Thomas Jefferson Byrd
{{Short description|American actor (1950–2020)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| image = Publicity_Photo_of_Thomas_Jefferson_Byrd.jpg
| caption = Publicity Photo of Thomas Jefferson Byrd
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1950|06|25}}
| birth_place = Griffin, Georgia, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|10|03|1950|06|25}}
| death_place = Atlanta, Georgia
| spouse =
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1992–2020
| education = Morris Brown College
California Institute of the Arts
}}
Thomas Jefferson Byrd (June 25, 1950 – October 3, 2020) was an American character actor who appeared in several of director Spike Lee's films. He was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in the 2003 Broadway revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
Career
Byrd earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Morris Brown College and later received a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from California Institute of the Arts.{{cite web |last1=Burns |first1=Asia Simone |title=Thomas Jefferson Byrd, actor in Spike Lee films, killed in Atlanta |url=https://www.ajc.com/news/actor-thomas-jefferson-byrd-killed-in-atlanta-sources-say/C5YGCZVVJZC4FJBH5XX2IVY654/ |website=ajc.com |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |date=October 4, 2020}} He was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Alpha Sigma chapter.
Byrd starred in numerous regional stage productions including the San Diego Repertory Theatre's award-winning performance of Spunk.{{cite web |last1=Hudson |first1=Tanay |title=Spike Lee Reveals Actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd Was Murdered In Atlanta, Georgia |url=https://madamenoire.com/1192576/thomas-jefferson-byrd-murdered/ |website=madamenoire.com |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |date=October 4, 2020}} He also starred in Home by Samm-Art Evans, Two Trains Running, The Piano Lesson and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Alliance Theater, Flyin' West, Hamlet and Miss Evers' Boys at the Indiana Repertory, and in other productions of Flyin' West at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and at the Long Wharf Theatre.
For his Broadway debut, a performance in the 2003 revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Byrd received a Tony Award nomination for best featured actor.{{cite web |title=NOMINATIONS / 2003 / ACTOR (FEATURED ROLE - PLAY) |url=https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/year/2003/category/actor-featured-role-play/show/any/}}
Byrd appeared in several films directed by Spike Lee, including Clockers, Get on the Bus, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, and Chi-Raq. Byrd also appeared as Stokely Darling in Lee's Netflix series She's Gotta Have It. His other films credits include Set It Off, Ray, and Brooklyn's Finest.
Death
After an emergency call was made in Atlanta, Georgia, around 1:45 a.m. on October 3, 2020, Byrd was found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds in his back and pronounced dead. He was 70.{{cite web |last1=Yasharoff |first1=Hannah |title=Spike Lee mourns his longtime star Thomas Jefferson Byrd, 70, killed in apparent shooting |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/10/04/thomas-jefferson-byrd-killed-atlanta-spike-lee-mourns-longtime-star/3618288001/ |website=usatoday.com |publisher=USA Today |accessdate=October 5, 2020 |date=October 4, 2020}} A spokesperson for Atlanta police said that homicide detectives were "working to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident". On October 17, 2020, a 30-year-old man named Antonio Demetrice Rhynes was arrested for having a connection to Byrd's murder.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/10/suspect-arrested-in-thomas-jefferson-byrd-atlanta-murder-1234599134/|title=Suspect Arrested In Film Actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd Atlanta Murder|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=October 17, 2020|author=Bruce Haring|access-date=October 17, 2020}} On October 24, 2023, Rhynes was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated assault in connection with Byrd's death, with 10 years suspended. His maximum possible release date is October 16, 2030.https://services.gdc.ga.gov/GDC/OffenderQuery/jsp/OffQryRedirector.jsp
Work
=Film=
=Television=
| class="wikitable" | |||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | In the Heat of the Night | Louis Arthur | Episode: "Random's Child" |
| 1993 | I'll Fly Away: Then and Now | Panhandler | TV movie |
| 1997 | Living Single | Mr. Leon | Episode: "Moonlight Savings Time" |
| 1998 | Mama Flora's Family | Flora's Pa | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | Passing Glory | TV movie | |
| 2001 | Boycott | Raymond Parks | TV movie |
| 2004 | Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Curtis Romney | Episode: "Mad Hops" |
| 2005 | Lackawanna Blues | Numb Finger Pete | TV movie |
| 2017–19 | She's Gotta Have It | Stokely Darling | 10 episodes |
| 2020 | The Last O.G. | Jimmy | Episode: "Family Feud" |
=Theatre=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2001
| Jitney |Fielding | |
| 2003
| Toledo | Won Theatre World Award |
| 2004
| Good Boys |Thomas Thurman | |
| 2004
|Digger | |
| 2006
| Crowns |Man | |
| 2006
|Solly Two Kings | |
| 2007
| Trouble in Mind |Sheldon Forrester | |
| 2009
|Uncle Ben Loman | |
| 2010
| Ma Rainey's Black Bottom |Toledo | |
| 2011
| Trouble in Mind |Sheldon Forrester | |
| 2012
| Gleam |Logan Killicks / Sam Watson | |
Awards and nominations
| class="wikitable" | ||||
| Year | Award | Nominated work | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003
|rowspan=2|Ma Rainey's Black Bottom | {{won}} | ||||
| 2003
| Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play | {{nom}} | {{cite web |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/tonyawardspersoninfo.php?nomname=Thomas%20Jefferson%20Byrd|title=Thomas Jefferson Byrd Tony Awards Info|work=BroadwayWorld|year=2020|accessdate=October 5, 2020}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|126070|Thomas Jefferson Byrd}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrd, Thomas Jefferson}}
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:Male actors from Georgia (U.S. state)
Category:People from Griffin, Georgia
Category:Theatre World Award winners
Category:California Institute of the Arts alumni