Talk:Jeffrey Byron

Hiya, folks. About a year ago, I interviewed Jeffrey Byron for TrekMovie.com. I wrote up an article for the interview and submitted it to the site, but it never went live. Having received the greenlight from TrekMovie.com editor Anthony Pascale, I am posting the article here for the Memory Alpha community. I have formatted the article to fit MA standards. Be warned, however, there are some minor spoilers.

TrekMovie.com has confirmed yet another cast member appearing in 's : 52-year-old actor, screenwriter and producer Jeffrey Byron has a supporting role in the film. Even though he couldn't go into any great detail (naturally), Byron talked a bit with TrekMovie.com regarding his Trek role, how he got the part, and his thoughts on director/producer J.J. Abrams.

About Jeffrey

Born Timothy Stafford in Santa Monica, California, Byron is the third son of veteran actress and is the godson of legendary film director. He made his acting debut in Ford's Donovan's Reef, after which he appeared on the classic TV shows Bonanza, The Fugitive, and The Twilight Zone. During the 1970s, he appeared in films like Nickelodeon and International Velvet and played a lead role in the 1978 comedy The Seniors. He is perhaps best known as the star of the cult 1980s sci-fi flicks Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn and The Dungeonmaster and for his regular and recurring roles on various daytime dramas.

About the role

[minor spoilers] Byron tells us his character is involved with Starfleet Academy and that it is a speaking role. He filmed his scenes in December 2007 and said he worked "with all the principal characters including Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto)." Byron explains how he got the part:
 * I auditioned for the part and at the time I think I was being considered for several possible characters. The casting director, April Webster put me on tape, and I assume JJ Abrams liked what I did and brought me aboard.

As with other cast members, Byron had nothing but great things to say about the film's director:
 * JJ Abrams is a wonderful guy. Very supportive of his actors and made me feel (and everyone else) relaxed and confident. I have only the highest praise for him and I think all the Star Trek fans should know that in my opinion you couldn't have a better person rejuvenating the franchise.

What's next?

When we contacted Byron, he was busy acting in a new movie. In addition to acting, however, Byron is also a photographic artist (you can see some of his work at his official site). He has also focused more attention on screenwriting. Byron controls the rights to the works of his late stepfather, the prolific novelist. Byron tells us that a film based on one of Nathan's novels is currently in development, with Byron set to produce. A script has been written and they are currently searching for a director. For more on Nathan's works and updates, see the Robert Nathan Library.

More on Jeffrey

IMDb | Memory Alpha

Since this interview took place, it has been learned that Byron's character is a test administrator at Starfleet Academy. I'm sure he has worked on a few other things since then. Looking at his IMDb profile, he has appeared in at least two episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful since we did the interview. Check out the sites linked in the article for further updates.

And that's it. :) --From Andoria with Love 18:37, 12 April 2009 (UTC)