Herb Jefferson Jr.
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| Portrays: | Boomer | ||
| Date of Birth: | September 28, 1946 | ||
| Date of Death: | , | ||
| Age: | 70 | ||
| Nationality: |  USA
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Herbert Jefferson, Jr. (born September 28, 1946) played Lieutenant Boomer in the Original Series and Colonel Boomer in the spin-off series, "Galactica 1980."
Early life and education
Herb Jefferson Jr. was born in Sandersville, Georgia and was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey. While he did theater production and sang in a choir with his father when he was growing up, Jefferson states he never wanted to be an actor until he worked for ABC television in New York (as the late Peter Jennings’ mail assistant.) While working for ABC he came into contact with the production of various live television shows. This inspired him to take acting classes at the Herbert Berghof Studios at night while he continued to work at ABC during the day. Eventually Jefferson landed roles in off Broadway productions. He enrolled in the New York Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated with honors in 1969. He latter studied with renowned acting teacher Lee Strasberg (whose students included Marilyn Monroe, Robert DeNiro, Steve McQueen and Jack Nicholson) at The Actors Studio.
As Boomer
Jefferson played Lieutenant Boomer on the original Battlestar Galactica during the show's single season run, being chosen from a field of fifty performers who auditioned. The role of Boomer had originally been given to Terry Carter, latter cast as Colonel Tigh, who broke his ankle before shooting, which led to the role being re-cast. Boomer was in many ways the third musketeer, tagging along with Apollo (Richard Hatch) and Starbuck (Dirk Benedict), making up the core group of Colonial Warriors showcased during the series. In the spinoff series, "Galactica 1980," Boomer is shown as holding the rank of Colonel, succeeding Colonel Tigh.
After Galactica
After the cancellation of Battlestar Galactica, Jefferson made guest appearances on popular television series such as "The Dukes of Hazzard," "T.J. Hooker," "Knight Rider" and "ER." His more recent movie credits include the Ron Howard film Apollo 13 and Wolfgang Peterson’s Outbreak.
In a 1998 Starlog interview, Jefferson expressed a willingness to participate in a revival of the original BSG if he were approached. The aborted revival of Battlestar Galactica, set to be produced by Bryan Singer and Tom DeSanto for the Fox Network, reportedly planned to feature Jefferson as Boomer in the pilot and as a recurring character.
Jefferson lives in southern California, has a daughter and appears at comic and game conventions. He has been involved with the California Special Olympics for over 25 years, the Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program and the California Paralyzed Veterans Association.
