Professional Body Builder, Actor and Father, Quincy Taylor has obliged us to yet another great interview.  Well over six feet tall, Quincy is one of the tallest and heaviest athletes in the sport, but while brandishing such an overwhelming presence, he remains a very cordial and gentle giant.  Mayhem caught up with “Q” to see what his plans are for 2005 and beyond, find out a little inside scoop in the life of Quincy Taylor and his views on the mayhem that thrives within our sport.

I just wanted to say before my interview that I just moved to Texas in the Dallas area, and I am aggressively looking for people to train. I currently train people at Strouds Gym in Bedford, "Strictly Fitness Gym", owned by Vickie Gates and located in Arlington and Velociti gym located in Pantego. Contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for a free consultation. 

1)    Mayhem:  Quincy, why don’t you give our readers a little background on yourself?
a. Age?
33 going on 23.
 
b. Where you grew up?
I Grew up in Sin City, Las Vegas.

c. Where do you currently reside? 
My family and I live in a suburb outside of the Dallas/Forth Worth area

d. Married?
  Yes, to Catrina Taylor

e. Children and how many? 
I have 5 children, but only 2 live with me; they are the only 2 that the mother actually lets me be a father too.

f.  How long have you been competing?
I've been competing in bodybuilding for 13 years

g. Who or what made you decide to get into competition?
Well I've always trained with weights starting at the age of 12. Shawn Ray was the first real bodybuilding star that I saw in person. I saw him at Lonnie Teper's bodybuilding show in 1991. I was involved in Track and Field in college, where Lonnie Teper also worked and he really pushed me to get into the sport.

2)    When you began training, how did this come about?  Was it brought on by supplemental training for sports you participated in, or did you immediately know as a teen or young adult that you wanted to become a professional body builder?
                I grew up in a rough neighborhood and I thought if I got bigger in size, that would make things a whole lot easier to deal with, especially when it came to situations that happen in my neighborhood. When I was 10 years old, I was always watching television and movies that showed strength and bodybuilders, I loved to watch Lou Ferigno in "The Hulk" and Steve Reeves in  "Hercules", I just loved that shit. I wanted to be big and muscular like those guys. Also my uncle Jeffrey Bell was an inspiration to me because I watched him train with weights and I looked up to him and wanted to be like him. I was  the skinniest kid in my family. I had asthma, sinus problems, eczema. But that all changed once I got bigger and healthier.

3)  What kind of job(s) did you hold prior to winning your IFBB pro card?
      Anything that could pay me a good wage - I was a bodyguard for
      actors and pro athletes. I was a probation officer for seven years.
      I liked any job that allowed me to impose my will on others.
      Growing up with limited funds made me bitter and I guess that is
      Probably why I chose those different professions which gave me
      Certain power and control because I didn't have it growing up.

4)     What was the first show you ever won?  When was the event?
       The first show I won was at Lonnie Teper's Cal. State L.A. show
       in 1991.

5)     You turned pro at the 2001 USA’s, what was your mindset going into this show?  For instance, was this a do or die season for you.  I am sure, as with all National level athletes, that you wanted to win and earn your pro card - but aside from winning, what other personal goals did you want to accomplish?
               I had been competing as an amateur for almost 10 years; I was sick and tired of being an amateur.  I pushed it to another level.  I was walking on a razor and I did whatever I had to do and took it two steps past that.  Yeah I wanted to show all those people who talked that shit about me being too tall, my shape wasn't good enough, or that I was a loser and bodybuilding was a waste of                time. I wanted to show them that the worst thing they could do was tell me something negative, it just added fuel to my fire.

6)    Your first couple of years on the pro circuit have been good, but let all of us in on what you have in store for the 2004 season and what kind of Quincy Taylor we will see on stage when you next compete?
              And 2005 was all me. I'm making all the decisions for better or worse and I learned I need to be bigger and I need 20-30lbs more of muscle on my frame. This is my goal to do whatever it takes, to gain this mass. When I say whatever, I mean whatever.

7)    For the 2001 USA’s and your first couple of pro shows, you worked with nutritionist Hany Rambod.  There have been numerous rumors and stories as to why the two of you terminated your working relationship - one story being that you felt Hany didn’t spend the time he should’ve with you when it came time for the show.  Can you fill us in on why you went your separate ways and whether or not you have worked out your differences and if this experience has soured you on the whole athlete/nutritional coach aspect?
               I am not working with Hany anymore. Let me just say this. Some people have personalities that don't mesh well with mine - The services that I paid for where not supposed to have additional fees included that I did not sign on for such as:
               a) Trainer stress-me-out fee.
               Overall I do listen to some experienced people who can help and guide me in the right direction which is beneficial for me.

8)    Your physique and appearance has enabled you to land several movie roles and commercials, one of the most famous was your role in the remake of Planet of the Apes.  Since of course, everyone was in heavy prosthetic makeup, it was kind of difficult to identify the starring roles, let alone supporting roles - can you tell us who you were in the movie and how long you filmed and just elaborate on that experience.
               I can't even tell you who I was in the scenes; they cut so much out of it.  I guess that is Hollywood.  But hey, my name was in the credits.  The experience was not a good one, we were all hired as extras and the pay was not worth the hard work.  When you are a 300 lb guy wearing a heavy costume doing crazy stunts that you are not getting stunt pay for, well that basically makes for a bad experience.  I guess that might be the reason why the film didn't do so well.  If you look at the scene in the film where tons of apes are running, it’s funny to me, because it is actually one ape, and the same scene, digitally enhanced over and over again.
 
9)    Do you have plans to continue acting and is this something that you enjoy as a hobby, or is this something you would really like to focus on and turn into a serious career?
               I am currently a working actor.  Bodybuilding is my hobby, unfortunately it does not pay like it should, but acting on the other hand pays very well especially if you are in the right production. Also, acting has been a lot easier for me than bodybuilding because my height has been a positive factor. But in bodybuilding my height has hindered me in a lot of shows. I stand over everybody and the judges don't know where to put me. And of course my frame and limbs are long and I really need to fill out, it's definitely a challenge. Acting is fun and rewarding and if I was given the opportunity to have a re-curring staring role in something big, then bodybuilding would definitely have to take a back seat. Recently I just finished wrapping up a movie that included some of the biggest, top actors and entertainers. I will talk about the movie in more detail when the release date is closer. I do have to say that if it wasn't for Bodybuilding and challenging myself year after year which resulted in the body that I have today, I would not have been chosen for the acting roles that I have received.
              
10)Kids are the greatest gift in the world - since Kim and I had our first child, I can attest to that and I’m sure you feel the same way.  With this in mind and knowing the sport the way you do, if one of your children wanted to become a body builder, would you encourage or discourage this?
               For my girls and bodybuilding I would say hell no, women bodybuilders are treated wrong in this sport. As for my boys it would depend on how driven and serious they were about bodybuilding. If they were just in the sport, just because and playing with it I would say to them to find something else. Find that something that they love with a passion, something they live and breathe, and something else that makes more money.

11)What other activities and/or hobbies do you enjoy that your fans might not know about?
               I breed, show and train Neapolitan Mastiffs. The breed is a 5000 year old breed from Italy that was just recently acknowledged by the AKC. It is a challenging dog to breed, but I love the look, size and beauty. I hope to expand my kennel to include the very best bloodlines in the United States.

12)Paul Dillett and several other top athletes in the sport have publicly pronounced their stance and feelings as to whether or not they feel there are racial issues within body building - what are your feelings about this issue, not just pertaining to the competitive sport of body building, but also including the issues of contracts and exposure [or lack thereof] within the industry magazines, covers, product ads, etc?
               I think there is racism in every job, in every state and every country. That is just the way it is. You can't scream about racism in bodybuilding when the top bodybuilders in the world are African American. But as far as contracts go, it is simple economics, its not racism, everything always has to do with money. For example it is probably safe to say that the majority of black teenagers are not buying up an abundance of protein powders and supplements and that probably the group that is buying these products is the white teenagers.  Maybe because white teenagers are the ones that the companies are marketing to and because of that, they put someone that looks like them on the cover or in the mags to promote the product. African-Americans are not the only ones who don't get seen a lot in the magazines, what about, Asians, Latin’s and middle easterners. Why are they not seen very much, because there communities and countries are probably not being targeted to distribute their supplement products. I know I have never seen any Iraqis with a protein shaker in their hand on the news. But I do see them with a cigarette in their mouth. The tobacco companies don't just promote to white Americans they are universal. Hopefully the supplement companies will expand their market globally, and that should improve things for everyone overall.  I don't think bodybuilding is racist or the supplement companies. I'll say it again, it’s all about where the money is, not color. It's definitely not about color, maybe it’s just the difference between being butt ugly or being beautiful, Oh no. I mean being marketable and not marketable.                                 
                   
13)What do you think of the whole “drama” aspect of the sport?  By this I am referring to the bad boy monikers and images some like to attach to themselves and the inner rivalries/controversies that ensue?  Do you think this is good or bad for the sport and industry and do you think it is just a cry for attention and a way to get their name out to the public for added publicity?
               I do think it is a cry out for publicity and attention and the sad thing is that it actually is working. These guys are very popular and everybody knows their names. I think it is a joke and it makes us all look bad.  Bodybuilding already has a bad stigma attached to it and we don't need all this back and forth rivalry on the boards and in the magazines. I believe the mainstream persons and fans who reads about this bickering in magazines, is going to make an assumption that all bodybuilders act like that. I believe that most people already think that bodybuilders are a bunch of morons, are stuffy and stuck up. I have met a lot of people at expos and shows that commented "Wow, you are really nice for a bodybuilder". What is that, what does that mean? That the other bodybuilders that they met were not nice . I like to keep that shit professional. I'm a grown ass man. I don't have time for those games, that's kid stuff to me.

14)I’m sure you have heard from people in the industry and the fans their feelings that the routines are boring and not as entertaining or creative as they were in the 80’s and 90’s.  At the 2004 Arnold Classic there is a $10,000.00 prize for the best poser and as well, the athletes (men and women) are allowed to use props during their routines.  First, how do you feel about this - to me it’s almost like bribing the athletes to get them to put together routines, when they should put just as much effort into a routine as they do in their training?  And, do you feel this is happening to bring the sport more into the mainstream, or is it more to put the excitement back into the routines, so that they can actually be scored?
               I believe the posing routines are structured for entertainment for the audience and I think the response from the different people who watch the routines varies.  Some might like a complicated, choreographed routine, or some may like a "Lord of the Dance" routine, where the bodybuilder turns the stage into the "Soul Train" line, maybe the promoters need to invest in a disco light for more effects. I personally like the beauty of a graceful routine that is structured to complement the physique of that particular bodybuilder in every way.  The music can be fast or slow as long as the person looks graceful. The dancing is played.  We spent the last 6 or so years watching some bodybuilders just dancing on stage without some even hitting one pose. I would rather see a routine like the ones done by Shawn Ray, Flex Wheeler, Lee Priest or Dorian Yates, they had some memorable performances.  If you take the proper music, combined with the bodybuilder's physique, the shape, size, form and condition, the perfect timing that follows the selected music you can create a perfect, entertaining routine. That is something that should be scored, not based on the one who can spin on their head the longest  If they have a prize for that then I am definitely going to lose.  Bodybuilding routines should be structured to show their best assets, not their asses, it is not a male strip dance revue.
              
15)I know you have been spending your hard earned dollars wisely -and that you enjoy real estate ventures in the form of buying existing homes.  Do you buy them, fix them up and sell them, or are these rental properties or a little bit of both?
     Sorry I got a crazy ex, who tries to take money from me on every occasion. I   can't touch this question.

16)Speaking of spending your money wisely, how do you feel about some of the athletes trying to live the NBA/NFL superstar mega millionaire lifestyle on a couple hundred thousand a year - especially in a short term sport such as body building - with no pension, no insurance, and knowing that a single injury could end your career?
              You have to remember that some of the best bodybuilders never really had lengthy careers. Most have never had so much money before, so now that they have it, they spend it like it is free. Also their egos are so big that they don't think the ride is ever going to stop. It is very sad, but most of us are not taught when we are 18 years old on how to keep money or spend money. Not like in the NBA, the organization does actually teach the new recruits things like money managing, but the bodybuilding industry really never talked about that kinda stuff, and the guys who were making top dollar had to learn on their own. The only information told to me from other bodybuilders was "It is very easy to lose your money". That is true, but I have fear, fear is of my sleeping in my car again or being homeless again. Maybe some guys don't have that fear or even know what I am talking about. I think their arrogance allows them to think that losing everything could not happen to them.  That might be the case of multi-millionaire to bankrupt Mike Tyson. We should stop thinking that what is shown in these rap videos, with rappers throwing around  countless dollars on cars, jewelry and designer threads is something that we all have to do once we start raking in the dough. Don't get me wrong, I want a nice, new car too. But I have a house that is almost paid for first. And on top of that, I think some of the guys are not thinking ahead into the future. I am constantly thinking ahead like 10 to 20 years from now, on how I am going to have me and my family’s future comfortably set.  I hope the future money making bodybuilders learn from the past and think ahead to the future.
               
              
17)I’m a confirmed pizza and Krispy Kremeaholic!  When you are enjoying yourself during the off season, what junk foods do you indulge in?
      During the off season I pretty much stay on my diet, but when I do have a cheat meal it is chocolate chip cookies or any flavor of Blue Bell Ice Cream.

18)Answer me this:  (and answer with the first name to pop into your head) who is the most underrated body builder in the sport and the most overrated in the sport and why?
      The most underrated bodybuilder is of course me, I get no love.
      The most overrated bodybuilder is Kevin Levrone, not the old Kevin Levrone of the past, but the new one. The old Kevin Levrone was unbelievable back in the day. But I think Kevin Levrone is overrated now and has been so for about five years. I don't know how some guys can come in smooooooth and still place high!
 
19)I have said many times that in several years, the next person to be crowned Mr. Olympia will not only weigh well over 300 pounds, but that he will be extremely tall [over six foot] and dominant.  Being one of the tallest men in body building, how do you feel about this statement, do you feel this person could be Quincy Taylor, and what would you have to do to make this possibility a reality.
               After seeing Ronnie Coleman in his bodybuilding career come from low placings to becoming Mr. Olympia countless times, is encouraging and allows me to think it could happen for me too. I am going to make it happen sooner than later. What I need is an extra 30lbs on my frame and to come in 315lb or plus, shredded, I think that should do the trick.

We always ask the same last two questions during our 21 Questions interviews.  So here goes: