Actor Gil Gerard, best known for his iconic role as Captain William “Buck” Rogers in the popular 1979 film and subsequent television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, died on Tuesday at the age of 82 after his battle with “a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer.”

Gerard’s wife, Janet, took to the actor’s Facebook account to share her husband’s passing, which included a posthumous message the Buck Rogers star had written for his fans before his death.

“I was by his side when my husband passed away this morning in hospice care,” Janet said, adding, “Below is the message he left.”

She then shared a message from the actor, which stated, “If you are reading this, then Janet has posted it as I asked her to.”

“My life has been an amazing journey. The opportunities I’ve had, the people I’ve met and the love I have given and received have made my 82 years on the planet deeply satisfying,” the The Nice Guys star continued.

“My journey has taken me from Arkansas to New York to Los Angeles, and finally, to my home in North Georgia with my amazing wife, Janet, of 18 years. It’s been a great ride, but inevitably one that comes to a close as mine has,” he added.

“Don’t waste your time on anything that doesn’t thrill you or bring you love. See you out somewhere in the cosmos,” Gerard concluded in his posthumous message to fans.

Janet also shared her own tribute to her Facebook page, revealing, “Early this morning Gil — my soulmate — lost his fight with a rare and viciously aggressive form of cancer.”

“From the moment when we knew something was wrong to his death this morning was only days. No matter how many years I got to spend with him it would have ever been enough. Hold the ones you have tightly and love them fiercely.”

Gerard, born January 23, 1943 in Little Rock, Arkansas, was the youngest son of Frank and Gladys, a knife salesman and teacher, respectively. He moved to New York in 1969 to study under Philip Burton, the adoptive father of actor Richard Burton, at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, according to a report by the Hollywood Reporter.

He first appeared in the 1971 movie, Some of My Best Friends Are…, and later played the love interest of Lee Grant in the Oscar-nominated film, Airport ’77.

In television, Gerard landed his first role as Dr. Alan Steward on NBC’s soap opera, The Doctors, and would go on to appear in more than 160 episodes. The actor also played Sgt. Jake Rizzo on Sidekicks, and had a guest appearance on the long-running daytime series, Days of Our Lives in 1997.

One of Gerard’s final roles in film was the 2016 movie, The Nice Guys, in which he appeared alongside Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.

The actor is survived by his wife, Janet, and his son, Gib, whom he shared with his ex-wife, model and actress Connie Sellecca.

Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.