'50s And '60s Westerns Star Clu Gulager Dies At 93

Clu Gulager passed away at 93.
He died of natural causes at his son’s home.
He was a star of many Westerns in the ’50s and ’60s.

Clu Gulager was one of the original cowboys on television. He starred in many TV westerns in the 1950s and 1960s and became an icon. His most famous western roles were in The Tall Man, Wagon Train, and The Virginians. His career continued into the ’70s and ’80s when he guest-starred on many popular shows such as Barnaby Jones, Hawaii Five-O, and Magnum P.I.

Clu never stopped working and delighted fans with a cameo in the 2019 film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. If you’ve seen the film, you might recall when Sharon Tate, played by Margot Robbie, visits a bookstore. Clu played the clerk.

Clu Gulager passed away at 93 years old

THE KILLERS, Clu Gulager, 1964 / Everett Collection

He recently passed away at the age of 93. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood was his final role. He was born William Martin Gulager but used his Cherokee nickname Clu in Hollywood. His father gave him the nickname after clu-clu birds were nesting at their home when he was born.

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THE VIRGINIAN, Randy Boone, Roberta Shore, Clu Gulager, 1962-1971 / Everett Collection

Clu attended college in Oklahoma and Texas and later won a one-year scholarship to study in Paris. He worked under Jean-Louis Barrault, a French actor and director. He returned home in 1952 and married actress Miriam Byrd-Nethery. They had two sons together, John and Tom, and remained married until she passed away in 2003.

OUT OF PRINT, Clu Gulager, 2014, ©Level 33 Entertainment/courtesy Everett Collection

One of Clu’s greatest accomplishments was being nominated for the Best Short Film at Cannes for his film A Day with the Boys in 1969. He is survived by his sons.