Gil Rogers

Gil Rogers, born John Veach Rogers Jr. on February 4, 1934, in Lexington, Kentucky, was an American actor whose career spanned theater, television, and film. He died on March 2, 2021, at the age of 87, at his daughter's residence in Encinitas, California.

Rogers developed an early interest in performance through the Lexington Children's Theatre and went on to attend Henry Clay High School. He initially enrolled at Harvard University, where he studied chemistry, but transferred to Transylvania University after deciding to pursue acting professionally, as the school offered a drama department. He earned his equity card in 1955 while working in local theater in Lexington and subsequently accumulated experience in hundreds of productions across summer stock and regional theater circuits.

His Broadway career extended from 1968 to 1983 and included three notable productions. He appeared in The Great White Hope and The Corn Is Green, and for two and a half years portrayed Sheriff Ed Earl Dodd in The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

Beyond the stage, Rogers became widely recognized for his work in daytime television, playing Ray Gardner on All My Children, Hawk Shayne on Guiding Light, and Dr. Martin Brandt on The Doctors. He also appeared in a series of Grape-Nuts cereal commercials that aired over a five-year period. His film credits include Eddie Macon's Run, W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings, and the horror film The Children.

Rogers married actress Juliet Ribet in 1964; the couple divorced in 1969. He married actress Margaret Hall in 1970, and they remained together until her death in 2015. Their daughter, Amanda Hall Rogers, is also an actress.