Born in St. Louis, Missouri in 1948, Jim Byrnes has spent most of his life pursuing acting and music. He started taking piano lessons at the age of five, and taught himself blues guitar at about thirteen. At the same time, he started doing plays in high school. He studied acting in college.
Byrnes served in the U.S. Army in the late sixties, and spent almost a year in Vietnam. He has a daughter who was born by his girl- friend in 1970, and who is currently living in St. Louis. He also has two stepchildren from a subsequent relationship. He has been living in Canada since 1969; first living in Toronto, and then moving to Vancouver, British Columbia.
In February of 1972, Byrnes was in a severe car accident, after which he had difficulties getting acting jobs. He turned his attention to music. He formed the Him Byrnes band in the late seventies, and released his first album in 1981.
He met his "better half", Robyn, in 1983, and they have a daughter named Caitlin.
In 1987 his acting career was reignited with the role in the Wiseguy, and he has been both acting and performing with his band ever since. He has won a Juno award, which is similar to a Grammy, only Canadian, so it's better :) He has also won a Leo for Best Supporting Actor on Highlander.
Here is a list of the various TV shows and movies Byrnes has appeared in:
Shadow Raiders/War Planets (1998).................Grand Vizier of Planet Fire
Mummies Alive! The Legend Begins (1998).......Extra
Final Descent (1997).........................................Duke
Drive, She Said (1997)......................................Dr. Glen Green
For Hope (1997)...............................................Date #1
Lost Treasure of Dos Santos (1997)...................Doc
Wiseguy (1996).................................................Lifeguard
Beasties/Beast Wars (1996)...........................Inferno
G.I. Joe Extreme (1996).....................................Nelson
Bloodhounds II(1996).........................................Lt. Jim McMann
Starlight (1996)...................................................Rod
Serving in Silence: The Margarethe...(1995).........Vet
Dream Man (1995).............................................Jim Garrity
Suspicious Agenda (1994)...................................Lt. Rayburn
Whale Music (1994)............................................Dewey Moore
Harmony Cats (1993)..........................................Frank Hay
Highlander The Series (1993-1998).....................Joe Dawson
Dirty Work (1992)..............................................Unknown
Invader (1992)....................................................Engineer Powell
Christmas on Division Street (1991).....................Benedetti
Omen IV: The Awakening (1991)........................Noah
In the Best Interest of the Child (1990).................Kurt
Neon Rider (1990)..............................................Kevin
Red Spider, The (1988).......................................Jack Fine
Wiseguy (1987)...................................................Daniel Benjamin Burroughs
Hands of a Stranger (1987)..................................Band Leader
Out of the Blue/No Looking Back (1980).............Party Singer