Tiny Ron Taylor

For other uses of "Ron Taylor", see Ron Taylor (disambiguation).

Ronald "Tiny Ron" Taylor (November 21, 1947 – November 28, 2019^[1]) was an American film actor and former basketball player, known for his work in feature films such as The Rocketeer (1991) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and in television series such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and as Al, the very tall police detective whose face is always out of frame in the Police Squad! and The Naked Gun franchise. His roles tended to exploit his 7 ft (2.13 m) frame.

"Tiny Ron" Taylor
Born	Ronald Taylor (1947-11-21)November 21, 1947 Torrance, California, U.S.
Died	November 28, 2019(2019-11-28) (aged 72) Santa Clarita, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Basketball player, actor

Early life

Taylor was born in Torrance, California. He attended North Torrance High School and graduated from the University of Southern California.^[2]

Sports career

Ron Taylor

Personal information
Born	(1947-11-21)November 21, 1947 Torrance, California
Died	November 28, 2019(2019-11-28) (aged 72) Santa Clarita, California
Nationality	American
Listed height	7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)
Listed weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
High school	North Torrance (Torrance, California)
College	USC (1966–1969)
NBA draft	1969: 2nd round, 3rd overall pick
Drafted by	Seattle SuperSonics
Playing career	1969–1972
Position	Center
Number	5, 22
Career history
1969	Washington Caps
1969–1970	New York Nets
1970–1971	Virginia Squires
1971–1972	Pittsburgh Condors
Career statistics
Points	371 (4.8 ppg)
Rebounds	294 (3.8 rpg)
Assists	68 (0.9 apg)
Stats at Basketball Reference

Taylor was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the 1969 NBA draft, but never played in the NBA. Instead, he started playing in the American Basketball Association. He played for four teams from 1969 to 1972: the New York Nets and Washington Caps (1969–70); the Virginia Squires (1970–71); and the Pittsburgh Condors (1971–72). He played 75 of his 77 career games in his first season, 72 of them for the Nets. He scored 371 total points (4.8 ppg), 294 total rebounds (3.7 rpg), and 68 assists (0.9 apg). He also played some basketball in Austria before deciding to be an actor.^[3][4]

Acting career

When Taylor applied to the Screen Actors Guild, he learned that the name "Ron Taylor" was already in use by another actor. His acting teacher suggested he use "Tiny Ron", figuring that in a niche category populated by actors with such screen names as "André the Giant," the name "Tiny Ron" would stand out.^[5]

Illness and death

In 2016, Taylor stepped away from acting after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He died in Santa Clarita on November 28, 2019, a week after his 72nd birthday.^[6]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1988	Seven Hours to Judgment	Ira Martin
	The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!	Al
1989	Road House	Mountain
1991	The Rocketeer	Lothar / Good Old Boy
	Camp Fear	The Druid	Direct-to-video film
1994	Ace Ventura: Pet Detective	Roc
1996	Last Man Standing	Jacko the Giant
2001	Double Down	Terry
2004	Six: The Mark Unleashed	Eddie
2006	Sasquatch Mountain	Sasquatch
2007	Revamped	Giant Vladimus	Direct-to-video film
2010	Holyman Undercover	Tiny
	Brother White	Tiny
2013	The Book of Esther	Nasir
2015	Dancer and the Dame	Martin	Final film role; Direct-to-video film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Police Squad!	Al	4 episodes; uncredited
1989	Coach	Player	Episode: "Gambling for Meat"
	My Two Dads	Jeffrey	Episode: "The Courtship of Nicole's Fathers"
1990	Life Goes On	Tall Man	Episode: "The Banquet Room Renovation"
	The New Adam-12	Tall Suspect	Episode: "Vigilante"
1993–1999	Star Trek: Deep Space Nine	Maihar'du	7 episodes
1994	Bakersfield P.D.	Indian	Episode: "There Goes the Neighborhood"
1995	Alien Nation: Body and Soul	Giant	Television film
1996	Alien Nation: The Enemy Within	Queen Mother	Television film
1998	Star Trek: Voyager	Alpha-Hirogen Idrin	2 episodes
2010–2014	Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule	God / Fake Dad	2 episodes
2016–2017	Hitting the Breaks	Tiny	3 episodes; Final role