'Fast Times' Star Taylor Negron Dies At 57
He was not on the list.
Sources are
confirming that comedian Taylor Negron has died after a long battle with
cancer. He was 57. Chuck Negron,
Taylor’s cousin, of the ’70s band Three Dog Night, released an online video
with the sad news today saying, “I want to inform you that my cousin Taylor
Negron just passed away. His mother, his brother Alex and my brother Rene and
his wife Julie were all there with him. May he rest in peace.”
Negron was
born in Glendale, CA on August 1, 1957, the son of Lucy (née Rosario) and
Conrad Negron, Sr., a former mayor of Indian Wells, CA. He studied with Lee Strasberg and even had a
private comedy seminar with Lucille Ball. Negron interned for Ball when she was
68 years old and he was 19. Negron told
KCET, “I learned from Lucy that you never get what you really want and you have
to be flexible.”
Further
adding what he learned about comedy from her, “What I learned from her was what
she learned from Buster Keaton – know your props, know what you’re doing, know
where the exit is, know the entrances, know where the camera is. Get there
early. Know everyone on the set. Do not pull any funny business. Be a
professional.” Negron started stand-up when he was in high school, getting a
spot at the Comedy Store and began cutting his as an extra in movies. He made
his full film acting debut in 1982’s soap satire Young Doctors in Love as a love-struck, pill-popping, dancing
intern.
He was also
renowned for playing Mr. Pizza Guy in Fast Times at Ridgemont High and Rodney
Dangerfield’s son-in-law in Easy Money.
In a KCET interview, Negron said, “I became the alternative everyman in
movies.”
He played
the villain Milo in 1991’s The Last Boy Scout. Said Negron on the role, “It
wasn’t a stretch, but it came as a surprise to me, because Bruce Willis, Tony
Scott and Joel Silver had this idea in their head. So when they offered me the
part, I thought it was a joke and they had made a mistake in the printing —
that I was going to play the first goombah to the left. I realized very early
on that Joel and dear, dear Tony Scott really cared about appearances, so with
great detail they blonded my hair and gave me that asymmetrical ’60’s cut. It
was like Hitler, only softer. I wore Dolce & Gabbana clothing and I looked
so strange and otherworldly, and just by the sheer virtue of the fact that I
had a gun in my hand, that did all the acting for me.”
It was hard
not to spot Negron in any film as his credits were numerous in melange of cult
pic such as Punchline, One Crazy Summer, Angels in the Outfield, Nothing But
Trouble, Stuart Little and The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.He even reprised
his role as the peeved Pizza Guy in Amy Heckerling’s 2012 film Vamps.
In TV,
Negron started off with appearances on 1970’s The Dating Game, and made a
reputation as a hysterical guest star on 2001’s Hollywood Squares. Just as
Negron was in demand in film, so was he in TV where he guest-starred, equally
playing comedy and gravitas, on a slew of iconic TV series including Hill
Street Blues, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, The Ben Stiller Show, Seinfeld, ER,
Hope and Gloria, Party of Five, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Zoey 101 and The Wizards
of Waverly Place. Negron played in eight episodes of The Hughleys as Chuck
Ballard.
Of late, he
was fixture in the Los Angeles comedy scene, appearing at Un-Cabaret (where he
is considered one of the monologue’s shows original members), The Moth and
Comedy Central Stage’s Sit-n-Spin among many other shows. He also performed in
fellow comedians’ projects such as Melinda Hill’s web series Romantic
Encounters. Negron won best award for the series from LA webfest.
Filmography
Film
Year
Title Role
Notes
1980
The Gong Show Movie Blond-Haired Man Auditioning Uncredited
1982
Young Doctors in Love Dr. Phil Burns
1982
Fast Times at Ridgemont High Pizza Guy
1983
Easy Money Julio
1984
Johnny Dangerously Delivery Man Uncredited
1985
Better Off Dead Mailman
1985
Bad Medicine Pepe the Cab Driver
1986
One Crazy Summer Taylor
1986
The Whoopee Boys Whitey
1986
River's Edge Checker
1988
Punchline Albert Emperato
1989
How I Got into College Mailman
1991
Nothing but Trouble Fausto Squiriniszu
1991
The Last Boy Scout Milo
1993
Mr.Jones Motorcycle man / Director of Rock videos
1994
Angels in the Outfield David Montagne
1996
Bio-Dome Russell
1998
Chairman of the Board Mr. Withermeyer
1999
Stuart Little Salesman in Mall
2000
The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas Gazaam & Gazing
2007 Entry Level Charlie
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