Editing Lester Speight

{{short description|American professional wrestler and actor}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Lester Speight
| image = Lester Speight 2016.png
| caption = Speight in 2016
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|8|28}}
| birth_place = [[Baltimore, Maryland]], U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| alma_mater  = [[Morgan State University]]
| years_active = 1991–1998 (wrestling)<br />1997–present (acting)
| other_names = 
| occupation = Football player, wrestler, actor
| known_for = ''[[Terry Tate: Office Linebacker]]''<br />''[[My Wife and Kids]]''<br />''[[Gears of War]]''
| module = {{Infobox professional wrestler
| billed      = [[Jamaica]] 
| trainer     = 
| debut       = June 28, 1991
| retired     = April 18, 1998
}}
}}
'''Lester Speight''' (born August 28, 1963), also known as '''Rasta''', is a former [[American football]] player who has had subsequent careers as a [[Professional wrestling|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.

==Early life, family and education==
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,<ref name="burris">{{cite web|last=Burris|first=Joe|title=Mighty Busy Baltimore native Lester 'Mighty Rasta' Speight tackles many acting opportunities, including his latest role in 'Norbit'|url=http://newsle.com/article/0/29026084/|work= [[The Baltimore Sun]]|accessdate=May 8, 2013|date=February 19, 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20131021070551/http://newsle.com/article/0/29026084/|archive-date=October 21, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> where he is in its Hall of Fame for three sports: football, track, and basketball.<ref>{{cite web|last=Sragow|first=Michael|title=Baltimore's Lester Speight defends the human race in 'Transformers 3'|url=http://newsle.com/article/0/29026064/| work=Newsle.com |accessdate=May 8, 2013|date=July 1, 2011|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140106040854/http://newsle.com/article/0/29026064/|archive-date=January 6, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref>

He attended [[Morgan State University]] from 1981 to 1985 and was a Division 1 All-American Linebacker.

==Professional football and professional wrestling==
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]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/01/sports/usfl-tryouts-stir-dreams.html|title=U.S.F.L. Tryouts Stir Dreams|first=William N.|last=Wallace|work=The New York Times|date=June 1, 1986|accessdate=May 15, 2018}}</ref> 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.<ref name="burris"/> He was with the [[New York Giants]] in 1987 as a replacement player during the [[1987 NFL strike]], but he did not play in any games.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-atlanta-journal/150084429/ | title=Atlanta Fallguys? No, just kidding | work=[[The Atlanta Journal]] | date=September 27, 1987 | accessdate=June 26, 2024 | author=Sheeley, Glenn}}</ref>

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==
[[File:Lester Speight Comic Con International 2010.jpg|thumb|Speight appears at [[San Diego Comic-Con]] in 2010 in support of the Gears of War 3 video game.]]

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===
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<ref>{{cite news |last1=Hafner |first1=Josh |title=The funniest Super Bowl ads of all time: Betty White, Terry Tate and avocados |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/01/22/funniest-super-bowl-ads-all-time-betty-white-terry-tate-and-avocados/1055407001/ |access-date=December 28, 2020 |agency=USA Today}}</ref> and most memorable<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bentley |first1=Coleman |title=The best Super Bowl commercial every year since 2000 |url=https://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-best-super-bowl-commercial-every-year-since-1998 |access-date=December 28, 2020 |agency=Golf Digest |date=January 23, 2020}}</ref> [[Super Bowl commercials]] of all time. The exposure from the popular spot opened the door to further opportunities in film, television and video games.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Samuel |first1=Anslem |title=Lester Speight Talks His Way to Success in Gaming World & Hollywood |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/lester-speight-talks-gears-of-war-3-and-hollywood/ |access-date=December 28, 2020 |agency=Black Enterprise}}</ref>

===Television===
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 (2008 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 (TV series)|Bones]]'', "Double Trouble in the Panhandle", where he played the Traveling Circus' [[strongman (strength athlete)|strongman]], Magnum.

===Film===
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===
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),<ref>{{cite news |title=Cole Train Actor Says He'll Reprise His Role in Next Gears of War |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cole-train-actor-says-he-ll-reprise-his-role-in-ne/1100-6420926/ |access-date=December 28, 2020 |agency=Gamespot |date=July 7, 2014}}</ref> ''[[Gears 5]]'' (2019), and ''[[Gears Tactics]]'' (2020).

==Filmography==
===Films===
*1993: ''[[The Meteor Man (film)|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 (film)|Ring of Death]]'' - The President
*2008: ''Unemployed'' - Jacker #1
*2010: ''Something like a Business'' - Rockstone
*2010: ''[[Knucklehead (2010 film)|Knucklehead]]'' - Redrum
*2010: ''[[Faster (2010 film)|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''<ref>{{cite web|title=My Dad's a Soccer Mom|url=https://www.netflix.com/title/80049727|website=Netflix|accessdate=May 16, 2018}}</ref>
*2017: ''[[Speech & Debate]]''

===TV Series===
*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 (TV series)|Bones]]'' - Magnum (Episode: Double Trouble in the Panhandle)
*2009: ''[[Cold Case]]'' - Virgil 'Sticky' Jones (Episode: Read Between the Lines)
*2015: ''[[Scorpion (TV series)|Scorpion]]'' - Ten-Ton (Episode: Fish Filet)
*2016: ''[[In the Cut (TV series)|In the Cut]]'' - Gordon (Episode: Jailbreak)
*2017: ''[[NCIS: Los Angeles]]'' - Max 'Champ' Champion (Episode: Queen Pin)
*2017: ''[[The Mick (TV series)|The Mick]]'' - Dominic (Episode: The Visit)
*2018: ''[[Titans (2018 TV series)|Titans]]'' - Clayton Williams/Mr. Atlas (Episode: Jason Todd)

===Video games===
*2006: ''[[Gears of War (video game)|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<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.microsoft.com/games/mgsgamecatalog/GOWJudgmentCredits.aspx | title = Gears of War: Judgment Credits | work = [[Microsoft Studios|Microsoft Game Studios]] | accessdate=November 19, 2014 }}</ref>
*2019: ''[[Gears 5]]'' - Augustus Cole

===Other===
* [[Kimberly-Clark]] Healthy Workplace project (2012) - Eugene Hammer<ref name="kimberlyclark">{{cite web|title=Eugene|url=http://www.healthyworkplaceproject.com/eugene.aspx|website=The Healthy Workplace Project|publisher=Kimberly-Clark Professional|accessdate=May 16, 2018|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121214072909/http://www.healthyworkplaceproject.com/eugene.aspx|archivedate=December 14, 2012}}</ref>
* "Bring It On" music video by Kasland - Augustus "Cole Train" Cole

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Lester Speight}}
*{{IMDb name|711529}}
*[https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,260278/ Lester Speight at MobyGames] 
*[https://www.espn.com/sportsbusiness/s/2003/0129/1500934.html ESPN's "Twist of Tate" article]
*[http://www.rockvilleca.com Lester Speight plays HUGH on Rockville, CA]

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Speight, Lester}}
[[Category:1963 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American people]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American people]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:African-American professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American male professional wrestlers]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male video game actors]]
[[Category:Morgan State Bears football players]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Baltimore]]
[[Category:New York Giants players]]