It feels like we've lost more people this year than in any year in recent memory. Ron Lester may not have been the biggest celebrity among them, but he was no less loved by his friends. The former Varsity Blues actor passed away over the weekend at the age of 45. Since then, the many actors and actresses that worked with him have shown what an impact he had on their lives.
While Ron Lester was never a household name, he still had memorable roles in popular films and television shows. His most well-known role was as Billy Bob, the massive offensive lineman in Varsity Blues. James Van Der Beek, the star of that movie took to Twitter to remember his co-star and friend.
Ron Lester was such a memorable part of Varsity Blues that when it came time to parody the character of Billy Bob in Not Another Teen Movie, they simply hired Lester to play a more comedic version of the same role. Apparently, they realized there was nobody who could do the role justice beyond the actor himself.
In addition to his two major film roles, Ron Lester also made his mark on television, on the series Popular as Michael Bernadino, known as "Sugar Daddy." Several of his co-stars there have also stopped to remember Lester. Christopher Gorham reminds us that while Lester had been sick, he continued to live his life to the fullest, as he left behind a fiance.
Ron Lester had been dealing with significant kidney and liver issues in recent years, symptoms associated with the actor's significant size. Lester underwent gastric bypass surgery in 2000 in order to significantly reduce his weight. While the surgery was successful, the actor credited the decision with reducing the number of parts he received, as most of his roles had required him to be big.
After a prolonged stay in a Dallas area ICU, Ron Lester had been moved to hospice care on Friday, a decision likely meant to make him more comfortable for an outcome that was seen as inevitable. Later that day Lester died of liver failure.
The loss of Ron Lester is felt by his friends and fans alike. The loss of Lester occurred on the same weekend that actor Anton Yelchin was lost in a car accident.
At this point, we here at Cinema Blend are officially tired of saying goodbye to actors we've loved. It would be appreciated if death could just take the rest of the year off and give us all a break.
