Meshach Taylor

Meshach Taylor (April 11, 1947 – June 28, 2014) was an American actor best known for his role as Anthony Bouvier on the CBS sitcom Designing Women (1986–93), which earned him a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. He gained further recognition for his portrayal of Hollywood Montrose, a flamboyant window dresser, in the films Mannequin (1987) and its sequel (1991). Taylor also appeared as Sheldon Baylor on the CBS sitcom Dave's World (1993–97), and played Tony on the NBC sitcom Buffalo Bill. He had a recurring role as Alastair Wright, the social studies teacher and later school principal, on the Nickelodeon sitcom Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide. Taylor was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was the son of Hertha Mae and Joseph T. Taylor, who served as the dean of students at Dillard University and the first dean of arts and sciences at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis.