“Buck Rogers” Star Erin Gray Says She Felt ‘Objectified’ by Roles in the ‘80s, Always Had to Have ‘Goo-Goo Eyes’ for Leading Man

Tereza ShkurtajSun, September 6, 2026 at 11:59 AM UTC

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Erin Gray in 2018; Erin Gray in ‘Buck Rogers.’Credit: Albert L. Ortega/Getty; Herb Ball/NBCU via getty -

Erin Gray recently looked back on the limits she faced as an actress in the 1980s, when women were often valued more for their appearance than their ability to lead a story

The 76-year-old actress recalls wanting roles that gave her more to explore as a performer

Despite those limitations, her portrayal of Colonel Wilma Deering on Buck Rogers had a lasting impact, inspiring many women to pursue military careers

Erin Gray’s role as Colonel Wilma Deering on Buck Rogers in the 25th Century made her a familiar face to TV audiences in the 1980s. But while the role was memorable, Gray says women at the time were often given parts that left them on the sidelines of the story.

Decades later, in a recent interview with Woman’s World, Gray opened up about how her role as Wilma left her wanting to take on more meaningful material.

“There were very few roles for women to star in, period,” Gray, 76, told the outlet. “I was always the objectified, beautiful girl who adoringly looked up at her leading man and whatever, but to be the center and to carry the story was a rare occurrence.”

Gil Gerard and Erin Gray in ‘Buck Rogers.’Credit: Herb Ball/NBCU via getty

In the show, Gray played a capable military officer who stood alongside Gil Gerard’s Buck Rogers throughout the series. Wilma was strong and skilled in her own right, but Buck Rogers in the 25th Century was ultimately centered on its male lead, leaving Wilma in his shadow even though she had an important role to play.

The one occasion where Wilma’s story truly shined came with “Vampire in Space,” the only episode Gray said she remembers her character being pivotal to the story.

“To be in something where I could be pivotal to that storyline was very appealing to me as an actress,” she shared.

While Gray acknowledged that she had done plenty of romantic material during the ‘80s and had “no problem with that,” she wanted opportunities that offered greater depth, using her lead role in the 1982 drama Born Beautiful as a prime example.

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“I didn’t want it to be all about being goo-goo eyes at the leading man kind of thing,” she emphasized. “But there’s something as an actor, as a talent, that you just want something you can sink your teeth into.”

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‘Buck Rogers’ cast.Credit: Herb Ball/NBCU via getty

Gray’s comments also shed light on why the prospect of playing Captain Kathryn Janeway on Star Trek: Voyager was so appealing at the time, even though she didn’t end up landing the role.

Still, Wilma’s influence proved more significant than Gray could have imagined. She noted that the character went on to inspire women who watched her, including some who were motivated to pursue careers in the military.

“I had a woman who was one of the highest-ranking women in the Marine Corps come up to my table and she was, like, ‘You’re the reason,’” Gray recalled. “I’m looking at this almost six-foot-tall woman going, ‘Really? I inspired you?’ ‘Absolutely.’ “

“I did not ever think when I got the job on Buck Rogers that that would have that kind of influence,” she told Woman’s World. “To find out 10, 15 years later the impact, it was mind-boggling to me.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”