Frequent Spike Lee collaborator and character actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd was killed in Atlanta early Saturday, October 3, at age 70. Born June 25, 1950, Byrd's first role was in an episode of the NBC (and later CBS) police procedural In the Heat of the Night. It wasn't until his feature film debut as the villainous drug enforcer Errol Barnes in Spike Lee's 1995 crime drama Clockers that he became a small but steady presence in film over the following two decades. He quickly joined Lee's stable of go-to actors, appearing in eight of his films, including He Got Game, Red Hook Summer, and most recently Chi-Raq.
However, Thomas Byrd earned the most significant acclaim of his career for performances that weren't in Spike Lee joints. In 1996, he appeared in the heist film Set It Off starring Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah, and Vivica A. Fox as bank robbers. The movie was a critical and commercial success, with Byrd's mean-spirited performance as the owner of a janitorial company becoming one of his most well-known. Seven years later, he received a Tony Award nomination for playing Toledo in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Though Byrd ultimately lost that year to Denis O'Hare in Take Me Out, critics across the board praised his interpretation of Toledo as a pompous yet painfully thoughtful pianist with a gift for philosophical storytelling.
Spike Lee clearly recognized and savored Byrd's genius as a performer over the years, making his untimely death all the more tragic. Lee took to Instagram to post a tribute to his collaborator and friend, sharing a picture of Byrd in character during the filming of Clockers. See Lee's heartfelt post below.
Although details are scant and the investigation is ongoing, reports say that police responded to a call from the 2200 block of Belvedere Avenue in Atlanta around 1:45 a.m. on Saturday. When they arrived, officers found Byrd with multiple gunshot wounds in his back, and paramedics eventually pronounced him dead at the scene. As of this writing, homicide detectives are still seeking a motive and possible suspects.
The outpouring of tributes not just from Spike Lee but from actors across Hollywood demonstrates how much of an inspiration Byrd was despite not exactly being a household name. Oscar winner Viola Davis also honored Byrd's talent on social media, while human rights activist and fellow actor Elisabeth Omilami praised his ability to navigate a difficult industry that's often unfair to Black actors. While Byrd may not have been a marquee name for mainstream audiences, his constant desire for collaboration with fellow Black artists and ability to deliver in even the smallest parts will likely become a huge part of his legacy.
Source: Spike Lee/Instagram
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