Ron Magill

I was born and raised in New York City. My father was Cuban. My mother from Colombian descent. My first language was Spanish and I purposely forgot Spanish. I was like, yeah, yeah, I purposely forgot it because I just thought that was that was like a bad label for me because it gave people a reason to make fun of me. Right. I never played a sport in my life.

OK, it wasn't until in high school that the coach put me out of the hallway and said, hey, Ryan, you're going to play basketball. I laughed at him. I said, have you seen me walk? I mean, come on, it's ridiculous. And we went to the tryouts, you know, you go to the tryouts and then they'll pin up the people who make the team on the list. And I go up there and then I see my name on the list.

OK, it wasn't until in high school that the coach put me out of the hallway and said, hey, Ryan, you're going to play basketball. I laughed at him. I said, have you seen me walk? I mean, come on, it's ridiculous. And we went to the tryouts, you know, you go to the tryouts and then they'll pin up the people who make the team on the list. And I go up there and then I see my name on the list.

I see these guys who didn't make it. And then I'm ridiculed even more.

I see these guys who didn't make it. And then I'm ridiculed even more.

I got there because I was tall, you know, and... And I went to the coach and said, Coach, you're killing me. I don't even want to be on this team. It's just making things worse for me. I don't forget what he told me. He said, at the time, because I was so tall, he said, Ron, you can't coach height.

I got there because I was tall, you know, and... And I went to the coach and said, Coach, you're killing me. I don't even want to be on this team. It's just making things worse for me. I don't forget what he told me. He said, at the time, because I was so tall, he said, Ron, you can't coach height.

I'm going to take the time and invest in you. And that coach, he's probably the single most important person in my life outside of my immediate family.

I'm going to take the time and invest in you. And that coach, he's probably the single most important person in my life outside of my immediate family.

The left turn was sports, was getting to be accepted into society. When I was a kid, there was one show, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. And there were two co-hosts in that show. There was a guy named Marlon Perkins and another guy named Jim Fowler. Jim was the guy who did the crazy stuff. I mean, Jim was jumping out of helicopters on top of caribou.

The left turn was sports, was getting to be accepted into society. When I was a kid, there was one show, Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. And there were two co-hosts in that show. There was a guy named Marlon Perkins and another guy named Jim Fowler. Jim was the guy who did the crazy stuff. I mean, Jim was jumping out of helicopters on top of caribou.

He was rappelling down mountains, grabbing condors with one hand. I'm like, that's what I want to do. I want to be that guy. And when you have a job, if you love doing what you do, you're really not going to work.

He was rappelling down mountains, grabbing condors with one hand. I'm like, that's what I want to do. I want to be that guy. And when you have a job, if you love doing what you do, you're really not going to work.

And I mean, that's the reason why I've been at the zoo for over 44 years is because, dude, I, you know, when you get paid to do things that people pay to do, you know, I just got back from two weeks in Africa. I mean, I've traveled around the world.

And I mean, that's the reason why I've been at the zoo for over 44 years is because, dude, I, you know, when you get paid to do things that people pay to do, you know, I just got back from two weeks in Africa. I mean, I've traveled around the world.

It's true. I was literally at the zoo, as a zookeeper, walking in the... Normal day. Normal day, and I was doing, I think, a presentation about an animal. And this guy, Don Francisco, who I don't know who... I have no clue who he is. Right. He comes up to me in this kind of a heavy accent. He goes, I would like you to be a macho. I said, okay, well, what's your show?

It's true. I was literally at the zoo, as a zookeeper, walking in the... Normal day. Normal day, and I was doing, I think, a presentation about an animal. And this guy, Don Francisco, who I don't know who... I have no clue who he is. Right. He comes up to me in this kind of a heavy accent. He goes, I would like you to be a macho. I said, okay, well, what's your show?

He goes, I have a show called Sabado Gigante out of Chile, and I'd like you to be on my show. I go, okay, it's in English, right? He goes, no, no, in Spanish. I go, well, I don't really speak a lot of Spanish. He goes, no, no, I teach you. And nobody in your family spoke Spanish? My father and my mother always spoke Spanish, so I heard it, but I didn't speak it.

He goes, I have a show called Sabado Gigante out of Chile, and I'd like you to be on my show. I go, okay, it's in English, right? He goes, no, no, in Spanish. I go, well, I don't really speak a lot of Spanish. He goes, no, no, I teach you. And nobody in your family spoke Spanish? My father and my mother always spoke Spanish, so I heard it, but I didn't speak it.

I literally put it in the back burner. And he goes, I'll teach you. I had no idea what this show was. I got home, I told my parents, I said, listen, this guy Don Francisco, Don Francisco? Don Francisco, this guy is like the number one Hispanic television star in the world. And I'm like, what? So he invites me on the show. I don't even remember, I tried to do some research on the show.