Ron Fazio: From the NFL to The Toxic Avenger to Saving Lives in Surgery
Welcome back to Back to Pop — the show where we rewind to the icons who shaped our VHS shelves, wore out our rental tapes, and became cult legends long before algorithms decided what mattered.
Today’s guest lives one of the most unbelievable three-act stories in pop culture.
He’s been an NFL athlete, suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles during the height of the NFC East wars.
He became a cult movie hero, stepping into radioactive history as Ron Fazio, the man inside The Toxic Avenger Part II and The Toxic Avenger Part III.
And today, he’s a real-life lifesaver, working in cardiothoracic surgery — trading mop handles and foam latex for scrubs and operating rooms.
In this episode, Ron walks us through every twist in that journey:
🏈 From the Gridiron
Ron takes us back to his NFL days with the Eagles and Cowboys , life in the locker room, and how injury forced him to confront the end of one dream — and the beginning of another.
☢️ Becoming The Toxic Avenger
We dive deep into the behind-the-scenes chaos of Troma: starting as a stunt double, unexpectedly taking over the role of Toxie mid-production, voicing the character, and filming Parts II and III back-to-back as one massive, radioactive experiment. Japan scenes, video-store meta moments, Satan battles — it’s all here.
🎬 Cult Legacy & Fan Love
Ron reflects on Toxie’s enduring legacy, wild fan encounters, convention moments, and what it’s like knowing his portrayal still resonates decades later — even as the franchise continues to evolve.
❤️ The Ultimate Plot Twist: Medicine
Then comes the most surprising chapter of all. Ron shares how a hospital stay sparked a calling that led him back to school and into cardiothoracic surgery, where he now helps save lives every day — sometimes alongside coworkers who suddenly realize they’re working with The Toxic Avenger.
This is a conversation about reinvention, resilience, and redefining what it means to be a hero — on the field, on screen, and in real life.
🎧 Press play for one of the most inspiring, unexpected journeys we’ve ever shared on Back to Pop.
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