Bryton McClure, also known mononymously as Bryton James, is an American theatre and television actor, who is perhaps still best known for playing the role of four-year-old Richie Crawford in “Family Matters”, an American sitcom that gained fame during the nineties.
James became a successful, award-winning actor later in life, and today plays the role of Devon Hamilton in the CBS daytime soap opera, the obsession of every housewife, “The Young and The Restless”. A role he earned in 2004 and has maintained until the present day, and for which Bryton earned two Daytime Emmy awards.
As of yet, it seems unlikely for the 37-year-old to retire from acting, and while the drama continues to unfold on the set of “The Young and The Restless”, no rumours or speculations, nor any hints have suggested that Bryton would be leaving the set any time soon.
With James’ fame growing, it would seem only natural that more people express an interest in Bryton, wondering perhaps what became of the young child actor who once portrayed Richie Crawford.
As such, we have gathered all there is to know about the actor to provide a detailed look at Bryton James’ life and career, and see what the actor is planning for the future.
What To Expect
As we chronicle Bryton’s life, we will begin with his childhood and early career, before moving on to his later success in life. Following this, we’ll conclude by looking at the latest updates on Bryton’s personal life and hopes for the future.
Born For The Limelight
Born on 17 August 1986, in Lakewood, California, Bryton was raised in Fullerton by his parents, Eric and Bette McClure, as their only child. From a young age, Bryton was exposed to the arts, specifically to music and musical theatre through Eric, who made a living as a music producer, songwriter, and musician.
Bryton’s career in acting began early, appearing in commercials and printed advertisements at the age of two, before landing the role of Richie Crawford at the age of four. One of Bryton’s commercial projects included a collaboration with the late Pop King Michael Jackson, earning Bryton brilliant exposure.
Bryton earned the interest of Disney, and would later work as a recording artist with the media franchise, but also crossed over to Nickelodeon over the course of his career. Bryton James, as he is now known, appeared in “Family Matters” for seven years spanning 1990 through to 1997, earning Bryton credit for more than 200 episodes in the popular sitcom. It moved to the CBS Network’s channel in 1997, though faced ultimate cancellation in 1998.
Following his young success, Bryton kept himself busy with roles in the sitcom “Smart Guy”, and a voice role in the animated series “The Kids From Room 402”. James later re-emerged in 2004, when he earned the role of Devon Hamilton in “The Young and The Restless”, though would be restless himself, adding many other projects to his list of credits.
Bryton made a guest appearance in the second season of the popular drama series “The Vampire Diaries” as the warlock Luka Martin, and also had a voice role on the animated Nicktoons series “Zevo-3”. In 2018, Bryton was named as a cast member in the animated series “Glitch Techs”, and over the course of his career, James voiced many characters in animated series such as the “Star Wars” cartoon, “Young Justice”, and the animated film “Pacific Rim: The Black”.
However, Bryton’s most noteworthy success came from his portrayal of Devon Hamilton, which became the pinnacle display of his acting talent. Not only did his performance earn him numerous nominations, but Bryton also won several accolades for his talented acting.
The #DaytimeEmmys Award in SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES goes to…
Bryton James as Devon Hamilton │@BrytonEjames @YandR_CBS @CBS #YR pic.twitter.com/HoZBxU4d4k— Daytime Emmys (@DaytimeEmmys) June 27, 2020
In 2006, Bryton was nominated for the Outstanding Young Actor In a Daytime Drama award, which he claimed the following year, and was again nominated in 2008 and 2009. In 2016, Bryton won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Daytime Drama series, which he earned a second time in 2020.
Of course, one can write chronicles of all the drama Devon Hamilton’s character experienced throughout the many years Bryton portrayed the role, though the character remains a favourite among viewers due to James’s brilliant performance. However, unlike his character, Bryton prefers to keep his personal life private, though that has never stopped fans from prying into his affairs.
Love For The Restless
Despite his efforts to keep things under wraps, fans have learned much about Bryton’s personal life, from his philanthropic enterprising, to his friendships and romances with co-stars, Bryton has not been safe from the gossipers.
Of course, it is quite well known among those familiar with the former child star that Bryton once shared a close friendship with Michael Jackson, and was among the many who rose to defend the pop king against the allegations he faced.
However, Bryton’s presence on the set of “The Young and The Restless” also earned him the friendship of several co-stars, including that of Christel Khalil and Daniel Goddard, who both appointed James as the godfather of their children.
Aside from this, Bryton’s love life, specifically his relationship with former child actress Ashley Leisinger, earned the attention of the media and public, and was to an extent highly published at the time.
The couple met as young performers, and though they’ve remained private about the full details of their relationship, it’s known that the romance between them developed over many years.
On 16 March 2011, the couple tied the knot during a ceremony officiated by Bryton’s friend and colleague, Christian LeBlanc. Sadly, in 2014, Bryton announced publicly that he will be divorcing Ashley, but assured his fans and followers that they will remain good friends, and that their separation was amicable.
Following his divorce, Bryton began dating the singer Sterling Victorian, but after several years of dating, the couple eventually called off their relationship. Today, it’s known that Bryton is involved in a romantic relationship with a co-star from “The Young and The Restless”, Brytni Sarpy.
Bryton made his relationship with Sarpy official in 2019, and the couple has remained together thus far, with no rumour or suggestion of separation any time soon.
Conclusion
Like his personal life, Bryton James has remained tight-lipped about his plans for the future, but it is safe to say, despite the many characters that come and go on the set of “The Young and The Restless”, viewers can keep looking forward to seeing Bryton on their television screens.
As far as can be told, Bryton has no plans of retiring, but who knows what to expect from the producers of the daytime soap opera? If this and all the drama surrounding Bryton’s iconic role interest you, then feel free to catch the latest episodes of “The Young and The Restless”.
