Byron Stewart (born May 1, 1956 in Baxter Springs,

Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...

) is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Warren Coolidge in the 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 fire sale is the sale of goods at extremely discounted prices. The term originated in reference to the sale of goods at a heavy discount due to fire damage. It may or may not be defined as a closeout, the final sale of goods to zero inventor ...

'', a comedy in which a Jewish basketball coach adopts a tall African-American teenage boy (played by Stewart) to help him win games.

Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was 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 Wh ...

stated in ''The White Shadow'' season 1 DVD commentary that, after seeing a re-run of ''Fire Sale'', he immediately phoned

Bruce Paltrow Bruce Weigert Paltrow (November 26, 1943 – October 3, 2002) was an American television and film director and producer. He was the husband of actress Blythe Danner, and the father of actress Gwyneth Paltrow and screenwriter/director Jake Paltro ...

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 an injury while in his sophomore year at Boston College. Due to his injury, he lost his scholarship, dropped out and became an orderly at St. Eligius Hospital. Today, Stewart is a grandfather of five living in Riverside County, California. He still occasionally reads for acting roles. He is divorced with four children.

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King of Carver Cool wears No. 7 in TV Greats Countdown
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Byron 1956 births Living people American male television actors Male actors from Kansas People from Baxter Springs, Kansas