| Birth Date: | 4 August 1970 |
| Death Place: | Dallas, Texas, U.S. |
| Occupation: | Actor |
| Years Active: | 1994–2015 |
Ron Lester (August 4, 1970 – June 17, 2016)[1] was an American actor.[2] He was best known for his roles in the films Varsity Blues, Not Another Teen Movie, Good Burger, and the television series Popular.[3]
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.
Lester moved to Los Angeles and began doing stand-up comedy in comedy clubs. 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.
Obese since childhood, at his heaviest Lester weighed . In 2000, Lester underwent a gastric bypass surgery procedure called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass with a duodenal switch, losing . 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.[4] 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.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Good Burger | Spatch | Film debut | |
| 1999 | Varsity Blues | Billy Bob | ||
| 1999 | Dill Scallion | Earl Langston | ||
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie | Reggie Ray | Spoof of his role as "Billy Bob" in Varsity Blues | |
| 2002 | The Greenskeeper | Styles | ||
| 2010 | The Fat Boy Chronicles | Dr. Jeffords | Also co-Executive Producer | |
| 2015 | Racing Legacy | Roger Hardwick | Also Writer, Director and Executive Producer | |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Drum Solo | |||
| 2013 | I Think My Mom's Trying to Kill Me | Son | Also Associate Producer |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | All That | The Brute | Episode: "The Lox" | |
| 1999 | Cousin Skeeter | Kung Fu Dermatologist | Episode: "Kung Fu Dermatologist" | |
| 1999–2000 | Freaks and Geeks | Seidleman | Episodes: "Pilot", "Looks and Books", and "Noshing and Moshing" | |
| 1999–2001 | Popular | Michael 'Sugar Daddy' Bernardino | 43 episodes | |
| 2001 | Sabrina the Teenage Witch | Wally | Episodes: "Really Big Season Opener" (uncredited) and "Humble Pie" | |
| 2005 | The Karate Dog | Edward Cage | TV movie | |
| 2005 | Officer Murphy | Episode: "Dancing with the Fishes" |