Byrd, actor in Spike films, shot dead

Veteran actor Thomas Jefferson Byrd, who frequently worked with director Spike Lee, was fatally shot in Atlanta Saturday, hit with multiple gunshots to the back, authorities said.

He was 70.

Atlanta Police said Byrd (photo) was found unresponsive after they received a call about 1:45 a.m. Authorities pronounced Byrd dead at the scene.

A homicide investigation was underway.

Born in Griffin, Ga., in 1950, Byrd began to experience repeated success in the film industry as a character actor in the mid-1990s with a string of roles, both in Lee’s films and those directed by others.

Byrd’s numerous collaborations with Lee spanned decades and included the films “Clockers,” “Bamboozled,” “He Got Game,” “Get on the Bus” and “Girl 6” in a period from 1995 to 2000.

More recently, Byrd had appeared in Lee-directed movies such as “Red Hook Summer” (2012), “Da Sweet Blood of Jesus” (2014) and “Chi-Raq” (2015).

In an Instagram tribute Sunday, Lee wrote he was “So Sad To Announce The Tragic Murder” of Byrd, and shared a photo of the actor playingpyg Errol Barnes in “Clockers” in 1995.

“May We All Wish Condolences And Blessings To His Family,” Lee, 63, captioned the post. “Rest In Peace Brother Byrd.”

Byrd had recently portrayed the character of Stokely in the Netflix series “She’s Gotta Have It,” which was created by Lee and was based on the director’s classic 1986 film.

“Rest In Peace Thomas Jefferson Byrd,” actor Anthony Ramos, who starred on the series, commented on Lee’s tribute post.

“Forever our Stokes!”

One of Byrd’s earliest performances in film not directed by Lee came in the 1996 heist movie “Set If Off,” which was directed by F. Gary Gray and starred Jada Pinkett, Queen Latifah and Vivica Fox.

In addition to his on-screen career, Byrd appeared in a number of stage productions and was nominated in the featured actor in a play category at the 2003 Tony Awards for his performance in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.”