Thomas Jefferson Byrd was an American character actor. Byrd has starred in numerous theater productions and made his Broadway debut with the 2003 revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. He is also known for starring in several films by director Spike Lee. Some of the major films Byrd has appeared in are Get on the Bus, Clockers, Girl 6, Bamboozled, Chi-Raq, and Red Hook Summer. For his work in the 2003 Broadway revival of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, he was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He featured in various territorial stage creations including the San Diego Repertory Theater's honor winning execution of Spunk. He is nicknamed 'T-Bird'. He earned a four-year certification in scientific studies qualification in instruction from Morris Brown College and later got a Master of Fine Arts degree in the move from California Institute of the Arts.