Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
06-17-16, 11:48 PM
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Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
06-18-16, 12:01 AM
#2
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Re: Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
Just heard this afternoon he was having trouble- and he'd lost a lot of weight too.
06-18-16, 11:29 AM
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06-18-16, 12:05 PM
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Re: Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
I thought it was pretty cool that he parodied his Billy Bob character as Reggie Ray in Not Another Teen Movie.
RIP Ron.
RIP Ron.
06-18-16, 01:29 PM
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Re: Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
This is from the Grantland profile from last year.
Also, after reading about some otters here having, or currently pursuing, gastric surgery I thought it was interesting that the article says he met with a surgeon a week after deciding to do it and had the surgery the next day.
It also says he was a virgin until he was 30, which was the same year he had the surgery.
When he moved to Hollywood — a town where funny fat guys can become millionaires — he was an overnight success. There was one problem, though: His moneymaker was slowly killing him. With a family history of heart problems, the 500-pound Lester wasn’t long for this world. Surgery saved his life. It also ended his career.
A shrinking man with loose skin greeted casting directors expecting the funny fat guy, and Lester struggled to score roles post-op. Now living in Dallas nearly 15 years after his glory days, he is left to ponder whether choosing life was the right decision.
“Am I alive? Yes. Am I happy? No. Did I throw away my career to be skinny? Yes,” he says. “I wouldn’t do [the surgery] again. I would much rather have died happy, rich, and kept my status and gone out on top.”
A shrinking man with loose skin greeted casting directors expecting the funny fat guy, and Lester struggled to score roles post-op. Now living in Dallas nearly 15 years after his glory days, he is left to ponder whether choosing life was the right decision.
“Am I alive? Yes. Am I happy? No. Did I throw away my career to be skinny? Yes,” he says. “I wouldn’t do [the surgery] again. I would much rather have died happy, rich, and kept my status and gone out on top.”
It also says he was a virgin until he was 30, which was the same year he had the surgery.
06-18-16, 01:38 PM
#6
DVD Talk Hero
Re: Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
Poor guy.
I read about him yesterday and then saw "moved to hospice", 45 is way too young to go.
I guess he's been in the hospital pretty constantly for the last 8 months.
I didn't realize he was 28 in Varsity Blues, I know they cast older for HS but man that's a big stretch there. Was surprised to see he was 45 now.
I read about him yesterday and then saw "moved to hospice", 45 is way too young to go.
I guess he's been in the hospital pretty constantly for the last 8 months.
I didn't realize he was 28 in Varsity Blues, I know they cast older for HS but man that's a big stretch there. Was surprised to see he was 45 now.
06-18-16, 04:18 PM
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Re: Ron Lester, "Billy Bob" from Varsity Blues dead at 45.
