Gary Howard Klar

Gary Howard Klar was an American actor known for his role as Pvt. Steel in George A. Romero's cult classic zombie film Day of the Dead. He also appeared in Married to the Mob, Big, and Hackers.

Biography

Klar was born on March 24, 1947, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and was raised by adoptive parents. He had 12 siblings all of whom were adopted too. He was not aware of his adoption until many years later. He played football in college and briefly played professionally but his career unfortunately ended after an injury. He later set out to become an actor. His first film was in 1980's Hero at Large in a small role as a camera man. His biggest role was that of Pvt. Steel in the 1985 zombie horror film Day of the Dead. He continued to play minor roles in films such as Three Men and a Baby and Big, as well as appearing
in the music video for the Cyndi Lauper song, "She Bop". On December 30, 1998, he received an unannounced phone call from a Connecticut state official informing him of his adoption for the first time. He was also told that his friend Steve, who he had known since they were young, was his biological brother and a woman he dated in youth was his biological sister. His story was showcased on many television shows including Dateline NBC and Good Morning America.
Klar's last public appearance was on April 11, 2015, when he appeared at the Cinema Wasteland convention in Strongsville, Ohio, with fellow Day of the Dead 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 at a panel to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the film's release.

Personal life

Klar resided in Connecticut with his wife and children.
It was confirmed on January 1, 2021, by the George A. Romero Foundation that Klar had died on December 31, 2020.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1980	Hero at Large	Camera man
1983	Trading Places	Longshoreman
1985	Streetwalkin'	Bouncer
1985	Day of the Dead	Steel
1986	Legal Eagles	Hit Man
1987	Three Men and a Baby	Detective
1988	Big	Ticket taker
1988	Married to the Mob	Al 'The Worm'
1989	Pink Cadillac	Randy Bates
1990	Cadillac Man	Detective Walters
1990	Miami Blues	Head Bookie
1990	Quick Change	Mario Monetti
1995	Hackers	Mr. Simpson

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1985	The Equalizer	Purcell	Episode: "The Confirmation Day"
1995	Law & Order	Mountain	Episode: "Rebels"
2000	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Lt. Joey Poole	Episode: "Law & Order: [Special Victims Unit season 1#ep3\|...Or Just Look Like One]"