Eugene Byrd

Eugene Byrd received his big acting break at the age of 12, playing Jelani on the classic children's show "Sesame Street" from 1987 to 1990. Following his departure from the series, Byrd was cast in several successful TV ventures, including the TV movie "Murder in Mississippi," "The Cosby Show," and the educational mystery show "Ghostwriter." In 1993 Byrd was given the starring role of Oliver Cross on "Chris Cross," a series about two school friends, which was cancelled after a season, despite winning several awards for children's programming. Next, Byrd had the opportunity to work with director Jim Jarmusch in his spiritual "acid Western," "Dead Man," starring Johnny Depp. In an incredible cast of veteran actors, Byrd played Johnny "The Kid" Pickett, one of the bounty hunters sent after Depp. The following year, Byrd was cast in a small part in the big-budget thriller "Sleepers." Despite these two successes, he didn't get another significant role until 1998, when he played Lawrence "L.T." Taggert on the Emmy-winning series "Promised Land." With his career picking up in the '00s, Byrd starred in the indie film "Lift" and in Eminem's acting debut, "8 Mile," and began appearing more frequently in recurring roles on TV, notably on "For Your Love," and the crime series "Crossing Jordan." In 2007 he began playing Dr. Clark Edison on the often-comedic crime show "Bones."