Troy Byer | |
|---|---|
| Born | November 7, 1964 New York City, U.S. |
| Other names | Troy Beyer |
| Occupation(s) | Psychologist, Author, Director, Screenwriter |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | Mark Burg (1994–2000) |
Troy Byer (born November 7, 1964) is an American psychologist, author, director, screenwriter, and actress.
Early life and education
Born in New York City to an African-American mother and Jewish father,[1][2] Byer spent the first part of her career working in the entertainment industry. She began her acting career with a role on the children's program Sesame Street when she was four years old. She later studied acting and psychobiology at City University of New York and went on to earn a master's degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute in eco, liberation and community psychology. Byer holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from California Southern University with certification in Industrial Organizational Psychology.
Career
After landing a bit part in Francis Ford Coppola's The Cotton Club (1984), Byer moved to Los Angeles, and became a regular on the ABC prime-time soap opera Dynasty in 1986, playing Jackie Deveraux, the daughter of Diahann Carroll's character Dominique Deveraux. Byer went on to earn ShoWest's Newcomer of the Year award for her leading role in the feature Rooftops (1989).
Since then, Byer acted in features such as Disorderlies (1987), The Five Heartbeats (1991) as Baby Doll, Weekend at Bernie's II (1993), Eddie (1996) starring Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Altman's The Gingerbread Man (1998) starring Kenneth Branagh and Robert Downey Jr., and John Q (2002) starring Denzel Washington.
In 1997, Byer made her screenwriting debut with B*A*P*S, starring Halle Berry, as she was unhappy with how her script was changed during the course of filming. In 1998 she decided to direct her next screenplay, Let's Talk About Sex (1998) herself, while also playing a starring role. Byer made a trailer and took it to the Sundance Film Festival, where she gave it to film executives. The film was quickly picked up by Fine Line Features. Byer wrote and directed Love Don't Cost a Thing (2003) for Warner Brothers, based on the hit 1987 movie Can't Buy Me Love.[3]
Byer is an active member of Agape International Spiritual Center and an advocate for the foster care system—a system to which she herself once belonged.
Byer is also the author of two self-help books -- How To Be Ex-Free: 9 Keys To Happiness After Heartbreak, and How To Be A Responsibly Powerful Bitch.
Personal life
Byer has one son, Jordan Burg, with her ex-husband Mark Burg.
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Uncle Tom's Cabin | Emmeline | TV movie |
| Disorderlies | Carla | ||
| 1989 | Rooftops | Elena | |
| 1990 | The White Girl | Kim | |
| 1991 | The Five Heartbeats | Baby Doll | |
| 1993 | Weekend at Bernie's II | Claudie | |
| 1994 | 3 Chains o' Gold | - | Video |
| 1996 | The Little Death | Defense Attorney | |
| Eddie | Beth Hastings | ||
| Alien Avengers | - | TV movie | |
| 1997 | B.A.P.S. | Tracy Shaw | |
| 1998 | The Gingerbread Man | Konnie Dugan | |
| Let's Talk About Sex | Jasmine 'Jazz' Hampton | ||
| 2001 | Good Advice | Nancy | |
| Surviving Gilligan's Island | Diner | ||
| 2002 | John Q. | Miriam Smith | |
| A Light in the Darkness | Kira Hansen | ||
| Malevolent | Kelly | ||
| 2003 | Recipe for Disaster | Welfare Officer | TV movie |
| 2012 | Mommy's Little Monster | Kira Hansen | |
| 2015 | Ex-Free | Tanya |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Sesame Street | herself | Recurring, seasons 1-6 |
| 1985 | Knots Landing | Whitney | Recurring cast: season 7 |
| 1986–87 | Dynasty | Jackie Deveraux | Recurring cast: Season 7 |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street | Patty Blatcher | Episode: "The Worst Night of Your Life" |
| A Different World | Monica Walters | Episode: "The Gift of the Magi" | |
| 1988 | Sonny Spoon | Gwendolyn | Episode: "Semper Fi" |
| 1989 | A Man Called Hawk | Anna George | Episode: "Vendetta" |
| 1991 | The Cosby Show | Ellen | Episode: "No More Mr. Nice Guy" |
| 1993 | TriBeCa | Debra | Episode: "The Box" |
| Walker, Texas Ranger | Catherine 'Cat' Prather | Episode: "End Run" | |
| 1994 | Diagnosis: Murder | Brianna Jones | Episode: "Standing Eight Count" |
| 1995 | Red Shoe Diaries | Angel | Episode: "Billy Bar" |
| 1996–97 | Murder One | Carla Latrell | Recurring cast: season 2 |
References
- ↑ "Mixed Actors and Actresses Page 2". Mixed Folks. Archived from the original on November 9, 2006. Retrieved December 13, 2006.
- ↑ "Black Jews You Should Know, Part 3". Tablet Magazine. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
- ↑ "Troy Byer biography and filmography | Troy Byer movies". Tribute.ca. November 7, 1964. Retrieved March 11, 2015.