 100 episodes. His career would continue with guest spots on countless TV shows in the 1970s and 80s like Bonanza, Mod Squad, Hawaii Five-O, CHiPs, Knight Rider, Magnum P.I., Murder, She Wrote, and MacGyver. Having appeared in shows like The Virginian, FBI, and others, Gulager earned himself a place in Quenten Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, a movie that acted as a love letter to the era of television that he thrived in. The film marked his final role.

To genre fans Gulager is perhaps best known for appearing as Burt in The Return of the Living Dead, later starring multiple other horror films including A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge, From a Whisper to a Scream, Uninvited, Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter, and others. He would later appear in the Feast trilogy, Piranha 3DD, and Children of the Corn: Runaway, all of which were directed by his son, John Gulager.

Our thoughts go out to Clu’s family during this difficult time.