Whatever Happened to ‘Buck Rogers’ & ‘Silver Spoons’ Star Erin Gray?

BUCK ROGERS IN THE 25TH CENTURY, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Gil Gerard, Erin Gray, Twiki, 1979-81. — Universal Television / Courtesy: Everett Collection

What To Know

Erin Gray rose to fame as the strong and influential Colonel Wilma Deering on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.
She continued her acting career with notable roles in Silver Spoons and various films and TV shows.
Gray remains active in the entertainment industry as CEO of Heroes for Hire.

The year is 1979, just a couple of years after the release of Star Wars. At that time, television producer Glen A. Larson was working on a project for NBC called Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, starring Gil Gerard in the titular role along with Erin Gray as Colonel Wilma Deering.

Already a well-respected fashion model, the role was truly Gray’s opportunity to make the jump from magazines and TV commercials. While Wilma was beautiful and sexy, she was also a strong woman who did not take cr*p from anyone, especially Buck.

Because of the strong character she played, Gray now sees herself as something of a role model for young women. In a 2008 interview with Den of Geek, she noted:

“A lot of women will come up and say to me that I’m their first strong female role model, and I didn’t realize at the time that that’s what I was doing. The character of the Colonel was the first strong woman in a strong position…young women would come up and say ‘You’re the reason I joined the air-force, because I wanted to fly fighter jets’.”

After Buck Rogers, Gray starred opposite country music legend Kenny Rogers in the predictable but enjoyable 1982 film Six Pack, playing the love interest. Around the same time, she also joined the cast of the Ricky Schroder sitcom Silver Spoons, which ran for five seasons until 1987.

SILVER SPOONS, Joel Higgins, Rick Schroder, Erin Gray & Foobie the Robot, a new toy, 1982 - 1987. 8/26/83

Everett Collection

Gray found steady work throughout the ’90s in both television and motion pictures, including a surprising detour into horror. For those who aren’t huge fans of the Friday the 13th franchise and perhaps quit watching after the second installment, her appearance in the ninth film of the series (Jason Goes to Hell: The Final Friday) might have flown under the radar. Predictably, her character did not fare all that well due to that darn Jason Voorhees.

Gray continues to find work even today. One recent standout was her cameo appearance as Commodore Gray on the acclaimed Star Trek Continues. For any Star Trek fan who hasn’t checked it out, it is highly recommended. It is a wonderful, fan-created web series that is an absolutely faithful re-creation of the original Star Trek television series.

A PERFECT CHRISTMAS, Erin Gray, (aired July 16, 2016).

Brooke Palmer/Hallmark Channel/Courtesy: Everett Collection

Even more recently, Gray lent her talents to a Hallmark Channel original movie titled A Perfect Christmas. While these holiday rom-coms are pretty much carbon copies of each other, the formula undeniably works, and Gray is good in her limited role.

For fans eager to meet and visit with Gray, they are likely to find her at various Comic-Cons and pop culture events where her appearances shouldn’t come as a surprise because she is actually the CEO of a company called Heroes for Hire. Through this talent agency, she helps celebrities connect with fans all over the world. So, the next time you hear that a star like Tom Welling, LeVar Burton, or Gray herself is making an appearance at a local convention, it is very likely due to the direct efforts of Heroes for Hire.