Elena Gilyard: Clarence Gilyard’s Wife

Elena Gilyard, born Elena Castillo, was the second wife of actor Clarence Gilyard Jr., whom she married in 2001. Clarence, known for Matlock and Walker, Texas Ranger and later a UNLV acting professor, died on 28 November 2022 aged 66. Elena herself has kept a private life, and most personal detail about her is not publicly confirmed.

Full name	Elena Castillo Gilyard (maiden name Castillo, per Wikipedia’s spouse listing)
Spouse	Clarence Gilyard Jr. (married 2001; second wife; first wife Catherine Dutko, divorced)
Marriage date	2001
Husband’s death	28 November 2022, Las Vegas, after a long illness, aged 66
Husband’s career	Matlock (1986-95) as Conrad McMasters, Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001) as Jimmy Trivette, Top Gun (1986) as “Sundown”, Die Hard (1988) as Theo, UNLV associate professor of acting from 2006 until his death
Children	Clarence had six children in total (Wikipedia); how many he had with Elena, as opposed to his first marriage, is reported differently across sources and is not stated as settled here

Contents

1. 1Clarence Gilyard’s career and UNLV years
2. 2A second marriage
3. 3What is not publicly confirmed

Clarence Gilyard’s career and UNLV years

Clarence Gilyard Jr. played Conrad McMasters on Matlock (1986-95) and Jimmy Trivette on Walker, Texas Ranger (1993-2001). His film roles included “Sundown” in Top Gun (1986) and Theo in Die Hard (1988). From 2006 until his death in 2022, he was an associate professor of acting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).

A second marriage

Clarence had been married before. His first marriage, to Catherine Dutko in 1989, ended in divorce. He then married Elena Castillo in 2001, which is why Elena is described as his second wife.

What is not publicly confirmed

The number of children Clarence had with Elena, as opposed to his first marriage, is reported inconsistently across sources, and it is not stated as settled here. Elena’s own birth, career and current life are not publicly confirmed. Las Vegas was the couple’s home at his death, but her current residence is not publicly confirmed.