Byron Lee Coolie, Jr. was born in New Orleans, LA. After surviving Hurricane Katrina at the of 14, Coolie relocated to variety of places. These places include Alabama, Atlanta, Charlotte, NC, Brooklyn, and Kentucky. Coolie began acting at the age of 16 at the African American Cultural Center for Teen Dance and Drama. In 2013, Coolie graduated from Elizabeth City State University with a B.S. in Business Administration with a Marketing concentration. In his junior year of college, he decided to audition for a graduate theatre program to further his acting training. In 2013, he was accepted into the University of Louisville's MFA theatre program. In 2016, Coolie received his Master of Fine Arts Degree in Theatre Arts/Acting.Byron Coolie's most notable theatre credits include Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, Lymon in the Piano Lesson, and Robert in Betrayal.