Early life

Payne was born in Woking, Surrey, and grew up in New Haw, Surrey. He developed an interest for acting at an early age. In an interview with Impact magazine in 2001, Payne revealed that "I know that my immediate family tell me that when I was very young I saw a play that my brother was in - probably a Peter Pan pantomime because it involved a crocodile - and I apparently shouted out 'That crocodile is going to eat my brother' and ran up on the stage. I don't remember that myself, but if it really happened, I think it shows that from an early age I loved that suspension of disbelief". At the age of 14 he was diagnosed with a slight form of Spina Bifida which by age 16 required surgery to rectify. Payne was hospitalised for 6 months following the operation.

Payne continued school studies, despite a contact with a talent scout during that time. After his graduation, he enrolled in the National Youth Theatre for two seasons. Payne has described this experience as "Four hundred kids thrown together to work on 7 plays." In addition, Payne was occupied with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for one season. He then auditioned for several fringe acting companies but was told he was too young and lacked experience. However, in 1979 he was admitted to the "prestigious" Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) acting program. Before being accepted at RADA, Payne worked as a joiner, a salesman and a landscape gardener. Payne graduated from RADA in 1981 with seven major prizes for acting, comedy (Payne won the Fabia Drake Prize for Comedy) and physical presence. Payne was part of a 'new wave' of actors to emerge from the Academy. Others included Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, Anton Lesser, Kenneth Branagh and Fiona Shaw. Whilst at RADA, Payne wrote and directed himself in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth in which he wielded a baseball bat on stage instead of a sword. This was chosen by the Principal of RADA to be performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II, in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne would later appear on stage in both Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Payne also played Karsten Bernick in the Henrik Ibsen play The Pillars of Society while at RADA, a production in which Paul McGann also appeared.

Acting career

1980s

Payne's first television role was in the Tales Out of School series. Payne played a PE teacher who 'comes across as more head bully than responsible adult during his classes'. Payne's first major film role came in Privates on Parade (1982) in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (the role which Ben Cross had played in the stage version).

In 1983 he appeared in Michael Mann's horror film The Keep, as an unnamed border guard. In the same year Steven Berkoff cast him in his production of West at the Donmar Warehouse. Payne played Les, a member of an East End London gang intent on gaining revenge against the rival Hoxton Mob for the slaying of one of their number. Richard Corliss of TIME magazine stated that Payne bestowed "a frighteningly dynamic performance" in the play.

In 1986 both Payne and Berkoff appeared in Julien Temple's musical Absolute Beginners . Payne played a psychotic "pompous and pathetic racist" named Flikker who participates in the 1958 Notting Hill race riots. One reviewer argued that Payne was "the only actor to walk off Absolute Beginners with his reputation not only intact but enhanced" and that his portrayal of Flikker "was a headbutt of reality in a fantasmagoria of overkill." One critic stated that Payne gave a "meaty, saving-grace performance" in the film. The film journalist and editor, Ann Lloyd, selected Payne as the most promising newcomer of 1987 for his role in the film. In the same year Payne appeared in the Mel Brooks film Solarbabies, along with fellow British performer Alexei Sayle, as filthy bounty hunters named Dogger and Malice. Payne said of his and Sayle's performances in Vogue that "the old image of an English arch-villain - Boris Karloff, that sort of thing" is turned "upside down. We're just a couple of soaks".

In 1989 he was cast in For Queen and Country as a 'drug kingpin' named Colin. Payne and other young British actors who were becoming established film actors such as Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth and Paul McGann were dubbed the 'Brit Pack'. Payne's performances endeared him to Warner Brothers who considered "Bruce Payne as Bruce Wayne" on their "one liner" press marketing PR campaign for the first of Tim Burton's Batman films. Ultimately Michael Keaton acquired the role. Payne has commented that "Warner were fascinated by the similarity" between his name and that of Bruce Wayne. Payne has said that "they drew up a very short shortlist and there I was on it. Obviously, I lost out in the end to Michael Keaton". In the same year Payne appeared as Doctor Burton in the dramatic film Zwei Frauen The film was nominated for Outstanding Feature Film at the German Film Awards.

1990s

In 1991 Payne was cast as the Devil in Switch. Payne was described as a "delightfully wicked Satan" by Film Review. The Providence Journal described him as a "slick devil".

In 1992 Payne was cast in his best known role, opposite Wesley Snipes, as a "real dyed in the wool villain", a "notorious terrorist and hijacker", with a steely, demonic nerve, named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57. Writing about the film, the reviewer Marcus Trower, of Empire magazine, stated that Payne was "a brilliantly disconcerting madman. With his flowing blond Jesus locks, armour-piercing stare and casual sadism, he makes Hannibal Lecter look like a social worker - and like Anthony Hopkins' serial killer, part of the man's menace is in the apparent contradiction between his articulate, well-spoken English and his off-hand brutality." The Radio Times stated that Payne and Snipes both gave "charismatic turns" in the film. The New York Times stated that Payne brought a 'tongue-in-cheek humour to the psychopathic fiend'. A reviewer for People magazine stated that "Bruce Payne steals the plane—and the movie". In an article for the Waterloo Region Record, Jamie Portman described Payne as a "suave and cultivated English actor" playing "a suave and cultivated killer named Charles Rane" and suggested that a "key reason director Kevin Hooks chose him for the role was that he wanted a villain with as much magnetism as the hero". Payne was described as "icily perfect as the villainous Rane" in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Julius Marshall stated that Payne was "ideal for his role: charming, dangerous - the kind of evil genius you love to hate". The Star Tribune stated that 'Bruce Payne makes a splendid psychopath, consistently stealing scenes from the likes of Wesley Snipes and Elizabeth Hurley throughout Passenger 57'.

2000s

Payne portrayed the villain Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame (2000), the third sequel to the original Highlander film. One reviewer said of Highlander: Endgame that "the one in the cast that seems to be having the most fun is Bruce Payne. Traditionally Highlander villains give performances that go completely over-the-top and well into the stratosphere. Payne contrarily gives a performance where he enunciates every syllable with relish and dramatic weight, resulting in a performance that is entirely captivating whenever he is on screen." Andrew O'Hehir, who reviewed the film for Salon.com, stated that "playing Kell as a cockney thug with triple crucifixes embedded in the heels of his Doc Martens, Payne is more fun than either of the stars". A reviewer for Trash City stated that "Endgame is pretty good, largely thanks to Bruce Payne's efforts as the bad guy, who is right up there with Clancy Brown's original decapitator", the Kurgan. Marke Andrews, writing for The Vancouver Sun, stated that Payne provided the "focal point" in the film and that he dived "into his role with gusto". Andrews also stated that Payne's 'facial expressions rival Jim Carrey's in The Mask'. Cherriece Wright, who reviewed the film for The Dispatch, stated that it contained "brilliant performances by Christopher Lambert and Bruce Payne". Wright stated that Payne "delivers a great performance as Jacob Kell blending smoothly the malicious vindictiveness of the embittered immortal with a sarcastic wit that provides needed humor".

In the same year Payne played Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons, henchman of the malevolent Profion (played by Jeremy Irons). Although the film was critically panned, Payne's performance was reviewed favourably. One reviewer said that "Bruce Payne (Damodar) as Profion's nefarious assistant in his power hungry schemes was the stand-out performance of all the actors in the film. Payne has a true lock on how to play a character that is menacing even without any show of power. His portrayal of Damodar calls to mind Doug Bradley's portrayal of Pinhead in the Hellraiser films, so coldly, coolly arrogant and confident is his character. Above and beyond the grade I give to this film, Payne has earned himself an A+ in my gradebook." Another reviewer stated that Payne's performance proved that he is "one of Hollywood's more reliable villains". Branden Chowen, who reviewed the film for Indie Pulse, stated that "the standout in the film is the man who returns for the sequel: Bruce Payne. His character is written to be one-note throughout, but Payne still manages to create an excellent villain. Once the audience gets past his blue lipstick, which is no small feat, Payne is a formidable and passionate force". The Charlotte Observer stated that "menacing Bruce Payne gives the film's one potent performance". Abbie Bernstein, who reviewed the film for Audio Video Revolution stated that Payne was "enjoyably evil as the secondary baddie in charge of capturing the rebels"

In 2004 Payne appeared as the "snarling" Neighbour, who "dabbles" in producing kinky virtual games in the dystopian horror mystery Paranoia 1.0. The film was nominated in the best film category at the Catalonian International Film Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival and won the best film award at the Malaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema. John Fallon stated that as the Neighbour, Payne "laid on the charisma and the macho-ness thick".

In 2005, Payne returned to the role of Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God. Payne was the only member of the original cast in the sequel In 2006, Payne helped to launch the National Youth Theatre's 50th anniversary programme along with Sir Ian McKellen, Timothy Spall, Diana Quick, Paula Wilcox, Jonathan Wrather, newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy and Little Britain's Matt Lucas and David Walliams.

2010s

In 2011, Payne appeared in the horror film Prowl. Payne played a "blatantly untrustworthy" "hillbilly truck driver" named Bernard in the film. Matt Withers, who reviewed the film for JoBlo.com stated that "Bruce Payne shows up as a trucker in a throwaway role that he makes anything but". Payne also appeared in Carmen's Kiss (an adaptation of the Georges Bizet opera Carmen).

In 2012 Payne voiced a demon in the found footage horror film Greystone Park (also known as The Asylum Tapes).

In 2013, Payne appeared in the Warner Bros. action film Getaway. Payne also appeared in the action film Vendetta as a sinister Whitehall Mandarin named Mr. Rooker. One reviewer of the film gave it eight out of ten and stated that Payne 'nearly steals the movie with a plum role as the icy head of British black ops'. In addition, Payne portrayed Nazi Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess, in a 'superciliously evil' manner, in the French film Victor Young Perez, which concerns the life of the Tunisian Jew flyweight boxer Victor Perez. In 2015 Payne played Winston, a religious fanatic, in Re-Kill.

Personal life

In November 2005, Payne was arrested at Heathrow Airport after disembarking a flight from Los Angeles and was later cautioned for using "threatening behaviour". Payne's lawyer stated that Payne had simply argued with another passenger who refused to stop using their mobile phone after being asked to do so by flight crew.

Filmography

Film

As Actor

Year	Title	Role	Director	Notes
1982	Privates on Parade	Flight Sgt. Kevin Cartwright	Michael Blakemore
1983	The Keep	Border Guard #2	Michael Mann
1984	Oxford Blues	Peter Howles	Robert Boris
1985	Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire	T.O. (The One)	Alan Clarke
1986	Absolute Beginners	Flikker	Julien Temple
	Smart Money	Lawrance MacNiece	Bernard Rose
	Solarbabies	Dogger	Alan Johnson
1988	The Fruit Machine aka Wonderland	Echo	Philip Saville
1989	For Queen and Country	Colin	Martin Stellman
	Zwei Frauen aka Silence Like Glass	Doctor Burton	Carl Schenkel
1991	Pyrates	Liam	Noah Stern
	Howling VI: The Freaks	R.B Harker	Hope Perello
	Switch	The Devil	Blake Edwards
1992	Passenger 57	Charles Rane	Kevin Hooks
1993	Full Eclipse	Adam Garou	Anthony Hickox
1994	The Cisco Kid	General Martin Dupre	Luis Valdez
	Necronomicon	Edward De Lapoer	Christophe Gans
1995	One Tough Bastard aka One Man's Justice	Karl Savak	Kurt Wimmer
	Aurora: Operation Intercept	Gordon Pruett	Paul Levine
1996	Kounterfeit	Frankie	John Mallory Asher
1997	No Contest II aka Face the Evil II	Jack Terry	Paul Lynch
	Ravager	Cooper Wayne	James D. Deck
1999	Sweepers	Doctor Cecil Hopper	Keoni Waxman
	Warlock III: The End of Innocence	The Warlock / Phillip Covington	Eric Freiser
2000	Highlander: Endgame	Jacob Kell	Doug Aarniokoski
	Dungeons & Dragons	Damodar	Courtney Solomon
2001	Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team	Mr. Blue	Frederick Feitshans IV
	Ripper	Marshall Kane	John Eyres
2002	Steal (aka Riders)	Lieutenant Macgruder	Gerard Pires
	Apocalypse Revelation (aka San Giovanni - L'apocalisse)	Domitian	Raffaele Mertes
2003	Newton's Law (Short)	Dad	Pete Antico
	Hellborn (a.k.a. Asylum of the Damned)	Dr. McCort	Philip J. Jones
2004	Paranoia 1.0 (a.k.a. One Point O)	The Neighbour	Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson
2005	Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God	Damodar	Gerry Lively
2007	Messages	Doctor Robert Golding	David Fairman
2008	Brothel	Thief/Death	Amy Waddell
2010	Dance Star	Harry	Steven M. Smith
2011	Prowl	Bernard	Patrik Syversen
	Carmen's Kiss	Michael	David Fairman
2012	Greystone Park (a.k.a. The Asylum Tapes)	Demon (voice)	Sean Stone
2013	Getaway	Distinguished Man	Courtney Solomon
	Vendetta	Mr Rooker	Stephen Reynolds
	Victor Young Perez	Rudolf Hess	Jacques Ouaniche
2014	Tales of the Supernatural	Father Doyle	Steven M. Smith
	Final Command (Short)	Kane	Ross Peacock
	Asylum	Lieutenant Sharp	Todor Chapkanov
2015	Age of Kill	Prime Minister James Newmont	Neil Jones
	Re-Kill	Winston	Valeri Milev
	The Antwerp Dolls	Ray Ferrino	Jake Reid
2016	Breakdown	Peter Grainger	Jonnie Malachi
	Ripper (Short)	Jack the Ripper	James Campbell
	Shopping (Short)	Nick	Layke Anderson
	In the Morning (Short)	James	Tom Kinnersly
	The Rizen	Admin	Matt Mitchell and Taliesyn Mitchell
	Disorientated	Michele	Brian Skeet
	Falconman	Carlos	Anthony Hickox
	Creators: The Past	Lord Kal	Piergiuseppe Zaia
	Natas Corp		Fredrik Hiller
2017	The Voice of Silence

As Producer

Year	Title
1997	Lowball
2016	Creators: The Past

TV appearances

As Actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	Tales Out of School	Barratt	Episode: Birth of a Nation
1983	Keep it in the Family	Policeman	Episode: A Moving Affair
1984	West	Les	TV Movie. An adaptation of Steven Berkoff's play.
	The Bill	Adam March	Episode: Clutching at Straws
	Diana	Sergeant Grice	Episode 7
	The Brief	Sergeant Davis RMP	Episode: People
1985	Operation Julie	DC Malcolm Pollard	TV Movie. Based on Dick Lee and Chris Pratt's non-fiction book Operation Julie: How the Undercover Police Team Smashed the World's Greatest Drugs Ring.
1987	Lost Belongings	Simon Hunt	Episodes: The American Friend and Lenny Leaps In
	The Bell-Run	Pace	TV Movie
	Miss Marple	Michael Rafiel	Episode: Nemesis. An adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1971 novel Nemesis.
1988	The Equalizer	Greg Rivers	Episode: Eighteen with a Bullet
	Caprice	Vendor
1989	Storyboard	Gerald	Episode: Snakes and Ladders
1990	Yellowthread Street	Nick Eden	7 Episodes. Series based on the Yellowthread Street novels by William Leonard Marshall.
	Bergerac	Jake	Episode: The Messenger Boy
1995	Tales from the Crypt	Sergeant	Episode: Comes the Dawn
1998	La Femme Nikita	Jurgen	Episodes: Approaching Zero, Third Person and Spec Ops
1999	Cleopatra	Cassius	TV Movie. An adaptation of Margaret George's 1997 historical fiction novel The Memoirs of Cleopatra.
2000	Britannic	Major Baker, MD	TV Movie
2003	Dragnet	Alex Karp	Episode: All That Glitters
	Keen Eddie	Yellow	Episode: Horse Heir
	Spooks aka MI-5	Mickey Kaharias	Episode : Smoke and Mirrors
2004	Charmed	Leader of the Order	Episode: Prince Charmed

Theatre

As Actor

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1981	The Pillars of Society	Karsten Bernick	Directed by Glyn Idris Jones (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art); play by Henrik Ibsen
	Macbeth	Macbeth	Directed by Bruce Payne (Royal Academy of Dramatic Art); play by William Shakespeare
1982	Julius Caesar	Julius Caesar	Shaw Theatre; play by William Shakespeare
	A Midsummer Night's Dream	Cobweb	Nottingham Play House; play by William Shakespeare
1983	PIAF	Yves Montand	York Theatre Royal; play by Pam Gems
	The Rocky Horror Picture Show	Frank-N-Furter	Play by Richard O'Brien
	West	Les	Directed by Steven Berkoff (Donmar Warehouse); play by Steven Berkoff
1984	Alice	The Inventor	Directed by Nicholas Hytner (Playhouse Theatre)
1988	Greek	Eddy	Directed by Steven Berkoff (Wyndhams Theatre); play by Steven Berkoff

As Director

Year	Title
1982	Macbeth
1993	Greek

[ Source: Wikipedia ]