Chad L. Coleman

Chad L. Coleman
Biographical information
Plays	Klyden
Born	September 6th, 1974
Nationality	American
Gender	Male
Eye color	Brown
Hair color	Black
Height	5' 11"
Career
Years active	1992 - present

The joy of acting comes from the joy of reading.— Chad L. Coleman

Chad L. Coleman is an American actor who portrays Klyden, one of Topa's fathers and the mate of Second Officer Bortus, on The Orville.

Chad L. Coleman receives an "Also Starring" credit following the opening credits of The Orville for episodes in which he appears.

Background

Chad L. Coleman grew up in Richmond, Virginia. He grew up on the show Lost in Space, which had a "profound effect," sparking a love for science fiction that matured with Star Trek. After being in foster care for his teenage years, he enlisted in the US Army. After the Army, he moved to New York and performed in many plays including Broadway performances.

His most prominent roles are that of Dennis "Cutty" Wise on The Wire and Tyreese Williams on The Walking Dead. Other shows that he has appeared in include Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles, Electric City, I Hate My Teenage Daughter, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Arrow, and The Expanse.

The Orville

Coleman auditioned for the role of Bortus but did not receive the role. Creator Seth MacFarlane was a fan of The Wire and had enjoyed Coleman's audition, and offered him the part of Klyden instead.

Coleman said he laughed out loud as soon as he read the script.

Coleman and Larry Joe Campbell publicly joined the cast of The Orville together on April 3, 2017.

He says that performing the role of a Moclan calls upon his Shakespearean training to speak soberly and with a carefully articulated cadence. He speaks in a Shakespearean style and cadence, avoiding contractions.

Trivia

• He won Best Supporting Actor in a Short Film at the Northeast Film Festival for his work in The Black Ghiandola.

See also

• Interview on KTLA 5
• The World of the Orville, page 79
• Interview on The VŌC Podcast