Meshach Taylor

Meshach Taylor

Meshach Taylor in New York in 2011
Born (1947-04-11)April 11, 1947
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died June 28, 2014(2014-06-28) (aged 67)
Altadena, California, U.S.
Cause of death Colorectal cancer
Alma mater Florida A&M University
Occupation Actor
Years active 1977–2014
Spouse(s) Bianca Ferguson Taylor (m. 1983–2014)
Children 4

Meshach Taylor (April 11, 1947 – June 28, 2014) was an American actor.[1] He was Emmy-nominated for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986–93).[1] He was also known for his portrayal of Hollywood Montrose, a flamboyant window dresser in Mannequin.[1] He played Sheldon Baylor on the CBS sitcom Dave's World (1993–97), appeared as Tony on the short-lived NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill opposite Dabney Coleman, and appeared as the recurring character Alastair Wright, the social studies teacher and later school principal, on Nickelodeon's sitcom, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

Early life

Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts to Joseph T. Taylor, former dean of students at Dillard University in New Orleans, who was also the first dean of arts and sciences at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and Hertha Mae (née Ward).

After the family moved from New Orleans to Indianapolis, Taylor graduated from Crispus Attucks High School in 1964, where he took an interest in acting, and went on to study in the dramatic arts programs at Wilmington College (Ohio) and Florida A&M University. Leaving Florida A&M a few credits shy of graduation, he worked in Indianapolis as a State House reporter for AM radio station WIFE (now WTLC), where he used the on-air name Bruce Thomas, and as the host of a community-affairs program on television station WLWI (now WTHR), as Bruce Taylor.[2][3][4] Many years later, in May 1993, he received his bachelor's degree in theatre arts from Florida A&M.[5]

Career

Theater and teleplays

Taylor's first professional acting gig was in a national tour of Hair. He honed his craft in repertory theater as a member of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, and the Organic Theater Company alongside Joe Mantegna, André DeShields, Dennis Franz, Keith Szarabajka, Jack Wallace, and director Stuart Gordon. While in Chicago, he appeared in David Rabe's Streamers, Native Son (1979 Joseph Jefferson Award Nomination for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play), The Island and Athol Fugard’s Sizwe Banzi Is Dead, for which he garnered the 1977 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actor in a Principal Role in a Play. He received an Emmy Award for his role as Jim in the WTTW production of Huckleberry Finn and hosted the Chicago television show Black Life. In 1998, Taylor made his Broadway debut as Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast, where he starred alongside Toni Braxton.[6] In September, 2012, he appeared in Year of the Rabbit at Ensemble Studio Theater-LA as Vietnam veteran JC Bridges.[7]

Television and film

In 1977, Taylor moved to Los Angeles, where he crafted a gallery of memorable characters in film and on television, including his Emmy nominated turn in the CBS sitcom Designing Women, co-starring beside series stars Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts, Jean Smart, Alice Ghostley, Jan Hooks, Julia Duffy and Judith Ivey. Taylor played Anthony Bouvier, the assistant at the fictitious Sugarbaker interior design firm in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1989, he received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.[1]

In May 1981, the ninth season of M*A*S*H, he was seen as a corpsman in the final episode, "The Life You Save".[8] From 1993-97, he was a series regular as plastic surgeon Sheldon Baylor on Dave's World (CBS), and had a recurring role as Alastair Wright, the history teacher turned school principal, on Nickelodeon's sitcom, Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide (2004–07) and Buffalo Bill (NBC) with Dabney Coleman.[9]

Other appearances include: The Unit (CBS), Jessie (Disney Channel), Hannah Montana (Disney Channel) as a fashion designer, All of Us as Neesee's father, The Drew Carey Show (ABC), Static Shock (Kids WB!), Caroline in the City (NBC), Aaahh!!! Real Monsters (Nickelodeon), Women of the House (CBS), In the Heat of the Night (NBC), Punky Brewster (NBC), What’s Happening Now!, Hill Street Blues (NBC), ALF (NBC), Melba (CBS), The Golden Girls (NBC), Cagney & Lacey (CBS), Barney Miller (ABC), Lou Grant (CBS), The White Shadow (CBS), The Incredible Hulk (CBS), and Barnaby Jones (CBS).[9]

In 1996, Taylor hosted his own series on HGTV, The Urban Gardener with Meshach Taylor, and in 1998, he hosted Meshach Taylor's Hidden Caribbean on The Travel Channel. He was a regular panelist on the 2000 revival of the television game show To Tell the Truth. He co-hosted Living Live! with Florence Henderson on Retirement Living TV; in 2008, the program was revamped as The Florence Henderson Show.[9]

In November 2012, Taylor guest-starred on Criminal Minds (CBS), opposite Joe Mantegna (Rossi), as Harrison Scott, Rossi's former Marine sergeant with whom he served in Vietnam in "The Fallen" (Season 8, Episode 7).[10] In January 2014, he reprised this role in "The Road Home" (Season 9, Episode 13) which aired January 22, 2014, just five months before his death.[11] Joe Mantegna led a Criminal Minds (CBS) Season 10 episode, titled "Anonymous", to honor Meshach Taylor, broadcast on CBS, January 21, 2015. Mantegna was a friend to Taylor for 44 years, from the time they appeared together in 1969 in the play Hair.[12]

Taylor appeared in feature films, including Mannequin, Mannequin Two: On the Move, and Damien: Omen II.[9]

Personal life

Taylor married actress Bianca Ferguson in 1983. They had four children, daughters Tamar Taylor, Esme Taylor, Yasmine Taylor, and son Tariq Taylor, and four grandchildren.

Death

Suffering from colorectal cancer,[13] Taylor died on June 28, 2014, at his home in Altadena, California.[14][15] Taylor is survived by his wife Bianca Ferguson Taylor, their four children, his mother Hertha Ward Taylor[16] (who celebrated her 100th birthday 11 days before Meshach died), his sister Judith Taylor, his brother Hussain Taylor and four grandchildren.[13] A memorial service to celebrate his life was held at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) on July 6, 2014.[17]

Select filmography

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Meshach Taylor". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Lindquist, David (June 30, 2014). "TV star and Attucks grad Meshach Taylor dies at 67". The Indianapolis Star. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  3. ↑ "Meshach Taylor biography at". Designing Women Online. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  4. ↑ Moore, Frazier (June 29, 2014). "'Designing Women' star Meshach Taylor dies at 67". Associated Press. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  5. ↑ Scott, Carolyn Patricia (May 23, 1993). "Designing Women's Meshach Taylor Ends The Series As He Began -- With Dignity". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  6. ↑ Internet Broadway Database
  7. ↑ Perlmutter, Sharon (September 2012). "Year of the Rabbit". talkinbroadway.com.
  8. ↑ Film Reference.com
  9. 1 2 3 4 Meshach Taylor at the Internet Movie Database
  10. ↑ "The Fallen (Season 8, Episode 7)". tv.com. November 14, 2012. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  11. ↑ "The Road Home (Season 9, Episode 13)". tv.com. January 22, 2014. |first1= missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  12. ↑ Criminal Minds DVD extra 'Salute'
  13. 1 2 Colker, David (2014-06-29). "Meshach Taylor dies at 67; actor known for 'Designing Women' role". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-07-02.
  14. ↑ Parker, Ryan (2014-06-29). "Meshach Taylor, screen and TV star, dies at 67". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  15. ↑ Barnes, Mike (2014-06-28). "'Designing Women' Star Meshach Taylor Dies at 67". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2014-06-29.
  16. ↑ Ryckaert, Vic (2014-06-15). "Hertha Ward Taylor - Longtime IPS teacher celebrates 100th birthday". The Indianapolis Star.
  17. ↑ "Meshach Taylor Memorial, July 6, 2014, Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills)".

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