Meshach Taylor

Acting

Meshach Taylor

Born — Died

1947-04-11 — 2014-06-28

Place of birth

Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Known for

Acting

Credits

66 titles

Meshach Taylor (April 11, 1947 – June 28, 2014) was an American actor. He was widely known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986–93), for which he was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He was also known for his portrayal of Hollywood Montrose, a flamboyant window dresser in the 1987 film Mannequin and its 1991 sequel. Taylor also appeared as Sheldon Baylor on the CBS sitcom Dave's World (1993–97), Tony on the NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill, and social studies teacher (and later school principal) Alastair Wright on the Nickelodeon sitcom Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.

Known for

Criminal Minds poster
8.3

An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.

Criminal Minds

2005

The View poster
4.3

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.

The View

1997

M*A*S*H poster
7.9

The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.

M*A*S*H

1972

Hill Street Blues poster
7.6

A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.

Hill Street Blues

1981

The Drew Carey Show poster
6.5

Drew is an assistant director of personnel in a Cleveland department store and he has been stuck there for ten years. Other than fighting with co-worker Mimi, his hobbies include drinking beer and not being able to get dates. To make a few extra bucks he has a micro-brewery going in his garage with his buddies.

The Drew Carey Show

1995

Barney Miller poster
7.4

Barney Miller is the kind of cop we'd all like to run into. Always sensible, he maintains order over a band of detectives who gamble, hit on anything in skirts, go to renaissance philosophy conventions for fun, and would really prefer to be writing. Nearly all of the action takes place in the squad room where citizens and criminals are brought in to complicate the mix.

Barney Miller

1975

Film credits

2010s · 3 titles

Wigger poster
NR

"Wigger" is a spellbinding urban drama, which chronicles the life of a young, White, male (Brandon) who totally emulates and immerses himself in African American life and culture. Brandon is an aspiring R&B singer struggling to overcome the confines of a White racist, impoverished family headed by a neo-Nazi father who is absolutely appalled by his son's total identification with Black culture. Additionally, he is oft times reminded of his position of privilege by virtue of being White in a White, racist society despite his adamant efforts to transcend "Whiteness", institutionalized racism, and find a place for himself in a world in which he rejects Whiteness but is not always fully embraced by African American culture. Ultimately, this is the story of a young White, inner-city, male caught up in an emotional, psychological, experiential, and racial "Catch 22" determined to be granted acceptance in the life and culture with which he chooses to identify.

Wigger

2010

Hyenas poster
3.0

Roving clans of shape-shifting human/hyena creatures prowl and hunt for human prey. They are hunted by one man seeking revenge for the death of his loved ones.

Hyenas

2010

No artwork available
9.0

Tranced will allow audience members to truly experience the movie in a whole new way. Tranced will hypnotize willing audience members to participate with the movie in a way no other movie going experience ever has. When the characters on the screen get hot or cold, so does the audience. When they ride a roller coaster, audience members will feel as though they too are riding the same ride. The story follows single-mom Annie Bodie and her quest to find out that life really has great things to offer her other than a dead-end job where she hates her boss, pointless personal relationships, and the stress and anxieties of everyday life. It is at this crucial junction in her life where she meets billionaire philanthropist Sterling Wynns, who takes her on a mental, physical, and emotional ride unlike anything she has ever experienced. It is on this journey that she realizes that happiness is truly more attainable than she ever realized and she truly can get what she wants out of life.

Tranced

2010

2000s · 3 titles

1990s · 11 titles

Mannequin Two: On the Move poster
5.8

Although Jason works as a department store clerk, he is also a reincarnated prince. Long ago, his beloved Jessie was snatched away from him by an evil wizard who used his powers to transform her into wooden statue. Now Jessie is in Jason's department store as a mannequin. When he encounters her, she awakens from her thousand-year sleep. They quickly revive their romance, but the evil wizard has been reincarnated as well, and he's up to no good.

Mannequin Two: On the Move

1991

The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue poster
4.7

The rats and mice, made intellectually superior in the original Secret of N.I.M.H., return to Thorn Valley to groom their destined leader - young Timmy Brisby.

The Secret of NIMH 2: Timmy to the Rescue

1999

Class Act poster
6.3

Duncan is a genius straight A student, Blade is ajuvenile delinquent. But because of a mix up with their school records, everyone thinks each is the other one. Now, Duncan kind of likes the attention from being thought of as a real bad dude, if only the school bully would stop trying to rough him up. And Blade definitely likes being thought of as important instead of as trouble.

Class Act

1992

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble poster
6.4

On Halloween night, two precocious little girls try to save their parents from their nasty old capitalist aunt's greedy clutches. Magic abounds and they meet mysterious new friends along the way.

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble

1993

How to Murder a Millionaire poster
6.0

A Beverly Hills housewife suspects that her husband of thirty years is trying to kill her.

How to Murder a Millionaire

1990

The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: The Visitors from Outer Space poster
6.5

A family of aliens kidnaps the Hamburglar, and it's up to Ronald and the gang to save him!

The Wacky Adventures of Ronald McDonald: The Visitors from Outer Space

1999

Harry Anderson: The Tricks of His Trade poster
NR

A one man CBS Special featuring classic close-up magic, card tricks and other sleight of hand.

Harry Anderson: The Tricks of His Trade

1996

Virtual Seduction poster
4.4

A man becomes obsessed with a virtual reality game that can resurrect his murdered girlfriend in cyberspace.

Virtual Seduction

1995

Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale poster
4.3

A brave boy named Temba ventures to find food and water for his drought-striken village. But when he is given a set of magical bones, he uses them to gain riches for himself instead of sharing with his friends.

Jirimpimbira: An African Folk Tale

1995

The Right Connections poster
3.8

The Tompkins's kids have a good life despite being raised by a single mum. However when Gail loses her job they look like they will have to make sacrifices ...

The Right Connections

1997

Ultra Warrior poster
3.6

After the nuclear holocaust, one man rises from the ashes to become the leader of a ragged gang of survivors. They soon discover that their greatest challenge is yet to come; they must fight a battle for the ages against the evil minions of The Bishop.

Ultra Warrior

1990

1980s · 13 titles

Explorers poster
6.3

Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.

Explorers

1985

Mannequin poster
6.9

Jonathan Switcher, an unemployed artist, finds a job as an assistant window dresser for a department store. When Jonathan happens upon a beautiful mannequin he previously designed, she springs to life and introduces herself as Emmy, an Egyptian under an ancient spell. Despite interference from the store's devious manager, Jonathan and his mannequin fall in love while creating eye-catching window displays to keep the struggling store in business.

Mannequin

1987

The Howling poster
6.6

After a bizarre and near fatal encounter with a serial killer, a newswoman is sent to a rehabilitation center whose inhabitants may not be what they seem.

The Howling

1981

Warning Sign poster
6.0

An accident occurs in an ultra-secret government biological weapons laboratory spreading a sinister bacteria.

Warning Sign

1985

House of Games poster
6.8

A psychiatrist comes to the aid of a compulsive gambler and is led by a smooth-talking grifter into the shadowy but compelling world of stings, scams, and con men.

House of Games

1987

The Beast Within poster
5.5

A horrified teen mutates into a crazed cannibalistic swamp creature, and must uncover the terrifying secret identity of his father before his nasty natural tendencies force him to make jambalaya out of the locals.

The Beast Within

1982

The Allnighter poster
4.7

Molly, Val and Gina are graduating college, but on their final night, frustrations are aired. Molly is still looking for real love and Val is beginning to doubt if that is what she has found. Gina is too busy videotaping everything to really notice. When the final party at Pacifica College kicks off, things do not go exactly as planned.

The Allnighter

1987

One More Saturday Night poster
4.2

The problems faced by both teenagers and adults in a small Minnesota town who are trying to get dates for a Saturday night.

One More Saturday Night

1986

Kid Safe: The Video poster
7.3

In this educational docudrama, kids learn how to handle emergency situations.

Kid Safe: The Video

1988

The Last Innocent Man poster
5.3

A retired criminal lawyer is persuaded to take on one more case and becomes involved with his client's wife.

The Last Innocent Man

1987

Fly Away Home poster
6.0

Ambitious pilot to a prospective series revolving around a combat cameraman in Vietnam. Carl Danton is in Saigon on assignment at the start of the 1968 Tet offensive with a cynical boss in the local bureau chief. His love interest is a Vietnamese doctor whose brother happens to be a leader in the Viet Cong and whose influential parents are involved in high-level corruption.

Fly Away Home

1981

Inside Out poster
5.6

An agoraphobic must give up his sheltered life and venture outside after a series of personal and financial problems.

Inside Out

1987

The Haircut poster
7.4

A music executive stops in for a 15 minute haircut.

The Haircut

1982

Series credits

Criminal Minds poster
8.3

An elite team of FBI profilers analyze the country's most twisted criminal minds, anticipating their next moves before they strike again. The Behavioral Analysis Unit's most experienced agent is David Rossi, a founding member of the BAU who returns to help the team solve new cases.

Criminal Minds

2005

The View poster
4.3

ABC Daytime's morning chatfest, currently featuring Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Sunny Hostin, Sara Haines, Alyssa Farah Griffin, and Ana Navarro discussing the most exciting events of the day. Hot topics in the news, the best experts in their field, celebrity interviews and general entertainment are all part of The View.

The View

1997

M*A*S*H poster
7.9

The 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital is stuck in the middle of the Korean war. With little help from the circumstances they find themselves in, they are forced to make their own fun. Fond of practical jokes and revenge, the doctors, nurses, administrators, and soldiers often find ways of making wartime life bearable.

M*A*S*H

1972

Hill Street Blues poster
7.6

A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.

Hill Street Blues

1981

Hill Street Blues poster
7.6

A realistic glimpse into the daily lives of the officers and detectives at an urban police station.

Hill Street Blues

1981

The Drew Carey Show poster
6.5

Drew is an assistant director of personnel in a Cleveland department store and he has been stuck there for ten years. Other than fighting with co-worker Mimi, his hobbies include drinking beer and not being able to get dates. To make a few extra bucks he has a micro-brewery going in his garage with his buddies.

The Drew Carey Show

1995

Barney Miller poster
7.4

Barney Miller is the kind of cop we'd all like to run into. Always sensible, he maintains order over a band of detectives who gamble, hit on anything in skirts, go to renaissance philosophy conventions for fun, and would really prefer to be writing. Nearly all of the action takes place in the squad room where citizens and criminals are brought in to complicate the mix.

Barney Miller

1975

The Incredible Hulk poster
7.2

During an experiment gone bad, radiation turns a scientist into a raging green behemoth whenever he becomes agitated. Unable to control his transformations, David Banner searches for a cure as he crosses the country, fugitive-style, with a dogged tabloid reporter on his trail.

The Incredible Hulk

1977

The Golden Girls poster
7.6

Four Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely, mismatched ladies form the perfect circle of friends.

The Golden Girls

1985

Hannah Montana poster
7.1

At home and school, she's Miley Stewart, a typical teenager, but when the lights go down and the curtain goes up, she emerges as the glamorous and talented Hannah Montana. Having the "Best of Both Worlds" is a complicated proposition, and keeping her identity under wraps leads Miley and her friends into some hilarious capers as she tries to balance her normal life with her rock star persona.

Hannah Montana

2006

The Unit poster
7.4

A covert team of special forces operatives risk their lives on undercover missions around the globe, while their wives maintain the homefront, protecting their husbands' secrets.

The Unit

2006

Lou Grant poster
7.4

The trials of a former television station manager turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff.

Lou Grant

1977

Lou Grant poster
7.4

The trials of a former television station manager turned newspaper city editor, and his journalist staff.

Lou Grant

1977

ALF poster
7.6

A furry alien wiseguy comes to live with a terran family after crashing into their garage.

ALF

1986

Cagney & Lacey poster
7.0

Mary Beth Lacey and Chris Cagney are teamed up as NYPD police detectives. Their opposing personalities (one is tough and the other sensitive) mesh to make this one of the great crime-fighting duos of all time.

Cagney & Lacey

1982

The Bob Hope Show poster
7.0

The Bob Hope Show hosted by Bob Hope, debuted on April 9, 1950. During the 1952-1953 season, NBC rotated with other variety shows in a Sunday night block known as "The Colgate Comedy Hour" (Sept. 1950 to Dec. 1955). Also known as, "The Chevy Show with Bob Hope." When the first special debuted in October of 1950 it was the most expensive television program made up to that point - costing an astronomical $1,500 a minute to produce. Bob Hope had his own television show and radio show at the same time. For the next three seasons, The Bob Hope Show was broadcast once a month on Tuesday nights, giving Milton Berle a week off. Bob ended his radio show in April, 1956. Bob Hope also had another show by a similar name, "The Bob Hope Show (All Star Revue)". In addition, he performed in "Specials" for many years. It is the longest running variety program in television's history with a record of 45 years of televised entertainment.

The Bob Hope Show

1950

Jessie poster
8.0

An idealistic teen from rural Texas embarks on the adventure of a lifetime when she decides to leave behind starry nights for big city lights. Thrilled to be on her own and determined not to be intimidated by New York City, she accepts a job as nanny for a high-profile couple with four kids. Helping to keep her moral compass in check are Bertram, the family's butler, and Tony, the building's 20-year-old doorman.

Jessie

2011

Dave's World poster
6.5

Dave's World is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1993 to 1997. The series is based on the writing of Miami Herald columnist Dave Barry.

Dave's World

1993

Barnaby Jones poster
7.0

Barnaby Jones is a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether as father- and daughter-in-law who run a private detective firm in Los Angeles. The show ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980, beginning as a midseason replacement. William Conrad guest starred as Frank Cannon of Cannon on the first episode of Barnaby Jones, "Requiem for a Son" and the two series had a two-part crossover episode in 1975, "The Deadly Conspiracy".

Barnaby Jones

1973

Caroline in the City poster
6.6

Caroline Duffy is a successful cartoonist in Manhattan whose eclectic friends are sometimes the subjects of her comic strip.

Caroline in the City

1995

Static Shock poster
8.0

Accidental exposure to an experimental mutagenic gas grants ordinary high school student Virgil Hawkins electromagnetic superpowers. Taking up the alter-ego of Static, he fights crime in Dakota City alongside his best friend Richie Foley.

Static Shock

2000

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide poster
8.5

The whacky adventures of Ned Bigby and his best pals Moze and Cookie at James K. Polk Middle School, as "every-kid" Ned shatters the fourth wall to share tips and tricks on navigating middle school or junior high hurdles. Ned's not super cool, and he has no superpowers. He is, however, witty, well-groomed, upbeat and self-aware. Moreover, with more than a little help from his two best friends, he's equipped to conquer middle school minefields. From crushing bullies to crushes, from off- the-wall, mean and cool teachers to pop quizzes, elections and detentions, Ned knows that nothing, including the seventh grade, is as bad as it seems, and friendship matters most.

Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide

2004

Celebrity Ghost Stories poster
7.3

Compelling, surprising and downright spooky — celebrities share their real-life personal encounters with the paranormal in each one-hour special. From encounters with ghosts and angry spirits to haunted homes, unexplainable spells and magic, these descriptive, first person narratives from our favorite stars delivers a brand new way of experiencing the thrills and chills of the addictive world of the paranormal.

Celebrity Ghost Stories

2009

All of Us poster
7.1

Robert James, an entertainment reporter for a local Los Angeles television station, is handsome, smart and thoroughly modern in his thinking. Recently divorced from the somewhat self-absorbed Neesee, the mother of their endearing 6-year-old son, Robert refuses to buy into the old stereotype that being divorced means you can't get along with the ex.

All of Us

2003

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child poster
6.3

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child is an American anthology animated television series.

Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child

1995

Punky Brewster poster
7.2

An abandoned waif and her dog are taken in by a cranky apartment manager who becomes her guardian in this family-friendly sitcom.

Punky Brewster

1984

Designing Women poster
6.8

Julia Sugarbaker, Mary Jo Shively, Charlene Frazier-Stillfield and Suzanne Sugarbaker are associates at their design firm, Sugarbaker and Associates. Julia is the owner and is very outspoken and strong-willed. Mary Jo is a divorced single-parent whom is just as strong-willed as Julia, but isn't as self-confident. Charlene is the naive and trusting farm girl from Poplar Bluff, Missouri. Suzanne is the self-centered ex-beauty queen whom has a number of wealthy ex-husbands.

Designing Women

1986

Burke's Law poster
6.8

Burke's Law, a revival of the 1960s cop television series of the same name, aired on CBS from 1994 to 1995. The series centers on Amos Burke, a senior Los Angeles police officer and millionaire, and his son, Peter, who is a detective under his command.

Burke's Law

1994

Hearts Afire poster
7.6

Frustrations and sparks fly in Washington, D.C. when a strict conservative hires a free spirited journalist as his boss's press secretary. Their mismatched political views lead to arguments... and attraction.

Hearts Afire

1992

The White Shadow poster
7.1

The White Shadow is an American drama television series that ran on the CBS network from November 27 1978, to March 16 1981.

The White Shadow

1978

Pet Star poster
7.8

Pet Star was a show on Animal Planet hosted by Mario Lopez. The show is a contest between owners and their trained pets who perform tricks. The tricks are graded by three celebrity judges on a scale of one to 10. In the end, the three pets with the highest score come out as finalists, and the audience votes on who is the episode's Pet Star. Then, at the end of the season, the winners compete to be the year's ULTIMATE PET STAR. The winner of a regular show gets $2,500, while the winner of the finals gets $25,000. There were many celebrity judges, including Gena Lee Nolin, Virginia Madsen, Will Estes, Lindsay Wagner, Matt Gallant, Mackenzie Phillips, Billy West, James Avery, George Wallace, Melissa Peterman, Christopher Rich, John O'Hurley, Vanessa Lengies, Dom Irrera, Carol Leifer, Andy Kindler, Melissa Rivers, Meshach Taylor, Kaley Cuoco, Rosa Blasi, Jeff Cesario, Karri Turner, Peter Scolari, Bruce Jenner, Fred Willard, Shari Belafonte, Josh Meyers, Lori Petty, Ben Stein, Richard Jeni, Ken Howard, Paul Gilmartin, Maria Menounos, Tempestt Bledsoe, David Brenner and Amy Davidson. Pet Star is based on the show Star Search. It is shown in the United Kingdom on Challenge.

Pet Star

2002

Buffalo Bill poster
6.7

Egotistical Buffalo TV host Bill Bittinger bullies crew and guests, driving station manager Karl Shub mad with lawsuits. Only director Jo Jo White stands up to Bill's tantrums as he fails to break into bigger markets.

Buffalo Bill

1983

Women of the House poster
7.2

Women of the House is an American situation comedy television series. It is a spin-off of Designing Women and stars Delta Burke, who had reconciled with producers after a bitter, highly publicized, off-screen battle.

Women of the House

1995

Melba poster
10.0

Melba is an American television sitcom which aired on CBS from January 28, 1986 until September 13, 1986. The series was a vehicle for singer/actress Melba Moore.

Melba

1986