Clu Gulager

William Martin "Clu" Gulager (; November 16, 1928 – August 5, 2022) was an American film and television actor.

Clu Gulager first became known for his work in television, appearing in the co-starring role of Billy the Kid in the 1960–1962 NBC television Western series The Tall Man and as Emmett Ryker in another NBC Western, The Virginian. He later had a second career as a horror film actor, including a lead part in Dan O'Bannon's The Return of the Living Dead (1985).

Gulager's first major film role was in Don Siegel's The Killers (1964), followed by a supporting part in the racing film Winning (1969); in Peter Bogdanovich's drama The Last Picture Show (1971); and opposite John Wayne in McQ (1974). He also directed the short film A Day with the Boys, which was nominated for the Short Film Palme d'Or at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival.

In the 1980s, Gulager appeared in several horror films, such as The Initiation (1984). In 2005, he appeared in the horror film Feast, and its sequels. He also appeared in the independent film Tangerine (2015) and in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), which was his final film role.

Early life and education Gulager was born in Holdenville, Oklahoma, on November 16, 1928, the son of John Delancy Gulager, who had been an actor before settling down to practice law in nearby Muskogee. His paternal grandmother, Martha Schrimsher Gulager, was a sister of Mary Schrimsher, the mother of Will Rogers, making Gulager and Rogers first cousins, once removed. He was Cherokee, having been an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation.

His Cherokee nickname was given to him by his father for the clu-clu birds (known in English as martins, From 1946 to 1948, Gulager served in the United States Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton. After attending Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, Gulager transferred to the Baptist-affiliated Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he graduated. He won a one-year scholarship to study abroad in Paris, where he worked under Jean-Louis Barrault, a French actor and director.

Career

In 1958 he appeared as Roy Carter in the episode "The Return of Roy Carter" (written by Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek) in the CBS television Western series Have Gun – Will Travel starring Richard Boone.

Gulager stated, "Lew Wasserman saw me on a Playhouse 90 episode where I played an Elvis Presley–type character. I became the first contract player at Universal."

On June 3, 1959, he guest-starred as the unscrupulous photographer Elliott Garrison in "The Andrew Hale Story" on NBC's Wagon Train. On October 11, 1959, Gulager appeared as a U.S. Navy sailor in the "Appointment at Eleven" episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents and again as an escaped convict in "Pen Pal" on November 1, 1960. On The Untouchables, he played the role of real-life vicious mob killer Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll. Gulager was hailed for his utterly chilling performance as the psychopathic Coll. Late in 1959, he was cast as Beau Chandler in the episode "Jessie Quinn" of the NBC Western series Riverboat, starring Darren McGavin and Burt Reynolds. The episode is a tale of intrigue involving the Texas Revolution. Capt. Holden attempts to send weapons to Sam Houston, but forces of Antonio López de Santa Anna in Mexico threaten to blow up Holden's vessel, the Enterprise.

From 1960 to 1962, Gulager played Billy the Kid in The Tall Man, opposite Barry Sullivan as Sheriff Pat Garrett. The episodes portray Billy as a sympathetic character without resorting to the "misunderstood young man" theme used in such films as The Outlaw (1943) and The Left Handed Gun (1958). In 1961, Gulager guest-starred in another NBC Western, Whispering Smith, Audie Murphy's only attempt at series television. Gulager portrayed Deputy Sheriff Emmett Ryker from 1964 to 1968 on The Virginian, the 90-minute Western series in which he starred with James Drury, Doug McClure, Lee J. Cobb, Roberta Shore, Randy Boone, Gary Clarke, and Diane Roter. Gulager appeared more than 60 times in other roles in film and television, including the film Winning (1969) and the CBS series Three for the Road. He also appeared several times on NBC's Bonanza. He starred with Lee Marvin, Ronald Reagan, John Cassavetes, and Angie Dickinson in The Killers (1964), teaming with Marvin as a pair of ruthless hit men. The Killers was intended to be one of the early made-for-TV movies as part of a Project 120 series of films that did not reach the airwaves, but NBC deemed it too violent for broadcast; Universal released the film theatrically instead.

In 1971, Gulager appeared in Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show. In 1977, long after his role on The Virginian, he appeared in an episode of Rod Taylor's unsuccessful NBC Western series The Oregon Trail. Gulager also played the boss of Susan Sarandon in a 1977 film drama, The Other Side of Midnight. In 1981, he co-starred as Angela Channing's long-suffering nephew Chase Gioberti, opposite Oscar-winner Jane Wyman, Lorenzo Lamas, William R. Moses, and Jamie Rose, in the pilot episode of The Vintage Years, which was later retooled as the primetime soap opera Falcon Crest. When he was not rehired to continue with his role, Robert Foxworth took over the role until his firing in 1987.

In 1985, he was cast as Burt Wilson in Dan O'Bannon's The Return of the Living Dead. He was also a featured player in director John Landis' darkly comedic 1985 film noir satire, Into the Night, a film rife with insider Hollywood cameos, as an FBI agent who is a courier of a cache of clandestine funds, which he grudgingly delivers to secure the safety of the film's two romantic leads (Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Goldblum).

In 2005, Gulager appeared as a shotgun-toting bartender in Feast, followed by the film's two sequels, Feast II: Sloppy Seconds (2008), and Feast III: The Happy Finish (2009), all of which were directed by his son, John. He also had a minor role in the critically acclaimed independent film Tangerine (2015). He had a role in the 2012 film Piranha 3DD. Gulager's final screen performance was as a book store owner in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood in 2019.

Personal life On June 19, 1952, he married actress Miriam Byrd-Nethery. The couple had two sons, including filmmaker John Gulager, and remained married until her death in 2003.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1964 The Killers Lee 1966 And Now Miguel Johnny 1969 Winning Larry A Day with the Boys — Short film; as director 1971 The Last Picture Show Abilene 1972 Molly and Lawless John Deputy Tom Clements 1974 McQ Toms Hit Lady Roarke Gangsterfilmen Glenn Mortenson 1977 The Other Side of Midnight Bill Fraser 1979 A Force of One Dunne 1983 Lies Doctor Bartlett 1984 Chattanooga Choo Choo Sam 1984 The Initiation Dwight Fairchild 1985 Into the Night Federal Agent Prime Risk Paul Minsky The Return of the Living Dead Burt Wilson A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge Mr. Walsh 1986 Hunter's Blood Mason Rand 1987 From a Whisper to a Scream Stanley Burnside Original title: The Offspring The Hidden Lieutenant Ed Flynn Summer Heat Will 1988 Tapeheads Norman Mart I'm Gonna Git You Sucka Lieutenant Baker Teen Vamp The Reverend Uninvited Albert 1990 Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective Desk Sergeant The Willies Greeley Principal 1991 My Heroes Have Always Been Cowboys Dark Glasses 1992 Eddie Presley Sid 1993 Killing Device Smitty 1994 Puppet Master 5: The Final Chapter Man No. 1 1999 Gunfighter Uncle Buck Peters Palmer's Pick-Up Jeb 2005 Feast Bartender 2006 Vic Vic Reeves Short film 2008 Feast II: Sloppy Seconds Bartender 2009 Feast III: The Happy Finish 2012 Piranha 3DD Mo 2015 Tangerine The Cherokee Director's Commentary: Terror of Frankenstein Gavin Merrill (voice) 2016 Blue Jay Waynie 2018 Children of the Corn: Runaway Crusty Give Til It Hurts Mr. Lawson 2019 Once Upon a Time in Hollywood Book Store Owner

Television Year Title Role Notes 1956 The United States Steel Hour Danny Episode: "Bang the Drum Slowly" Goodyear Playhouse Terrible Episode: "Stardust II" 1957 Studio One in Hollywood Lloyd Carpenter Episode: "Walk Down the Hill" The Alcoa Hour James Wesley Episode: "15 October 1864" 1959 Black Saddle Andy Meade Episode: "Client: Meade" Playhouse 90 Zach Episode: "The Day Before Atlanta" Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse Young Vix Episode: "The Day the Town Stood Up" Laramie Private Gil Brady Episode: "Fugitive Road" The Untouchables Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll The Lawless Years Tommy Pavolock Episode: "The Immigrant" Have Gun – Will Travel Roy Carter Episode: "Return of Roy Carter" Wanted Dead or Alive Joe Collins Episode: "Crossroads" 1959–62 Alfred Hitchcock Presents Sailor / Rod Collins / Jimmy K. Bresson 3 episodes 1959–64 Wagon Train Various 5 episodes 1960 The Rebel Virgil Taber Episode: "Paint a House with Scarlet" 1960–62 The Tall Man Billy the Kid 75 episodes 1963–68 The Virginian Jake Carewe / Jud / Emmet Ryker Guest; 2 episodes Main cast; Seasons 3-6 1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre Dan Walsh Episode: "The Deep End" Dr. Kildare Dr. Norman Gage 2 episodes 1968–73 Ironside Frank Clinton / D.W. Donnelly / Jack Brody 3 episodes 1969 The Survivors Senator Mark Jennings Episode: "Chapter Twelve" 1970 San Francisco International Airport Bob Hatten 3 episodes 1971 The F.B.I. Lyle Chernik 2 episodes 1971–75 Cannon B.J. Long / Burdick / Jonathan Quill 3 episodes 1972 Bonanza Billy Brenner Episode: "Stallion" The Mod Squad Dustin Ellis Episode: "Another Final Game" Medical Center Jack Episode: "The Choice" 1972–76 Hawaii Five-O Arthur Lambert / Jack Gulley 2 episodes 1973 Mannix Kyle Foster Episode: The Man Who Wasn't There Kung Fu Sheriff Rutledge Episode: "Blood Brother" Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Keith Raynor The Mystery in Dracula's Castle (Part 1–2) 1973–76 Barnaby Jones Sheriff Mack Hollister / Mark Landy 2 episodes 1974 Shaft Richard Quayle Episode: "The Murder Machine" Get Christie Love! Sheriff Burl Taggert Episode: "Highway to Murder" 1974–75 Police Story Officer Williams / Tim Keegan 2 episodes 1975 McCloud Johnny Monahan Episode: "Lady on the Run" The Streets of San Francisco Inspector George Turner Episode: "Poison Snow" 1976 Ellery Queen Father Terrence Devlin / Captain Thomas G. Horton 2 episodes Once An Eagle Alvin Merrick Recurring role 1979 The MacKenzies of Paradise Cove Cuda Weber 6 episodes 1981 Falcon Crest Chase Gioberti Episode: "Unaired Pilot" 1982 Quincy, M.E. Larry Krushevitz Episode: "For Love of Joshua" CHiPs Stoler Episode: "The Game of War" 1982–86 The Fall Guy Col. Halston / Osborne / Marv Jackson 3 episodes 1983 Automan Rudolph Brock Episode: "The Great Pretender" 1984 The Master Mr. Christensen Episode: "Max" 1985 Street Hawk Will Gassner Episode: "Fire on the Wing" Knight Rider Eugene Hanson Episode: "Buy Out" 1986 Airwolf Cullen Dixon Episode: "Day of Jeopardy" Magnum, P.I. Theo Wolf Episode: "Way of the Stalking Horse" Simon & Simon Nathan Sloan Episode: "The Manual" 1985–87 Murder, She Wrote Ray Carter / Mike Gann / Carl Mestin 3 episodes 1988 MacGyver Walt Kirby Episode: "Thin Ice" 1995 Kung Fu: The Legend Continues Deputy Clay Hardin Episode: "Gunfighters" Beavis and Butt-Head Anderson's War Buddy (voice) Episode: "What's the Deal?" Walker, Texas Ranger Duke Jamison Episode: "Final Justice" 1996 Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Art McKendrick Episode: "Medicine Man"

TV films and miniseries Year Title Role Notes 1967 Sullivan's Empire Juan Clemente 1972 The Glass House Officer Cortland Footsteps Jonas Kane 1973 Call to Danger Emmet Jergens 1974 Smile Jenny, You're Dead Detective Milt Bosworth Houston, We've Got a Problem Lou Matthews 1977 Charlie Cobb: a Nice Night for a Hanging Charles Cobb 1978 A Question of Love Mike Guettner 1979 Willa Joe Welch 1980 Kenny Rogers as The Gambler Rufe Bennett Skyward Steve Ward 1983 Living Proof: The Hank Williams Jr. Story J.R. Smith 1985 Bridge Across Time Peter Dawson Also known as: Terror at London Bridge1986North and South, Book IIMaj. General Philip Sheridan 1993 In the Line of Duty: Ambush in Waco McLennan County Sheriff

Documentary appearances Year Title Role Notes 2019 Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street Himself Documentary film

Awards and nominations The Virginian (TV series) (1966) Bronze Wrangler Award for Best Fictional Television Drama ensemble cast A Day with the Boys (1969) (director, short film) Nominated Palme d'Or — Cannes Film Festival "Best Short Film" Hunter's Blood (1986) Nominated Saturn Award "Best Supporting Actor" Gulager is one of several "Oklahoma Walk of Fame" members represented on medallions in front of Tulsa's Circle Cinema.