Thomas Jefferson Byrd

Thomas Jefferson Byrd (June 25, 1950 – October 3, 2020) was an American character actor born in Griffin, Georgia. He pursued formal training in education and the arts, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in education from Morris Brown College and a Master of Fine Arts degree in dance from the California Institute of the Arts. Byrd was a member of Omega Psi Phi fraternity, Alpha Sigma chapter.

Before reaching Broadway, Byrd built an extensive regional theater career. His stage work included productions of Spunk at the San Diego Repertory Theatre, Home by Samm-Art Evans, Two Trains Running, The Piano Lesson, and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Alliance Theater. He also appeared in Flyin' West at both the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Long Wharf Theatre, as well as Hamlet and Miss Evers' Boys at the Indiana Repertory Theatre.

Byrd made his Broadway debut in the 2003 revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, a performance that earned him both a Theatre World Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Featured Actor in a Play.

Alongside his stage work, Byrd appeared in multiple films directed by Spike Lee, including Clockers, Get on the Bus, Bamboozled, Red Hook Summer, and Chi-Raq. He also portrayed Stokely Darling in Lee's Netflix series She's Gotta Have It. His additional film credits include Set It Off, Ray, and Brooklyn's Finest.

Byrd died on October 3, 2020, in Atlanta, Georgia, after being found unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds. He was 70 years old. Antonio Demetrice Rhynes, age 30, was arrested on October 17, 2020, in connection with the killing. On October 24, 2023, Rhynes was sentenced to 20 years for aggravated assault, with 10 years suspended, carrying a maximum possible release date of October 16, 2030.