By the mid-80s. Gilyard was concentrating on film roles, making an auspicious debut as the radar technician who has difficulties achieving the expectations of his cohort 'Maverick' (Tom Cruise) in Tony Scott's slick "Top Gun" (1986). Gilyard went on to essay a military man in "The Karate Kid" (also 1986) and was cast as one of the terrorists in the blockbuster "Die Hard" (1988), but that one breakthrough feature role proved elusive. The actor instead returned to series TV in 1988 joining the cast of "Matlock" (NBC) and spending five years playing the legman for Andy Griffith's folksy attorney. When that series switched networks, Gilyard moved to CBS to co-star alongside Chuck Norris as the former football player-turned-lawman partner of "Walker, Texas Ranger".