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. 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. 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.
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. 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. On October 24, 2023, Rhynes was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated assault in connection with Byrd's death, with 10 years suspended. He will be released no later than October 16, 2030.
Work Film Year Title Role Notes1995 Clockers Errol Barnes 1996 Girl 6 Caller #18 1996 Get on the Bus Evan Thomas Sr. 1996 Set It Off Luther 1997 Touch Me Country Doctor 1998 He Got Game Sweetness 1998 Bulworth Uncle Rafeeq 2000 Trois Thomas 2000 Bamboozled Honeycutt 2001 MacArthur Park Cody 2002 Never Get Outta the Boat William Ellis 2002 The Kudzu Christmas Reverend Burton 2004 X, Y Marcus 2004 Ray Jimmy 2009 Brooklyn's Finest Uncle Jeb 2010 Bronx Paradise Jimmy 2012 Red Hook Summer Deacon Zee 2014 Da Sweet Blood of Jesus Bishop Zee 2015 Chi-Raq Apollo 2022 Freedom's Path Abner Posthumous release; Final film role
Television Year Title Role Notes1992 In the Heat of the Night Louis Arthur Episode: "Random's Child"1993 I'll Fly Away: Then and Now Panhandler TV movie1997 Living Single Mr. Leon Episode: "Moonlight Savings Time"1998 Mama Flora's Family Flora's Pa 2 episodes1999 Passing Glory TV movie2001 Boycott Raymond Parks TV movie2004 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Curtis Romney Episode: "Mad Hops"2005 Lackawanna Blues Numb Finger Pete TV movie2017–19 She's Gotta Have It Stokely Darling 10 episodes2020 The Last O.G. Jimmy Episode: "Family Feud"
Theatre Year Title Role Notes 2001 JitneyFielding 2003 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Toledo Won Theatre World AwardNominated for Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 2004 Good BoysThomas Thurman 2004 Elmina's KitchenDigger 2006 CrownsMan 2006 Gem of the OceanSolly Two Kings 2007 Trouble in MindSheldon Forrester 2009 Death of a SalesmanUncle Ben Loman 2010 Ma Rainey's Black BottomToledo 2011 Trouble in MindSheldon Forrester 2012 GleamLogan Killicks / Sam Watson Source:
Awards and nominations Year Award Nominated work Result Notes 2003 Theatre World AwardMa Rainey's Black Bottom 2003 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play
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