Tiny Ron Taylor

Ronald "Tiny Ron" Taylor (November 21, 1947 – November 28, 2019) was an American film actor and former basketball player, known for his work in feature films such as The Rocketeer (1991) and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (1994), and in television series such as Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager, and as Al, the very tall police detective whose face is always out of frame in the Police Squad! and Naked Gun franchise. His roles tended to exploit his seven-foot (2.13 m) frame.

Taylor was born in Torrance, California. He attended North Torrance High School and graduated from the University of Southern California.

Taylor was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the second round of the 1969 NBA draft, but never played in the NBA. Instead, he started playing in the American Basketball Association. He played for four teams from 1969 to 1972: the New York Nets and Washington Caps (1969–70); the Virginia Squires (1970–71); and the Pittsburgh Condors (1971–72). He played 75 of his 77 career games in his first season, 72 of them for the Nets. He scored 371 total points (4.8 ppg), 294 total rebounds (3.7 rpg), and 68 assists (0.9 apg). He also played some basketball in Austria before deciding to be an actor.

When Taylor applied to the Screen Actors Guild, he learned that the name "Ron Taylor" was already in use by another actor. His acting teacher suggested he use "Tiny Ron", figuring that in a niche category populated by actors with such screen names as "André the Giant," the name "Tiny Ron" would stand out.

In 2016, Taylor stepped away from acting after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. He died in Santa Clarita on November 28, 2019, a week after his 72nd birthday, nine years to the day after his Naked Gun co-actor Leslie Nielsen.