Tim Reid

Tim Reid
Reid speaking at the USDA Black History Month celebration in February 2012
Born	Timothy L. Reid (1944-12-19) December 19, 1944 (age 72) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, comedian, director
Years active	1974–present
Spouse(s)	Rita Reid (1967–May 9, 1980; divorced) two children Daphne Maxwell (December 4, 1982–present)

Timothy L. "Tim" Reid (born December 19, 1944) is an American actor, comedian and film director best known for his roles in prime time American television programs, such as Venus Flytrap on WKRP in Cincinnati (1978–82), Marcel "Downtown" Brown on Simon & Simon (1983–87), Ray Campbell on Sister, Sister (1994–99) and William Barnett on That '70s Show (2004–06). Reid starred in a CBS series, Frank's Place, as a professor who inherits a Louisiana restaurant. Reid is the founder and president of Legacy Media Institute, a non-profit organization "dedicated to bringing together leading professionals in the film and television industry, outstanding actors, and young men and women who wish to pursue a career in the entertainment media".

Timmy Reid was born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in the Crestwood area of Chesapeake, Virginia, formerly Norfolk County, Virginia. The son of Augustine (née Wilkins) and William Lee Reid. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration at Norfolk State College in 1968. Reid also became a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. After graduation he was hired by Dupont Corporation, where he worked for three years.

Reid's entertainment career also began in 1968. He and insurance salesman Tom Dreesen met at a Junior Chamber of Commerce meeting near Chicago. They were "put together to promote an anti-drug program in the local schools" and, prompted by a comment from a child, decided to form a comedy team. The team, later billed as "Tim and Tom", was the first interracial comedy duo. Years later, Reid and Dreesen wrote a book about those years called Tim & Tom: An American Comedy in Black and White (2008, ), co-written with sports writer Ron Rapoport).