Taylor Negron (Brad Stephen Negron)

Taylor Negron

Negron was born in Glendale, California, the son of Lucy (née Rosario) and Conrad Negron, Sr. He was born of two parents of Puerto Rican descent. Often Taylor joked that he was of Jewish, Iranian, or other nationalities, but those were loving light-hearted jokes. Negron grew up in La Cañada Flintridge, California, and was an alumnus of UCLA.  While still in high school, Negron’s career in comedy began with a stand-up performance at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles. It was after this appearance that Negron ventured into being a Hollywood extra as well as a repeat contestant on Chuck Barris’ ABC daytime show, The Dating Game. Before his film career began, Negron was exposed to both dramatic and comedic legends: Lee Strasberg and Lucille Ball. In a work-study program at the famed Actors Studio, Negron worked as Strasberg’s assistant. At Sherwood Oaks Experimental College in 1977, Negron worked as Ball’s intern while she was a guest teacher at the school.  Negron’s motion picture appearances include Angels in the Outfield, The Aristocrats; Better Off Dead, Bio-Dome, Call Me Claus, Easy Money, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, River’s Edge, The Last Boy Scout, Nothing but Trouble, Punchline, The Stöned Age, Stuart Little, Young Doctors in Love, and Amy Heckerling’s Vamps, in which he reprised his Fast Times at Ridgemont High pizza delivery scene.  Among Negron’s television appearances are guest star roles on That’s So Raven, Wizards of Waverly Place, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Reno 911, Friends, My Wife and Kids, Seinfeld, ER, Party of Five and Falcon Crest. As well as being a semi-regular guest on Off Beat Cinema, he starred as Manuelo in So Little Time with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, and in Smart Guy. He appeared in Comedy Central’s UnCabaret special, as well as UnCabaret’s Amazon episodes. He appeared as Melinda Hill’s date in one episode of the 2013 web series Romantic Encounters. His last television role was the part of an acting coach in Season 1, Episode 5 of The Comedians starring Billy Crystal and Josh Gad.

In 2008, he wrote The Unbearable Lightness of Being Taylor Negron – A Fusion of Story and Song, directed by opera director David Schweitzer and co-starring singer/songwriter Logan Heftel. The show debuted to critical acclaim in the Green Room at the Edinburgh Comedy Festival. It also ran in the 2009 Best of New York Solo Festival at the SoHo Playhouse and at the Barrow Street Theater. Kate Copstick of The Scotsman wrote of it, “The underlying theme of this spellbinding hour seems to be Nietzschean – ‘that which does not destroy me makes me strong’. And if that doesn’t sound like out-and-out comedy, then that is good. Because the show is not out-and-out comedy. It is a mix of music, storytelling and comedy.” His comedy essays have been published in the anthology Dirty Laundry (Phoenix Books) and Love West Hollywood: Reflections of Los Angeles (Alyson Books).

Director Justin Tanner revived Negron’s play Gangster Planet, a four-character domestic comedy set during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, which was chosen by the Los Angeles Times as a Critics Choice. Another play, Downward Facing Bitch, a suspense comedy, was developed with director Kiff Scholl. Negron was a regular contributor to Wendy Hammer’s Tasty Words, Jill Solloway’s “Sit and Spin”, and Hilary Carlip’s online magazine Fresh Yarns, as well as the Huffington Post. He performed regularly across the United States and was one of the original members of the UnCabaret, dubbed “The Mother Show of Alternative Comedy” by the LA Weekly, where Negron fused standup, dada poetry and stream of consciousness storytelling.  Negron was openly gay. He was a cousin of Chuck Negron, vocalist and founding member of Three Dog Night.  Negron was diagnosed with liver cancer in 2008. On January 10, 2015, he died at his Los Angeles home, surrounded by family, at the age of 57.

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Born

  • August, 01, 1957
  • USA
  • Glendale, California

Died

  • January, 10, 2015
  • USA
  • Los Angeles, California

Cause of Death

  • liver cancer

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