Gilyard was born on Christmas Eve, 1955, into a military family in Moses Lake, Washington, the son of Barbara and Clarence Gilyard Sr., a United States Air Force officer. Gilyard is the second child in a family of six. Gilyard was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, but grew up on Air Force bases in Hawaii, Texas, and Florida.

He was raised primarily as a Lutheran before becoming Catholic in the 1990s. Gilyard spent his adolescence in the San Bernardino suburb of Rialto, California, where he attended Eisenhower High School. He graduated from high school in 1974 and then spent a year as an Air Force Academy cadet before leaving the service to attend Sterling College. He played football in college and was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity. He was also awarded a tennis scholarship, but he dropped out before completing his studies.

Gilyard was preoccupied with women, alcohol, and, on occasion, drugs while living with his parents in high school. His parents pressured him to leave, so he moved to Long Beach, California, with a friend. He majored in acting at California State University, Long Beach, and worked as a waiter while looking for acting jobs. His bachelor’s degree was earned at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Gilyard worked at a clothing store with a housemate and was promoted to manager. He briefly left this to work selling industrial chemicals. Gilyard returned to school in 2003, earning a master’s degree in theatre performance from Southern Methodist University.

Who was Clarence Gilyard’s first wife Catherine Dutko?

Gilyard was married twice and had six children. His first marriage to Catherine Dutko ended in divorce, and he married his second wife, Elena, in 2001. He was a consultant to the communications committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.