# Troy Byer

Troy Byer is an American psychologist, author, director, screenwriter, and actress. For most of her acting career she was credited as Troy Beyer.

## Early life and education

Born in New York City to an African-American mother and Jewish father, 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), Robert Altman's The Gingerbread Man (1998), and John Q (2002).
In 1997, Byer made her screenwriting debut with B*A*P*S. In 1998 she made her directing debut with her next screenplay, Let's Talk About Sex (1998) which she as well starred in; the film was picked up by Fine Line Features. In 2002 Byer wrote and directed Love Don't Cost a Thing based on the 1987 movie Can't Buy Me Love.
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 |
| 1987 | Disorderlies | Carla | |
| 1989 | Rooftops | Elena | |
| 1990 | The White Girl | Kim | |
| 1991 | The Five Heartbeats | Baby Doll | |
| 1993 | Weekend at Bernie's II | Claudia | |
| 1994 | 3 Chains o' Gold | - | Video |
| 1996 | The Little Death | Defense Attorney | |
| 1996 | Eddie | Beth Hastings | |
| 1996 | Alien Avengers | - | TV movie |
| 1997 | B.A.P.S. | Tracy Shaw | |
| 1998 | The Gingerbread Man | Konnie Dugan | |
| 1998 | Let's Talk About Sex | Jasmine 'Jazz' Hampton | |
| 2001 | Good Advice | Nancy | |
| 2001 | Surviving Gilligan's Island | Diner | |
| 2002 | John Q. | Miriam Smith | |
| 2002 | A Light in the Darkness | Kira Hansen | |
| 2002 | 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" |
| 1987 | 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" |
| 1993 | 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 |