Tiny Ron Taylor
Encyclopedia
Ronald "Tiny Ron" Taylor is an American
film actor and former basketball player. He is possibly best known for his roles as Lothar in The Rocketeer
(1991
) and Roc in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
(1994
), both roles that exploited his 7 ft (2.13 m) frame and craggy features. He also played Al, the tall police detective whose face is never seen, in The Naked Gun
(1988) and on the TV series Police Squad!
. He has also appeared on television, including several times on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
in the role of the Hupyrian alien Maihar'du.
Tiny Ron's nickname was given to him by an acting teacher when he applied to the Screen Actors Guild
, since the name "Ron Taylor" was already in use by another actor
. His teacher figured that in a niche category populated by actors with screen names such as "André the Giant
," the name "Tiny Ron" would stand out.
Tiny Ron graduated from the University of Southern California
, and played professional basketball
in Austria
in the 1970s before starting his film career. He was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics
in the second round of the 1969 NBA Draft
, but never played in the NBA.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film actor and former basketball player. He is possibly best known for his roles as Lothar in The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer (film)
The Rocketeer is a 1991 period superhero adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and based on the character of the same name created by comic book writer/artist Dave Stevens. Directed by Joe Johnston, the film stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino...
(1991
1991 in film
The year 1991 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*April 28 - Bonnie Raitt marries actor Michael O'Keefe in New York* Terminator 2: Judgment Day, became one of the landmarks for science fiction action films with its groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic.*November...
) and Roc in Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective is a 1994 American comedy film directed by Tom Shadyac and starring Jim Carrey. It co-stars Courteney Cox, Tone Loc, Sean Young and former Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino....
(1994
1994 in film
1994 was a significant year in film.The top grosser worldwide was The Lion King, which to date stands as the highest-grossing traditionally-animated film of all time...
), both roles that exploited his 7 ft (2.13 m) frame and craggy features. He also played Al, the tall police detective whose face is never seen, in The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! is a 1988 American comedy film that is the first in a The Naked Gun series of films starring Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley, George Kennedy, and O. J. Simpson...
(1988) and on the TV series Police Squad!
Police Squad!
Police Squad! is a television comedy series first broadcast in 1982, created by Zucker, Abrahams and Zucker and starring Leslie Nielsen. A spoof of police procedurals, the series was packed with ZAZ's usual sight gags, wordplay and non sequiturs...
. He has also appeared on television, including several times on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
in the role of the Hupyrian alien Maihar'du.
Tiny Ron's nickname was given to him by an acting teacher when he applied to the Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
, since the name "Ron Taylor" was already in use by another actor
Ron Taylor (actor)
Ronald James Taylor was an American actor, singer and writer. He grew up in Galveston, Texas and later moved to New York to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After graduating, he began working in musical theater, appearing in The Wiz , before getting his break with the 1982...
. His teacher figured that in a niche category populated by actors with screen names such as "André the Giant
André the Giant
André René Roussimoff , best known as André the Giant, was a French professional wrestler and actor. His best remembered acting role was that of Fezzik, the giant in the film The Princess Bride...
," the name "Tiny Ron" would stand out.
Tiny Ron graduated from the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and played professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
in the 1970s before starting his film career. He was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle, Washington that played in the Pacific and Northwest Divisions of the National Basketball Association from 1967 until 2008. Following the 2007–08 season, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, and now plays as...
in the second round of the 1969 NBA Draft
1969 NBA Draft
The 1969 NBA Draft was the 23rd annual draft of the National Basketball Association . The draft was held on April 7, 1969 and May 7, 1969 before the 1969–70 season. In this draft, 14 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball players. A player who had finished his four-year...
, but never played in the NBA.
External links
- Profile at ABWAG, which he founded.