Ron Lester
{{short description|American actor (1970–2016)}}
{{For|the American basketball player and executive|Ronnie Lester}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Ronlester-5.jpg
| caption = Lester in 2003
| alt = Ron Lester in 2003
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1970|08|04}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2016|6|17|1970|8|4}}
| death_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1994–2015
}}
Ron Lester (August 4, 1970 – June 17, 2016){{cite magazine|last1=Robinson|first1=Will|title=Ron Lester, 'Varsity Blues' star, dies at 45|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/06/17/ron-lester-dead-varsity-blues-actor-dies-45/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=17 June 2016|language=en}} was an American actor.{{cite news|title=Ron Lester, Actor Known for 'Varsity Blues,' Dies at 45|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/20/movies/ron-lester-actor-known-for-varsity-blues-dies-at-45.html|work=The New York Times|agency=Reuters|date=19 June 2016}} He was best known for his roles in the films Varsity Blues, Not Another Teen Movie, Good Burger, and the television series Popular.{{cite news|last1=Golianopoulos|first1=Thomas|title=Billy Bob's Blues|url=https://grantland.com/features/ron-lester-varsity-blues-billy-bob-weight-loss-hollywood/|work=Grantland|date=3 April 2014}}
Career
Lester's first acting role came when he went to Atlanta, Georgia, to appear as an extra in a commercial, which turned into a feature part. He appeared in the music video for "Kick a Little" by the country music band Little Texas in 1994.{{Citation needed|date=November 2023}}
Lester moved to Los Angeles and began doing stand-up comedy in comedy clubs.{{Citation needed |date=July 2024}} His first film role was in the movie Good Burger in 1997. In 1999 Lester played the role of Billy Bob in the film Varsity Blues, which would become the role he is most known for. That year he also had recurring roles on two TV drama comedies, Freaks and Geeks and Popular. He also appeared in Not Another Teen Movie, portraying a character that was a parody of his role in Varsity Blues.
Personal life
Obese since childhood, at his heaviest Lester weighed {{convert|508|lbs}}. In 2000, Lester underwent a gastric bypass surgery procedure called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with a duodenal switch, losing {{convert|310|lbs}}. During the procedure Lester flatlined. After the gastric bypass, he had 17 plastic surgeries to remove excess skin.
In September 2015, Lester was hospitalized due to issues with his liver and kidneys. In June 2016, he was reported to be in critical condition and in hospice care.{{cite magazine|last1=Robinson|first1=Will|title='Varsity Blues' actor Ron Lester in hospice care|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/06/17/ron-lester-varsity-blues-hospice/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=17 June 2016|language=en|access-date=1 October 2019|archive-date=1 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001161445/https://ew.com/article/2016/06/17/ron-lester-varsity-blues-hospice/|url-status=dead}} At 9:00 PM on June 17, 2016, Lester died of liver and kidney failure shortly after his family requested that he be taken off life support. He was 45 years old.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1997
| Spatch | Film debut |
| 1999
| Billy Bob | |
| 1999
| Earl Langston | |
| 2001
| Reggie Ray | Spoof of his role as "Billy Bob" in Varsity Blues |
| 2002
| Styles | |
| 2010
| Dr. Jeffords | Also co-Executive Producer |
| 2015
| Racing Legacy | Roger Hardwick | Also Writer, Director and Executive Producer |
=Short films=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 2001
| Drum Solo | | |
| 2013
| I Think My Mom's Trying to Kill Me | Son | Also Associate Producer |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1998
| All That | The Brute | Episode: "The Lox" |
| 1999
| Kung Fu Dermatologist | Episode: "Kung Fu Dermatologist" |
| 1999–2000
| Seidleman | Episodes: "Pilot", "Looks and Books", and "Noshing and Moshing" |
| 1999–2001
| Popular | Michael 'Sugar Daddy' Bernardino | 43 episodes |
| 2001
| Wally | Episodes: "Really Big Season Opener" (uncredited) and "Humble Pie" |
| 2005
| Edward Cage | TV movie |
| 2005
| CSI: NY | Officer Murphy | Episode: "Dancing with the Fishes" |
=Music videos=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Performer(s) ! class="unsortable" | Notes |
|---|
| 1994
| "Kick a Little" | Directed by Jon Small |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web|title=Ron Lester Online|url=http://www.ronlesteronline.com/|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201043053/http://www.ronlesteronline.com/|archivedate=1 February 2014}}
- {{IMDb name|nm0504516|Ron Lester}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lester, Ron}}
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:Deaths from kidney failure in Texas
Category:Male actors from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:Deaths from liver failure
{{US-film-actor-1970s-stub}}