Byron Stewart
Encyclopedia
Byron Stewart is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Warren Coolidge in the Bruce Paltrow
-directed television series The White Shadow
and the television medical drama St. Elsewhere
.
Stewart's first credited acting role came in 1977 at age 21 in the movie Fire Sale
, a comedy about a Jewish basketball coach who adopts a tall African-American teenage boy (played by Stewart) to help him win games. Ken Howard
stated in The White Shadow season 1 DVD commentary that, after seeing a re-run of Fire Sale, he immediately phoned Bruce Paltrow
and said he wanted Stewart for a role as one of his basketball players. Howard wanted at least one "player" taller than himself for the "team."
Stewart, who is 6'8" tall, later reprised the role of Warren Coolidge in another Paltrow-directed series, St. Elsewhere
. The explanation was that Coolidge had to give up basketball because of injury and moved to Boston, where he got a job as a hospital orderly at St. Eligius Hospital.
Today, Stewart works as an account manager for Worldwide Security. He still occasionally reads for acting roles. He is divorced with four children.
Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Weigert Paltrow was an American television and film director and producer. He was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, and was the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.-Life and career:...
-directed television series The White Shadow
The White Shadow
The White Shadow is an American drama television series that ran on the CBS network from November 27, 1978, to March 16, 1981.-Overview:...
and the television medical drama St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
.
Stewart's first credited acting role came in 1977 at age 21 in the movie Fire Sale
Fire sale
A fire sale is the sale of goods at extremely discounted prices, typically when the seller faces bankruptcy or other impending distress. The term may originally have been based on the sale of goods at a heavy discount due to fire damage...
, a comedy about a Jewish basketball coach who adopts a tall African-American teenage boy (played by Stewart) to help him win games. Ken Howard
Ken Howard
Kenneth Joseph "Ken" Howard, Jr. is an American actor, best known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in 1776 and as basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the television show The White Shadow...
stated in The White Shadow season 1 DVD commentary that, after seeing a re-run of Fire Sale, he immediately phoned Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Paltrow
Bruce Weigert Paltrow was an American television and film director and producer. He was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, and was the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and director Jake Paltrow.-Life and career:...
and said he wanted Stewart for a role as one of his basketball players. Howard wanted at least one "player" taller than himself for the "team."
Stewart, who is 6'8" tall, later reprised the role of Warren Coolidge in another Paltrow-directed series, St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere
St. Elsewhere is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on NBC from October 26, 1982 to May 25, 1988. The series is set at fictional St. Eligius, a decaying urban teaching hospital in Boston's South End neighborhood...
. The explanation was that Coolidge had to give up basketball because of injury and moved to Boston, where he got a job as a hospital orderly at St. Eligius Hospital.
Today, Stewart works as an account manager for Worldwide Security. He still occasionally reads for acting roles. He is divorced with four children.