Meshach Taylor, ‘Designing Women’ Co-Star, Dies At 67 After Battling Terminal Illness

Actor Meshach Taylor died at the age of 67 after battling a terminal illness. He was best known for his role in the 1986-93 series Designing Women as Anthony Bouvier and as Hollywood Montrose in 1987’s Mannequin and its 1991 sequel.

Meshach’s agent, Dede Binder, confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that he died Saturday night at his family’s Altadena home. Taylor “passed away after bravely fighting a terminal illness. His loving family was by his side,” Binder stated.

They released this statement on his Facebook page:

“It is with love and gratitude that we sorrowfully announce that our darling, amazingly brilliant and dynamic Meshach, the incredible father, husband, son and friend, has begun his grand transition.”

TMZ reports that Meshach died after a long battle with cancer.

Designing Women also starred Dixie Carter, Delta Burke, Annie Potts, and Jean Smart. Taylor’s Anthony Bouvier played an assistant to the four fashion designers who resided in Atlanta. From that sitcom, he appeared in Dave’s World.

Meshach Taylor was an Emmy-nominated supporting actor in a comedy in 1989.

In a 2001 interview, Meshach shared how much he liked his role as Anthony on Designing Women:

“I miss that character. I miss the situations he got himself into. I miss his vulnerability. That’s what’s so nice about playing that character — he really did care for these people so much he was very vulnerable because of his feelings, especially Suzanne (Burke) and the situations she would always involve him in.”

Prior to Meshach’s larger roles on TV, he was on the NBC’ comedy, Buffalo Bill with Dabney Coleman and Nickelodeon‘s Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide.

His most recent work was earlier this year of CBS’ Criminal Minds. He had his own series, The Urban Gardener, on HGTV and co-hosted a show with Florence Henderson on Retirement Living TV. He was on a celebrity panel for a “reboot” of To Tell The Truth.

Other TV shows that Meshach appeared on include Lou Grant, M*A*S*H, Cagney & Lacey, The Golden Girls, Hill Street Blues, The Drew Carey Show and The Unit. The actor “reprised the role of Anthony in a 1995 episode of Bloodworth-Thomason’s Women of the House sitcom, also starring Burke,” The Hollywood Reporter adds.

His film resume consisted of Damien: Omen II (1978), The Howling (1981) and Tranced (2010).

Meshach is survived by his wife, Bianca Ferguson and children, Tariq, Yasmine, Tamar, and Esme.

Meshach Taylor leaves us an extensive list of great television shows he appeared in — some to be reruns for many years to come.

[Image via CBS]