Summary
Lester Speight (born August 28, 1963), also known as Rasta, is a former American football player who has had subsequent careers as a professional wrestler and then actor. He achieved significant recognition for his portrayal of Terry Tate: Office Linebacker in a series of Reebok commercials that debuted during Super Bowl XXXVII, and received further recognition for his portrayal of Augustus Cole in the Gears of War series of video games.
Lester Speight | |||||||||
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 Speight in 2016 | |||||||||
| Born | August 28, 1963 Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. | ||||||||
| Alma mater | Morgan State University | ||||||||
| Occupation(s) | Football player, wrestler, actor | ||||||||
| Years active | 1991–1998 (wrestling) 1997–present (acting) | ||||||||
| Known for | Terry Tate: Office Linebacker My Wife and Kids Gears of War | ||||||||
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Early life, family and education edit
Lester Speight was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Gussie Watson and Walter Speight. He graduated from Old Mill High School in Millersville, Maryland in 1981,[1] where he is in its Hall of Fame for three sports: football, track, and basketball.[2]
He attended Morgan State University from 1981 to 1985 and was a Division 1 All-American Linebacker.
Professional football and professional wrestling edit
After graduating college in 1985, he attempted to play in the NFL but did not. He tried out for the United States Football League (USFL) the same year. During tryouts, he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds, which received attention of the Baltimore Stars.[3] Speight and business manager/cousin Butch Groover negotiated a two-year deal with the Stars for more than $200,000. However, the USFL folded before he even played one season.[1]
Speight moved on to professional wrestling working for Global Wrestling Federation and Catch Wrestling Association as Rasta the Voodoo Man. However, by 1997 he quit wrestling to pursue an acting career.
Acting career edit
Speight began his acting career in minor roles in many films including the football film Any Given Sunday, 13 Moons and as the club doorman in Cradle 2 the Grave. He has also appeared in many television shows such as Malcolm in the Middle, Walker, Texas Ranger, NYPD Blue, Arli$$, My Wife and Kids, and NCIS: Los Angeles.
Commercials edit
In 2003, Speight starred in the Terry Tate: Office Linebacker ad for Reebok that became an immediate pop-culture phenomenon and is considered among the funniest[4] and most memorable[5] Super Bowl commercials of all time. The exposure from the popular spot opened the door to further opportunities in film, television and video games.[6]
Television edit
Following the success of Terry Tate, Speight had a recurring role on Damon Wayans' ABC series My Wife and Kids as Calvin Scott, the father of Vanessa Scott. Speight guest-starred as prison inmate Banks on the show Prison Break. Speight appeared in an episode of ESPN's Mayne Street comedy short. In the 2008 TV film Ring of Death, Speight played convict "Milton Kennedy", a feared and revered gang boss (nicknamed "The President"), and undefeated champion of an underground fighting tournament in a notorious prison. In 2009, Speight appeared in an episode of Bones, "Double Trouble in the Panhandle", where he played the Traveling Circus' strongman, Magnum.
Film edit
Speight had a small role in the film Bachelor Party Vegas, as Gold Tooth, a prison rapist in 2006, before joining the Eddie Murphy motion picture Norbit as Blue, one of the three brothers of Rasputia, in 2007. The next year, he appeared in Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, as a character who is interrogated using racist methods. In 2011, Speight played "Hardcore" Eddie in the Michael Bay blockbuster Transformers: Dark of the Moon.
Video games edit
For the 2006 Xbox 360 game Gears of War, Speight voiced the role of former "Thrashball" player Augustus Cole (a.k.a. Cole Train), humorously re-using some of his characteristic lines. He won the G-Phoria '07 award for Best Voiceover. Speight later reprised the role for Gears of War 2 (2008), Gears of War 3 (2011), Gears of War: Judgment (2013), Gears of War 4 (2016),[7] Gears 5 (2019), and Gears Tactics (2020).
Filmography edit
Films edit
- 1993: The Meteor Man - Gang Member #1
- 1999: International Khiladi - Gang Member
- 1999: Any Given Sunday - Sharks' Security Guard
- 2002: 13 Moons - Vincent
- 2003: Cradle 2 the Grave - Chambers Club Doorman
- 2006: Bachelor Party Vegas - Gold Tooth
- 2007: Norbit - Blue Latimore
- 2007: Who's Your Caddy - Hardcore Inmate
- 2008: Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay - Dr. Jonavan White
- 2008: Finding Amanda - Black guy #1
- 2008: Ring of Death - The President
- 2008: Unemployed - Jacker #1
- 2010: Something like a Business - Rockstone
- 2010: Knucklehead - Redrum
- 2010: Faster - Hovis Nixon/Baphomet
- 2011: Peep World - Wizdom
- 2011: Transformers: Dark of the Moon - Hardcore Eddy
- 2014: All Hail the King - Herman
- 2014: My Dad's a Soccer Mom[8]
- 2017: Speech & Debate
TV Series edit
- 2000: Walker, Texas Ranger - Flash Armstrong (Episode: The Avenging Angel)
- 2001: That’s My Bush - Kid Spandex (Credited as Mighty Rasta) (Episode: Fare Thee Welfare)
- 2003-2005: My Wife and Kids - Calvin Scott
- 2003: NYPD Blue - Steve (Episode: Cops and Robbers)
- 2003: Malcolm in the Middle - Samuel (Episode: Long Drive)
- 2007: Prison Break - Inmate (Episode: John Doe)
- 2009: Bones - Magnum (Episode: Double Trouble in the Panhandle)
- 2009: Cold Case - Virgil 'Sticky' Jones (Episode: Read Between the Lines)
- 2015: Scorpion - Ten-Ton (Episode: Fish Filet)
- 2016: In the Cut - Gordon (Episode: Jailbreak)
- 2017: NCIS: Los Angeles - Max 'Champ' Champion (Episode: Queen Pin)
- 2017: The Mick - Dominic (Episode: The Visit)
- 2018: Titans - Clayton Williams/Mr. Atlas (Episode: Jason Todd)
Video games edit
- 2006: Gears of War - Augustus Cole
- 2008: Gears of War 2 - Augustus Cole
- 2011: Gears of War 3 - Augustus Cole
- 2013: Gears of War: Judgment - Augustus Cole
- 2016: Gears of War 4 - Augustus Cole[9]
- 2019: Gears 5 - Augustus Cole
Other edit
- Kimberly-Clark Healthy Workplace project (2012) - Eugene Hammer[10]
- "Bring It On" music video by Kasland - Augustus "Cole Train" Cole
References edit
- ^ a b Burris, Joe (February 19, 2007). "Mighty Busy Baltimore native Lester 'Mighty Rasta' Speight tackles many acting opportunities, including his latest role in 'Norbit'". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
- ^ Sragow, Michael (July 1, 2011). "Baltimore's Lester Speight defends the human race in 'Transformers 3'". Newsle.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2013.
- ^ Wallace, William N. (June 1, 1986). "U.S.F.L. Tryouts Stir Dreams". The New York Times. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
- ^ Hafner, Josh. "The funniest Super Bowl ads of all time: Betty White, Terry Tate and avocados". USA Today. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ Bentley, Coleman (January 23, 2020). "The best Super Bowl commercial every year since 2000". Golf Digest. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ Samuel, Anslem. "Lester Speight Talks His Way to Success in Gaming World & Hollywood". Black Enterprise. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ "Cole Train Actor Says He'll Reprise His Role in Next Gears of War". Gamespot. July 7, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
- ^ "My Dad's a Soccer Mom". Netflix. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
- ^ "Gears of War: Judgment Credits". Microsoft Game Studios. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
- ^ "Eugene". The Healthy Workplace Project. Kimberly-Clark Professional. Archived from the original on December 14, 2012. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
External links edit
- Lester Speight at IMDb
- Lester Speight at MobyGames
- ESPN's "Twist of Tate" article
- Lester Speight plays HUGH on Rockville, CA