Meshach Taylor

Acting

Meshach Taylor

Born 1947-04-11 · Boston, Massachusetts, USA

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.

Acting credits

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

Damien - Omen II poster
6.4

Since the sudden and suspicious deaths of his parents, young Damien has been in the charge of his wealthy aunt and uncle and enrolled in a military school. Widely feared to be the Antichrist, he relentlessly plots to seize control of his uncle's business empire — and the world.

Damien - Omen II

1978

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

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 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

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

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

Warning Sign poster
5.9

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

Warning Sign

1985

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Friends and Family poster
5.9

Gay New York couple Stephen Torcelli and Danny Russo have something to hide from Stephen's parents -- their jobs as Mafia enforcers. When the Torcelli family plans to visit, Stephen and Danny panic because Stephen's father works for the FBI. Despite efforts to keep family and Mafia separate, a birthday party gets mixed up with a mobster's daughter's engagement party. Trouble arises when the mobsters concoct a political scheme at the party.

Friends and Family

2001

Virtual Seduction poster
4.3

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

Virtual Seduction

1995

The Designing Women Reunion poster
NR

This five principal original cast members (plus a handful of recurring guests) from the popular sitcom Designing Women (1986) reunite for the first time since 1991 to reminisce and discuss the show.

The Designing Women Reunion

2003

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

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

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