Ron Lester Chat

Welcome Ron! Thanks for coming tonight!
Ron Lester: What's Up. What's going on. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.

How did u get your big break to become an actor?
Ron Lester: My big break came two years ago. I did a movie called Good Burger. I met with Jackie Brown Carmen, the casting director and she introduced me to Brian Robbins. He was from Head of the Class. He was directing it. He liked me. Made me Spatch. He's my godsend. He directed Varsity Blues and the TV show I'm on right now called Popular.

Ron, I just wanted to say how much I love the show and I think you guys are doing a great job! Any good storylines for your character coming up?
Ron Lester: Yes. There is an episode called the "Trial of Emily Dick". All the popular kids are put on trial for harassing Emily. Me and Josh stick his head in a toilet. That's "Emory." We give him a swirlee. In the beginning of the episode my character gets kicked off the wrestling team because he's too fat. I speak up because he's not the only person that gets bagged on because he's different. I talk about how I just got kicked off the team. I talk about the fact that you can't have a trial every time. Much like real life, it's me against me. It's really heartfelt. We'll see what happens.

What's it like suddenly becoming so famous? Has it changed you in any way?
Ron Lester: I'm still me. I'm still the blue-collar kind of guy. Still the country boy just sitting around just watching everyone else going "whatever." I learned a quote to keep me grounded: Dean Martin in 1960 "The Whole World is drunk and we're just the cocktail of the moment. One of these days everyone is going to wake up with a heck of a hangover, down two aspirin drink some tomato juice and wonder what all the fuss was about." And I love my fans, so I just keep it real.

What do you like about your role?
Ron Lester: I get really cool clothes. I think I have the coolest clothes of everybody in the cast. Where else can I be sponsored by Telly Pelly and Nike. If I could just get Porsche to sponsor me I'll be alright.

How much are you like Sugar Daddy on Popular?
Ron Lester: The best way to describe me in real life is Gucci country. That's about as close to real life I get. In real life, I'm really a sensitive nice guy.

Did you play football in High School?
Ron Lester: Yes I did. I was defensive tackle and offensive guard.

What was it like working with Jon Voight in Varsity Blues?
Ron Lester: It was a huge moment in my life to work with such a great talent. The best thing unfortunately was my father passed away in '93. I wasn't looking for a father figure, but Jon brought me into his own. He's like a dad to me. I have nothing but the highest regards for the man.

DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?
Ron Lester: I am unfortunately single at the moment. I am looking. Please send me personal information care of the show if you'd like to date me. B) Fans are the biggest part of my life. It's the type of love you can't get anywhere else. You have to respect them. I love people that are comfortable enough to come up to me and say I love the show. Just no guns or knifes, please.

What's Dill Scallion about?
Ron Lester: Dill Scallion is just a brief cameo I did. I worked with Jason Priestly. It's about a guy who rises from bus driver to country western singer. It's about his rise and fall back to being a bus driver. It's where he was happiest after all.

What hobbies do you have?
Ron Lester: I like 4 wheeling, hunting, and fishing. I like to go shooting every once in a while. Going out with my buddies. Me and Bryce go to Vegas a lot and party. My boys at Hard Rock. They hook us up all the time. It's nice to have a place to go and chill and party.

What will your next project be?
Ron Lester: It's hard to say. I lost three movies due to scheduling on this TV show. I know there are 4 or 5 scripts where they want me for the lead. We'll see what happens. Nothing I can be specific about.

I have a question, who was your role model when you were little, and has it changed since? P.S. You are a great actor, I love ya!!
Ron Lester: My role model growing up was my dad and my mom. My heroes have always been cowboys. They were always so polite and forceful at the same time. My heroes have been Jackie Gleason, John Candy, Chris Farley, and Marcel Marceau. Mostly Gleason and Candy, I do have two projects that I want to do. One about Fatty Arbuckle and one called Confederacy of Dunces. That's at Paramount if anyone wants to write there for me.

Who would you like to work with in the future?
Ron Lester: Oh...Gene Hackman, Will Smith. Adam Sandler especially. I'd like to work with Jon again for reasons. Right now I'd be just lucky to get another job.

What are some of your favorite movies?
Ron Lester: Animal House, The Horse Whisperer, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Great movies like that.

Ron...How do you like doing tv...how different is it from movie making??
Ron Lester: Hugely different. I love doing TV. It's the best of both worlds. The hard part is going from small screen to big screen. I have the best of both worlds. Here it's the same thing each week. It's a great experience and I love doing it.

What is your favorite part about being an actor?
Ron Lester: The money.

Hey, I wuz wondering how u got picked for the part of "Sugar Daddy" on Popular? Thanks!!!
Ron Lester: Here's the story. Brian Robbins who directed me in Varsity Blues was doing the pilot for Popular. In the last day of casting was a character called Hulk who was a little Italian kid. He didn't buy the character. Brian suggested what if we find a kid who is short fat and white, but thinks he's black. They asked if Brian knew anybody. He suggested me. I did one day as a guest star. When they tested the show people loved me. I'm now a regular.

Have the people you work with become any really close friends to you. You know, because you work with then so often?
Ron Lester: Yes. Bryce Johnson who plays Josh Ford. I hang out at his house. We go to Vegas. It's like being best friends.

What is the rest of the cast like off-camera???
Ron Lester: Off camera, very sensitive caring people. Really nice and fun to work with.

DO YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND?
Ron Lester: Yes I'm still single and I'm looking for a woman over the age of the age of 21.

Do you read your fan mail?
Ron Lester: Yes I do. I sign every headshot and if I have time, I try to write a letter.

What’s the address to send our personal info to if we want to date you, and how old r u?
Ron Lester: I'm 24. The address is Popular, 500 South Buena Vista, Building 21, Burbank CA 91520. Send it to my attention care of the show.

Do you think that the social situation in Popular is like real schools?
Ron Lester: I think there is a lot of circumstances that we address that could happen in real life. I know people that were in school that were like these characters. I had time to become friends with both popular and unpopular characters.

What’s your fave cowboy?
Ron Lester: I think Steve McQueen was a very cool cowboy. Also as an American, I'd have to say the Duke.

Can you give any advice for people who want to be actors or actresses?
Ron Lester: Don't let anybody tell you no, as far as you can only go so far. It's up to you to make your own back doors. Just cause you can't go through one door doesn't mean you can't find another way in. If you live in Podunk, it doesn't mean you can achieve you dream.

Thanks for chatting with us tonight Ron. We had a great time and hope you come back real soon.
Ron Lester: Write me.