Kilroy Was Here

🔫 Clu Gulager: The Cowboy Who Crashed into Cult Cinema

Clu Gulager facing off with the undead in Return of the Living Dead

Clu Gulager wasn’t the loudest guy in the room, but he didn’t need to be. With a sly smile and sharp delivery, he made every scene crackle—whether he was riding the range, robbing a bank, or facing off with zombies.

He started in westerns, all grit and grit-your-teeth standoffs. But instead of fading out with the genre, he shifted gears—jumping into horror, thrillers, and indie cult hits that gave him a whole new generation of fans.

From television regular to underground favorite, Gulager’s career was a strange, steady climb through Hollywood’s back doors. Directors loved him because he showed up, hit his mark, and brought something just a little off-center.

He didn’t chase stardom. He just kept working—and along the way, built one of the most unexpectedly cool careers in film and television history.

👶 Early Life

Clu Gulager was born William Martin Gulager on November 16, 1928, in Holdenville, Oklahoma. He was raised by his father, a former cowboy turned county sheriff, after losing his mother at an early age. His nickname "Clu" came from a Cherokee word for a type of bird—fitting, since he always seemed to be in motion, never quite landing in one place for too long.

Growing up in rural Oklahoma during the Great Depression, Gulager was surrounded by roughnecks, ranchers, and real-deal outlaws—people who would later shape his understanding of human behavior, especially when playing men with moral gray zones.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps before pursuing acting, enrolling at Northeastern State University and later Baylor University, where he developed a love for literature and performance. That mix of toughness and intellect would follow him through his entire career.

Eventually, he made his way to Los Angeles, studying under Jean Louis Barrault and making ends meet with early TV appearances. It wasn’t glamorous, but Gulager wasn’t after glamour—he wanted the work, and he had the face and presence to get it.

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🎬 Film and TV Career

Clu Gulager’s film and TV career is the kind of patchwork that only a true working actor could assemble—starting with clean-cut cowboys and ending with blood-soaked cult horror. He made his early mark in television, especially with Riverboat (1959–1961), where he played alongside Darren McGavin and a young Burt Reynolds. Not long after, he joined the cast of The Tall Man (1960–1962), portraying none other than Billy the Kid opposite Barry Sullivan’s Pat Garrett. That role made him a western TV staple.

He popped up in just about every major TV show of the ’60s and ’70s: Have Gun Will Travel with Richard Boone, Bonanza, Wagon Train, The Virginian, and Gunsmoke with James Arness. His blend of calm coolness and barely contained tension made him perfect for the genre. But he didn’t stay in the saddle forever.

One of his most memorable early film roles was in The Killers (1964), directed by Don Siegel. Clu starred opposite Lee Marvin, John Cassavetes, Angie Dickinson, and Ronald Reagan (in his last acting role before politics). Gulager played a hitman—casual, cold, and terrifyingly charming. That film set him up for a shift away from westerns and into grittier crime and thriller territory.

In the ’70s, he became a familiar guest star on procedural TV. He appeared on Barnaby Jones with Buddy Ebsen, Quincy, M.E. alongside Jack Klugman, Ironside, Cannon, and The FBI. He wasn’t flashy, but he always stood out—his delivery was never quite like anyone else’s, clipped and smooth with just a trace of menace.

Then came the horror boom of the ’80s, and Clu Gulager jumped in like he’d been waiting for it all along. He starred in The Return of the Living Dead (1985), playing Burt, the panicked warehouse owner along with James Karen who accidentally unleashes a toxic zombie apocalypse. It was a perfect fit—part straight man, part chaos agent—and the movie became a cult classic. That same year, he also showed up in A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge as the concerned (and completely overwhelmed) father.

He never really stopped. In the 2000s, he worked with his son, director John Gulager, on the over-the-top gorefest Feast (2005), part of the Project Greenlight series. It introduced him to a new generation of horror fans, many of whom had no idea this guy once rode alongside Richard Boone or held his own against Lee Marvin.

Clu Gulager was a chameleon—able to slip into any genre, any budget, any mood. And he always brought something interesting. Whether he was cleaning a shotgun or unloading snappy dialogue in a coroner’s office, you got the sense he wasn’t just playing a part. He was that guy—worn in, world-weary, and quietly electric.

🧟‍♂️ The Return of the Living Dead – Collector’s Edition of Cult Chaos

Clu Gulager stars in one of the most chaotic, punk-fueled zombie films of the 1980s—The Return of the Living Dead—a cult classic that redefined what horror could be: funny, fast, and full of brains. Literally.

Zombies, punks, and grave-robbing gone wrong in this 80s horror essential.

This 1985 horror-comedy opens in a medical supply warehouse where two bumbling employees—played by James Karen and Thom Mathews—accidentally release a toxic gas that reanimates the dead. Enter Clu Gulager as Burt, the panicked boss trying (and failing) to contain the growing nightmare. What follows is pure cinematic mayhem: punks partying in a cemetery, acid rain, military cover-ups, and zombies that can actually run *and* talk.

Directed by Dan O’Bannon (writer of Alien), the film is as sharp as it is splattery, delivering scares and laughs in equal measure. Gulager plays it straight amid the madness, anchoring the chaos with a performance that’s both funny and frazzled—exactly what the movie needed.

This Collector’s Edition DVD includes a 2K scan, extensive bonus features, commentary tracks, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage that digs deep into the guts of one of horror’s most beloved cult hits.

🛒 Buy The Return of the Living Dead – Collector’s Edition on DVD 🧟‍♂️

🕊️ Later Years

Clu Gulager didn’t coast into retirement—he worked until the very end, often showing up in places you wouldn’t expect, always with that same calm, slightly crooked charm. As the decades rolled on, he became a beloved fixture in indie film circles and horror conventions, where fans of Return of the Living Dead and Elm Street 2 treated him like royalty.

In the 2000s, he teamed up with his son, director John Gulager, for the wild, bloody ride that was Feast (2005), a gory monster flick that won Project Greenlight and became an instant midnight hit. Clu played a grizzled barfly named Bartender, and honestly—it just fit. He reprised the role in Feast II and Feast III, showing he hadn’t lost a step when it came to weird and wonderful horror.

Outside of genre films, he also worked with major indie directors. He appeared in Tangerine (2015), shot entirely on iPhones, and in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), where he had a quiet, dignified cameo as a bookstore owner—small, but memorable, like most of his late-career appearances.

He kept acting into his 90s, not because he had to—but because it was who he was. He wasn’t chasing the spotlight. He just loved the work. Clu Gulager passed away on August 5, 2022, at the age of 93. The industry didn’t lose a headline name—it lost one of its most quietly enduring pros. The guy who never tried to steal the scene, but somehow always did.

🏆 Legacy

Clu Gulager’s legacy isn’t one built on blockbuster leads or red-carpet moments—it’s built on consistency, versatility, and a kind of quiet intensity that stuck with you long after the credits rolled. He was the guy who could ride a horse in the morning and fight zombies by night, and somehow make both feel completely real.

To western fans, he’ll always be Billy the Kid from The Tall Man, or the dependable first mate from Riverboat. To horror fans, he’s Burt from The Return of the Living Dead—frantic, funny, and unforgettable. And to film lovers with a soft spot for the unexpected, he’s the hitman in The Killers, the tough dad in Elm Street 2, or the grizzled bartender in Feast, just doing what he always did—elevating every scene he was in.

He never courted fame, and maybe that’s why he lasted. Directors loved him because he was dependable. Fans loved him because he was real. He didn’t have a gimmick—he had presence.

Clu Gulager's name might not always lead the marquee, but his face, his voice, and his perfectly timed delivery earned him a spot in just about every genre worth watching. That’s not just a career—it’s a legacy.

Further Reading & Resources

📖 Read: “Actors Act” – Oklahoma Magazine’s Tribute to Clu Gulager
🎥 Watch: Clu Gulager Interview on A Word on Westerns

M L Lamp

ML Lamp is the owner of Kilroy Was Here. After his 20 years of working in Las Vegas in the entertainment promotions field, Mr. Lamp retired in 2002 from his job to pursue his passion for collectibles. Now as a guest speaker and author he’s living the dream, and sharing his warmth with You.