Troy Byer facts for kids

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

Early Life and Education

Troy Byer was born in New York City. Her mother was African-American, and her father was white. She started her career in the entertainment industry at a young age.

When she was just four years old, Troy began acting on the children's TV show Sesame Street. Later, she studied acting and psychobiology (which is about how the brain and body affect behavior) at City University of New York.

She continued her studies and earned a master's degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Her studies focused on a special type of psychology that looks at communities and the environment. Troy also has a very high degree, a doctorate, in clinical psychology. This means she is trained to help people with their thoughts and feelings. She also has a special certificate in Industrial Organizational Psychology, which is about understanding people in the workplace.

Career Highlights

Troy Byer moved to Los Angeles after getting a small role in the movie The Cotton Club (1984), directed by Francis Ford Coppola. In 1986, she became a regular on the TV show Dynasty. She played Jackie Deveraux, the daughter of a character played by Diahann Carroll.

Troy won the Newcomer of the Year award from ShoWest for her main role in the movie Rooftops (1989). She also acted in many other films, including Disorderlies (1987), The Five Heartbeats (1991) where she played Baby Doll, Weekend at Bernie's II (1993), Eddie (1996), and John Q (2002). She also worked with famous director Robert Altman in The Gingerbread Man (1998).

In 1997, Troy Byer started writing movies with B*A*P*S. In 2002, she wrote and directed the movie Love Don't Cost a Thing. This movie was based on an older film called Can't Buy Me Love.

Troy is also a strong supporter of the foster care system, which helps children who need a safe home. She was once part of this system herself. She has also written a self-help book called How To Be Ex-Free: 9 Keys To Happiness After Heartbreak.

Personal Life

Troy Byer has one son named Jordan Burg. His father is her ex-husband, Mark Burg.

Filmography

Movies

Television Shows