Gary Klar

Gary Howard Klar (March 24, 1947 – December 31, 2020) was an American actor born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, who built a career across film, television, and Broadway. Raised by adoptive parents alongside twelve siblings who were also adopted, Klar did not learn of his adoption until December 30, 1998, when he received an unannounced call from a Connecticut state official. That conversation also revealed that a longtime friend named Steve was his biological brother, and that a woman he had dated in his youth was his biological sister. The story attracted national media attention and was featured on programs including Dateline NBC and Good Morning America.

Before pursuing acting, Klar played football in college and had a brief professional career that ended due to injury. He subsequently turned to the stage and screen. His first film appearance came in a small role as a cameraman in the 1980 film Hero at Large. He went on to appear in Married to the Mob (1988), Big (1988), Three Men and a Baby, and Hackers (1995), as well as in the music video for Cyndi Lauper's "She Bop."

Klar is best known for his role as Pvt. Steel in George A. Romero's 1985 zombie horror film Day of the Dead. On April 11, 2015, he made his last public appearance at the Cinema Wasteland convention in Strongsville, Ohio, joining fellow cast and crew members Lori Cardille, Joe Pilato, John Amplas, Anthony Dileo Jr., Jarlath Conroy, Terry Alexander, Sherman Howard, Tom Savini, Phil Kellams, and Taso Stavrakis for a panel marking the film's thirtieth anniversary.

On Broadway, Klar appeared in Blood Brothers and The Guys in the Truck, with his Broadway work dating to 1983. He resided in Connecticut with his wife and children until his death on December 31, 2020, which was confirmed the following day by the George A. Romero Foundation.