Hayden Byerly

Juvenile actor Hayden Byerly showed exceptional range and sensitivity as a young man questioning and exploring his sexual identity on the critically acclaimed drama "The Fosters" (Freeform, 2013-). Born in Lakewood, Colorado, Byerly developed an interest in acting at an early age by imitating performers in films and on television series. After winning a national talent contest at the age of ten, he relocated with his family to Los Angeles, where he booked his first role, a guest appearance on the Disney XD sitcom "Zeke and Luther" (2009-2012). He soon found steady work in a variety of projects, from independent features to voice-acting work for animated series like "Sofia the First" (Disney Channel, 2012-) and video games like "Call of Duty: Black Ops II" (Activision, 2012). Bylerly's first big break came on the NBC drama "Parenthood" (2010-2015) as Micah Watson, a wheelchair-bound young man who befriends the autistic teen Max Braverman (Max Burkholder). He soon booked his first series regular role as Jude Jacob-Foster, a foster child adopted into a multi-layered family on "The Fosters." Jude began the series as a sensitive and troubled pre-teen who, over the course of subsequent seasons, comes to identify himself as gay and began a relationship with his best friend (Gavin McIntosh). For his work on "The Fosters," Byerly received a 2016 nomination for Outstanding Young Ensemble in a Television series, which he shared with McIntosh and co-star Jake T. Austin.