Byron Thames

Last updated
Byron Thames
Born (1969-04-23) April 23, 1969 (age 56)
Occupation(s)Actor, musician
Years active1981–present
Spouses
  • Lisa Alpert
    (m. 1993;div. 1995)
  • (m. 2007)
Children2, including Hudson Thames
Relatives

Byron Thames (born April 23, 1969) [1] is an American television and film actor and musician.

Contents

Early life

Born in Jackson, Mississippi, his family moved shortly after his birth to New Orleans, Louisiana. [2] He moved to Hollywood, California, with his mother at age eight to pursue a career as an actor.

Career

After meeting actor/director Michael Landon, Thames was cast in the NBC television network dramatic television series Father Murphy in 1981 at the age of eleven opposite actor and former NFL athlete Merlin Olsen. The series ran for two seasons and ended in 1983. The following year, he was cast in Johnny Dangerously , playing the part of actor Michael Keaton's character as a child, [2] and appeared in a starring role in the Mick Jagger-penned dramatic film Blame It on the Night . [3]

In 1985 he received a starring role in Seven Minutes in Heaven . The film centered on the relationships of three teenage friends, portrayed by Thames, Jennifer Connelly and Maddie Corman. During the 1980s, Thames also made appearances in a number of television series, including: CHiPs , Silver Spoons , 21 Jump Street , Family Ties , Highway To Heaven and Brand New Life .

In 2001, he appeared in Don's Plum as the title character, "Don Plum". In 2004, he co-starred with James Vallo in the independent sci-fi comedy Space Daze which was distributed by Troma Entertainment in 2005 and then reprised his role in the 2009 sequel Spaced Out. In 2007, he teamed up again with Vallo and Space Daze writer/director John Wesley Norton playing the lead role in the then titled Working Title which was later released as Not Another B Movie in 2011 (also distributed by Troma).[ citation needed ]

Thames provided additional voices in two Blue Sky films Epic and Rio 2 , along with Jim Conroy, John Storey, Randy Thom, Jason Harris Katz, Holly Dorff, David Cowgill, and more.

Personal life

Byron Thames married actress Lisa Alpert in 1993. They had one son together, singer and actor Hudson Thames. They divorced in 1995 and he married actress Tricia Leigh Fisher in August 2007. The couple resides in Hollywood, California, with their child, as well as their children from his prior marriage and her previous relationship. [4]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1983 Heart Like a Wheel John (age 10-13)
1984 Blame It on the Night Job Dalton
1984 Johnny Dangerously Young Johnny
1986 Seven Minutes in Heaven Jeff Moran
1989 84C MoPic MoPic
2001 Don's Plum Don
2003Without Rhyme or ReasonJohn
2005Space DazeBartender
2006Spaced OutMike Cosim
2007 Boxboarders! Chainsaw Officer #1
2009 Saving Grace B. Jones Clint Dexter
2010 Not Another B Movie Bryon
2011 From Up on Poppy Hill Additional voices
2012 Chronicle Howard
2013 Epic Additional voices
2013 The Wind Rises
2014 Rio 2
2014HacksByron
2016 Ice Age: Collision Course Additional voices
2018 Next Gen

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1981–1983 Father Murphy Matt Sims31 episodes
1982 CBS Schoolbreak Special Danny GordonEpisode: "Just Pals"
1983 CHiPs Kevin CodyEpisode: "Journey to a Spacecraft"
1983 The Powers of Matthew Star Ryan WilsonEpisode: "The Great Waldo Shepherd"
1984 Silver Spoons Randy3 episodes
1987 21 Jump Street Dylan TaylorEpisode: "Bad Influence"
1988 Highway to Heaven Josh BarnettEpisode: "A Mother's Love"
1988A Father's HomecomingEric BirstockTelevision film
1988 Vietnam War Story MittyEpisode: "The Fragging"
1988 Freddy's Nightmares BillyEpisode: "Mother's Day"
1989 Family Ties Josh WakefieldEpisode: "Deja Vu"
1989 Monsters PaulEpisode: "The Match Game"
1989–1990 Brand New Life Laird Gibbons6 episodes
1993 Cooperstown Young HarryTelevision film
1994 Diagnosis: Murder CharlieEpisode: "Reunion with Murder"
1995 ER WillyEpisode: "Long Day's Journey"
2001 Star Trek: Enterprise CrewmanEpisode: "Broken Bow"
2008 Californication SelfEpisode: "La Ronde"
2017SleepoversBilly JamesTelevision film

References

  1. "Famous actors from Mississippi". 97.7 WRBJ: The Beat of the Capital. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 25 January 2025.
  2. 1 2 "Yamaha Corporation of America". Archived from the original on 2008-12-26. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
  3. "MSN Movies". Archived from the original on 2011-05-22. Retrieved 2008-11-13.
  4. Lovetripper.com: Tricia Leigh Fisher's Los Angeles Wedding Archived 2008-09-06 at the Wayback Machine , lovetripper.com; accessed March 22, 2015.