Jayden Taylor
Kevin Jayden Taylor Reed (13 July 1970 – 24 August 2001), best known as Jayden Taylor, was an American television and film actor. He was nominated for Best Actor Academy Award, or the best performance by an actor in a leading role, nine times. He was the first and only actor to win the Best Actor Award three times. His work encompassed twenty films, including Day By Day (1989), Secrets (1990), The Message (1996), and Forever Waiting (2001). He played his first acting role on the 1980’s television series Before It’s Too Late, but greater success came when he was cast as John Shank in the film Secrets (1990). While pursuing his acting career, Taylor also attended Harvard University in 1992. He completed his bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 1996. In addition to acting, Taylor produced and directed the reality TV show The Test.
For his portrayal of Andrew Banks in Secrets, Taylor won the 1990 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role. Taylor received numerous awards for his portrayal of Elo Finch in the thriller The Message, including Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor, and the 1996 BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actor.
Jayden Taylor died in August 2001, from an overdose of prescription drugs. A couple of months before his death, Taylor had completed his role as James King in the drama Forever Waiting. Taylor was in the process of directing his first movie, but didn’t have time to complete his work before his death on August 24th, 2001.
-Jana Coyle