Tom Byron

Overview
Born April 4, 1961 in Houston, Texas, USA
Birth Name Thomas Bryan Taliaferro Jr.
Nickname Tommy
Height 6′ (1.83 m)
Mini Bio
Thomas Bryan Taliaferro Jr. (Tom Byron) was born on April 4, 1961, in Houston, Texas. Tom grew up in Houston, in a large family of four sisters, one of whom was openly gay. The shy, soft-spoken and extremely intelligent Byron fast-tracked through high school and graduated one year early. When he turned 18 he moved to Los Angeles, and got a job in an adult video/novelty store, which was located across the street from Jim South’s World Modeling Agency. South is a well-known booking agent for adult video actors and actresses. One day in May of 1982 Tom decided to walk in and meet Jim. South was cautious at first, because Tom looked younger than what his driver’s license claimed, but wound up signing him to a shoot. Bobby Hollander’s “Anything Goes: Gourmet Video 19” (1982) was Tom’s first shoot. His first scene was with Craig Roberts and Lili Marlene, and Tom unfortunately didn’t fare too well under the pressure. However, he decided to stick it out and soon landed major roles in Private Teacher (1983), All American Girls II: In Heat (1983) and the Marilyn Chambers vehicle Up ‘n’ Coming (1983). With his extraordinary work in those three films, Byron was thrust into the spotlight. Many adult video producers took notice of the talented 21-year-old. Byron, who had been doing a number of loops and magazine still shoots to pay his rent, and work started pouring in.

Tom made a name for himself as the consummate professional opposite such adult superstars as Ginger Lynn and Traci Lords, with whom he once shared an apartment. Along with his two friends, Peter North and Marc Wallice, Byron took the adult video world by storm. Between 1982 and 1990 he worked in nearly 1,000 films with virtually every actress in the business. Some of his finest work included the “Brat” series, where he played the bumbling husband Morty Dickinson, as well as his work in Sizzle (1983) and New Wave Hookers (1985). Tom has received countless awards for his scene with Ginger Lynn and Steve Powers in “New Wave Hookers”, a scene which Byron has referred to as “easy” but is regarded in adult circles as “legendary”. By 1991 he had established himself as a presence in the adult-video world. Unfortunately, that was also the same year that the IRS came looking for him regarding unfiled income taxes. He found himself in serious financial debt and was even looking at some jail time if he couldn’t straighten out his problems. In order to pay off his debts, Byron took on a rigorous work schedule. In 1991 he appeared in over 250 videos (averaging between two and three scenes per movie) in addition to appearing in a number of still magazine shoots for European and American publications.

However, by 1992 he was burned out and unhappy with the industry, and began looking for other diversions. He chose music. He formed a band and began touring the L.A. music scene while doing porn on the side. He got some publicity by demanding a condoms-only policy during his scenes, the first actor to do so, but the publicity was short-lived, as was his music career. In 1993 he dedicated himself full time to appearing in adult films, and gave up his condoms-only stance. Between 1993 and 1996 he worked in well over 500 adult videos, often for his old friend, director Alex de Renzy (aka Rex Borsky). In 1997 Byron signed with a fledgling company called Elegant Angel. Company head Patrick Collins (aka Roscoe Bowltree) decided to bring Byron on board as an actor and a director (Byron had directed one of the Brat movies when director Paul Thomas had taken ill). However, Patrick saw the potential in Byron and pushed him to direct his own video series. After shooting a scene with Sean Michaels and Nikki Brantz that appeared in Sodomania 17: S.M.U.T. (1996), Byron was on his way, and was assigned to direct a series called “Cumback Pussy”. His directing style was very similar to that of his old buddy DeRenzy, and Byron, as well as Elegant Angel, cleaned up at the the Adult Video News Awards.

In 1998 Byron, Robert Black and Van Damage decided to leave the stable of Elegant Angel after they felt betrayed by Collins. They formed their own company called Extreme Associates, named for its promise to produce “extreme” videos. Tiffany Mynx also left Elegant Angel and became the company’s first contract starlet. Byron attempted to convince his good friend Marc Wallice to leave Elegant Angel also. As well as being a longtime friend, Wallice had been one of the people who helped Byron through his transition from performer to director and had also worked as the editor and cinematographer on many of Byron’s early Elegant Angel movies. However, by late 1997 it was revealed that Wallice had contracted the HIV virus, and he subsequently retired.

In 1999 Byron began shooting the “Lord of Asses”, “Whack Attack” and “Planet of the Gapes” series, which were very similar to his “Cumback Pussy” line. He is still going strong and has ventured out, with his friend Rob Black, into the wrestling world. He helped form the Los Angeles-based XPW (Xtreme Pro Wrestling) organization, which is considered the top wrestling outfit behind WWF, WCW and ECW. In 2000 Byron worked almost exclusively for Extreme, with an occasional appearance in a Seymore Butts video. To date Byron has appeared in nearly 2,000 adult videos, a few mainstream films (such as 52 Pick-Up (1986)) and has been inducted into the XRCO and AVN Hall of Fame.
– IMDb Mini Biography By: Tony Lefcourt

Trivia
Performs as a rock musician in his second career.
Won an AVN [Adult Video News] Award for Best Male Performer in the year 1999.
Is one of possibly 5 adult-film actors who as appeared in over 2000 films.
Announced his retirement from performing in adult movies. However, he will still continue to direct movies for Extreme Associates. [August 2002]
Started his own production company called Evolution Erotica. (May 2003)
Worked at the Le Sex Shoppe in Sherman Oaks, California prior to entering porn.
Entered the business in May of 1982.
Has appeared in more porn films then any other performer.
Personal Quotes (6)
Anything I do on screen, I have done in my personal life. My masculinity has been documented more times on screen than anyone. I don’t feel the need to prove anything.
There are some girls I love working with all the time such as Nici Sterling and Juli Ashton. But most of us guys want fresh chicks. The best scenes come from doing someone you’ve never met before.
I grew up in a family of four sisters, a gay brother and a strong mother. The macho thing doesn’t appeal to me. I don’t like to hang out with guys. I don’t like to go to bars to try to score. I don’t get into fights. All the things that the average male finds amusing, I don’t. I’d rather hang out with girls and see what they’re thinking about.
I have never liked doing scenes with another guy in it. If you notice in the last three or four years, I haven’t been in any scenes with any other guys. All you do is spend your time avoiding the other guy.
There was that one year where I wanted to get into the music business, but my heart wasn’t really into it. I know I have talent for singing. I was in the Texas All-State Choir for a year. I wasn’t really happy with what was happening in the industry at that time and I wanted something to fall back on. My heart was never really into the music business though. This is what I do, it’s what I enjoy.
I knew from an early age that I wanted to do this. As soon as I discovered pornography I knew that it was for me. I was born in 1961 so right about the time my hormones started raging, it was the Golden Age of Porn. I used to go into theaters and watch John Leslie and Jamie Gillis and think that it was a great way to make a living. I got into the whole history of the business, who the directors were, who the main actors were. I’d sit in the middle of the theater, just fascinated by the whole process and I knew that one way or another, one day, I’d be doing that.