Tom Byron
Template:Short description Template:Infobox adult biography
Tom Byron (born Thomas Bryan Taliaferro Jr.; April 4, 1961) is an American former pornographic actor, director, and producer. A member of the XRCO<ref name='XRCOHOF'>Template:Cite news</ref> and the AVN Halls of Fame,<ref name='AVN HOF'>Template:Cite news</ref> he was voted #20 in AVN's list of top 50 pornstars of all time.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Byron is also co-founder of Xtreme Professional Wrestling, a wrestling promotion that began in Los Angeles in 1999 and was resurrected in 2019 in Rochester, New York. He continues to work as an editor for XPW TV.
Early life
Byron is of Italian descent and was raised in Orange, Texas. He attended Stark High School and later West Orange-Stark high school where he graduated in 1979. He attended Houston Baptist University on a full scholarship, but dropped out after a semester and moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of appearing in adult films.Template:Fact
Acting
Byron first started acting in hardcore films in May 1982,<ref name='Rog'>Template:Cite news</ref> and continued to perform mostly in roles portraying doctors or "coming of age" scenarios, as he resembled a teenager even though he was in his early to mid-20s. He starred alongside the underage Traci Lords in many films including her porn debut in early 1984, What Gets Me Hot!. He performed with Ginger Lynn in her second-ever scene, and claims that experience convinced the actress to remain in porn after her first scene with Ron Jeremy had her contemplating quitting the business. "America, you have me to thank for Ginger Lynn", Byron has said.<ref name="grillo"/>
In porn's 1980s heyday, Byron says that pills such as Viagra didn't yet exist to help male performers, and many including himself regularly smoked cannabis before filming as a means of getting in the mood. Byron did, however, begin to turn to pills for help later in his career. "Viagra kept me in the game for at least ten years after my due date", he says.<ref name="grillo" />
He was rumored to have had an ongoing off-screen relationship with Lords in the mid-80s, though in the years since he has alternately downplayed their relationship and admitted that he had been in love with her. He says he "fell hard" in love with porn actress Jill Kelly in the early 90s after the suicide of her estranged husband Cal Jammer. Byron also dated porn actress Tera Patrick early in her career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He has changed his image several times throughout his career, frequently portraying a clean-shaven, adolescent virgin in his early years in porn. In 1986, he released a music video for his song "Cat Alley".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By the early 1990s, Byron again changed his persona and appearance to that of a clean-cut "businessman" type.
In a 2020 interview, Byron said Jamie Summers was his all-time favorite co-star, citing her "amazing pussy". He named Jada Stevens and Gia Derza as his favorite then-current performers, though he retired before he had an opportunity to work with either of them.<ref name="grillo"/>
In August 2003, Byron announced his retirement from performing to focus on his directing career. However, in 2006 he returned to performing in some scenes.Template:Fact
Post-retirement
Byron currently resides in upstate New York. He says that a return to performing in porn is extremely unlikely, as age has caught up with him and he currently has problems maintaining an erection. "What am I... 59 now? I'm done! It's all over with," he said.<ref name="grillo" />
In 2020, Byron revealed that he is busy writing his autobiography with the help of author Mike Sager, whose work inspired the award-winning 1997 motion picture Boogie Nights. Byron has said there is already interest in turning his story into a major motion picture.<ref name="grillo">Template:Cite web</ref>
Filmography
Byron appeared in about 3,200 videos in his pornographic career,<ref name="IAFD"/> making him the most credited actor in the Internet Adult Film Database as of January 2013.<ref name='iafd'>Template:Cite news</ref>
His earliest video that can be dated with certainty is Anything Goes from 1982.
Awards
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| Template:Won | Template:Won | ||||||||||||||||||
| Year | Category | Nominated work |
|---|---|---|
| 1985<ref name='AVN'>Template:Cite news</ref> | Best Couples Sex Scene - Film | Kinky Business |
| 1990<ref name='AVN'/> | The Chameleon | Best Couples Sex Scene - Video |
| 1992<ref name='AVN'/> | Best Actor - Video | Sizzle |
| 1998<ref name='AVN'/> | Indigo Delta | |
| Best Gonzo Series | Cumback Pussy | |
| Male Performer of the Year | rowspan="2" Template:N/a | |
| 1999<ref name='AVN'/> | ||
| Best Gonzo Release | Whack Attack 2 | |
| 2000<ref name='AVN'/> | Best Supporting Actor - Video | LA 399 |
| 2008<ref name='2008AVN'>Template:Cite news</ref> | Best Actor | Layout |
| Best Couples Sex Scene - Film | ||
| 2010<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | Best Supporting Actor - Video | Throat: A Cautionary Tale |
| 2011<ref name=avn11win>Template:Cite web</ref> | Best Actor | The Big Lebowski: A XXX Parody |
| Best Big Butt Series | Big Ass Fixation | |
| 2013<ref name=avn13win>Template:Cite web</ref> | Best Supporting Actor | Star Wars XXX: A Porn Parody |
| Year | Category | Nominated work |
|---|---|---|
| 1984<ref name='rame'>Template:Cite news</ref> | Best Actor | Private Teacher |
| Best Couples Sex Scene | ||
| Best Supporting Actor | Sister Dearest |
| Year | Category | Nominated work |
|---|---|---|
| 2010<ref name=XBizwin10>Template:Cite web</ref> | Male Porn Star of the Year (People's Choice) | Template:N/a |
| 2017<ref name=xbizwinners2016>XBIZ Award Winners, XBIZ, January, 2016</ref> | Best Non-Sex Performance | Not Traci Lords XXX: '80s Superstars Reborn |
| Year | Category | Nominated work |
|---|---|---|
| 1986<ref name="afw0187">"10th Annual Erotic Awards," Adam Film World, January 1987, p. 7</ref> | Best Erotic Scene | New Wave Hookers |
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Male Fan Favorite |
| 1992 | |
| 1999 | |
| 2012 |
| Year | Category |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Lifetime Achievement Award - Actor |
| Year | Category | Nominated work |
|---|---|---|
| 1985<ref name=XRCO1985>Template:Cite web</ref> | Stud of the Year | rowspan="2" Template:N/a |
| XRCO Video Stallion | ||
| 1986<ref name="TBAIWARDS">Template:Cite web</ref> | XRCO Best Group Grope Scene | New Wave Hookers |
| 1989<ref name="TBAIWARDS"/> | XRCO Best Male-Female Sex Scene | Naked Stranger |
| Male Performer Of The Year | Template:N/a | |
| 1990<ref name='XRCO'/> | XRCO Best Couples Sex Scene - Video | The Chameleon |
| 1992<ref name="TBAIWARDS"/> | Best Anal Scene | Bend Over Babes II |
| 1993<ref name="afwg1994dir">"The XRCO Hall of Fame", Adam Film World Guide 1994 Directory of Adult Films, p. 57</ref> | XRCO Hall of Fame inductee | Template:N/a |
| 1996<ref name='XRCO'>Template:Cite news</ref> | Best Actor (Single Performance) | Flesh |
| Best Anal or DP Scene | Car Wash Angels | |
| 1997<ref name='XRCO'/> | Best Actor | Indigo Delta |
| Best Anal Scene | Behind the Sphinc Door | |
| Male Performer of the Year | Template:N/a | |
| 1998<ref name='XRCO'/> | Best Gonzo Series | Whack Attack |
References
External links
Template:AVN Best Actor Template:AVN Best Supporting Actor Template:AVN Male
- Pages with broken file links
- 1961 births
- American male pornographic film actors
- American pornographic film directors
- American pornographic film producers
- Living people
- Male actors from Houston
- Pornographic film actors from Texas
- University of Houston alumni
- Film directors from Texas
- American people of Italian descent
- Best Actor AVN Award winners
- Best Supporting Actor AVN Award winners
- Male Performer of the Year AVN Award winners