Bruce Payne

Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in Passenger 57, Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame, and Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons and Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God.

Payne trained at RADA, the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and was identified, in the late 1980s, with the "Brit Pack" of rising young British actors.

Early life Payne developed an interest for acting at an early age. In an interview with Impact (magazine) in 2001, Payne claimed that a crocodile from the play Peter Pan shouted that it would eat his brother and then proceeded to run upstage.

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, he played a lead role for the National Student Theatre Company at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for one season in 1979. He then auditioned for several fringe acting companies, but was told he was too young and lacked experience. Nonetheless, that year saw him admitted to the "prestigious" RADA acting programme. Before being accepted at RADA, Payne had worked as a joiner, a salesman, and a landscape gardener. Payne graduated from RADA in 1981 with seven major prizes for acting, 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. In 1980 the Principal of RADA, Hugh Cruttwell, selected a scene from an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, which Payne co-wrote with Paul McGann, to be performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II, in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne directed the scene in which he and McGann acted. Payne played Macbeth and wielded a baseball bat on stage instead of a sword. Kenneth Branagh performed a soliloquy from Hamlet at the same event.

Acting career

1980s Payne's first television role was in the Tales Out of School series. Payne played an abusive PE teacher who "comes across as more head bully than responsible adult during his classes". His first major film role came in Privates on Parade in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (which role he had already played in the stage version).

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

In 1985, Payne was cast as a "committed", "butch snooker manager" known as "The One" (also known as "T.O.") in director Alan Clarke's snooker musical Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire. Michael Brooke stated that Payne gave the "stand-out performance" in the film. and MS London stated that Payne "is a charismatic presence, with a capable voice, who is perfectly cast as The One".

In 1986, both Payne and Berkoff appeared in Julien Temple's musical Absolute Beginners. Payne played a psychotic "pompous and pathetic racist" One critic stated that Payne gave a "meaty, saving-grace performance" in the film. In the same year Payne appeared in the 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 1988, Payne appeared as Eddy in the Steven Berkoff-directed play, Greek (a retelling of Sophocles' Oedipus Rex), at the Wyndham's Theatre. Martin Hoyle, writing for The Independent, stated that Payne's "Eddy is vital, intelligent and physically disciplined in the best Berkoff style". Charles Osbourne, writing for The Daily Telegraph, stated that Payne brought "a cheerful zest to the role of Eddy".

A reviewer for The Listener stated that Payne "impresses throughout" the play. Another reviewer stated that "Payne gives a powerful performance as Eddy, the crusader out to defeat the horror of society" only "to find that he is part of the horror".

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".

That same year Payne appeared as Doctor Burton in the dramatic film Silence Like Glass. The film was nominated for Outstanding Feature Film at the German Film Awards.

1990s In 1990 Payne appeared in the music video for Neil Young's song "Over and Over", directed by Julien Temple, as a Stanley Kowalski-esque character.

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 "notorious terrorist and hijacker", with a steely, demonic nerve, named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57. Marcus Trower of Empire 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 humor to the psychopathic fiend". A reviewer for People magazine stated that "Bruce Payne steals the plane—and the movie". 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".

In 1993, Payne played a "charismatic" werewolf named Adam Garou in Full Eclipse. Joseph Savitski, who reviewed the film for Beyond Hollywood, stated, "Payne is masterful as Detective Garou, a seductive and evil villain with arrogance and confidence to spare. When he's on screen, Payne demands the attention of the audience, and you're hard pressed to resist his performance. Payne is also the perfect adversary, the kind you're supposed to hate, but who has the charisma to draw you in nonetheless".

In 1995, Payne played a "rogue FBI agent" named Karl Savak in director Kurt Wimmer's One Tough Bastard. One reviewer described Savak as "one of the most entertaining movie villains in low budget action flick history" and noted that "so awesome is Karl Savak that some lunatic has created a Facebook page in his honor". Another reviewer stated that "Bruce Payne, with his Whitesnake hair and nose ring is slimeball perfection as the villain". In 1998, he played Jurgen, a first-class and charismatic operative in season two of La Femme Nikita.

2000s In 2000, Payne portrayed the villain Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame (2000), the third sequel to the original Highlander film. One reviewer said of Highlander: Endgame, "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."

Salon.com's reviewer wrote that "[Payne] 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 for Audio Video Revolution declared 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 Sitges - Catalan 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, he 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 as a "blatantly untrustworthy" "hillbilly truck driver" named Bernard. 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 Auschwitz camp commandant Rudolf Hoess n 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 the horror film Re-Kill.

In 2018 Payne appeared in the anthology film London Unplugged, which premiered at the East End Film Festival.

In 2019 Payne was nominated in the category of Best Actor in a Feature Film at the FANtastic Horror Film Festival in San Diego, for his performance as Jacob in the horror film Acid Pit Stop.

2020s Payne played the main antagonist in Creators: The Past (which he also produced and acted as assistant director for), which was released in 2020 in Italy.

In 2021 Payne gave a "brief but stunning turn as Damien, the arch bad guy" in British gangster thriller Nemesis. Carl Marsh stated that one scene in the film with Payne's character (Damien Osborne) and Billy Murray's character (John Morgan) reminded him of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino meeting in the Michael Mann film Heat and "was masterful". Chris Gelderd stated that "Payne is the perfect intimidating big-boss going up against Murray's cool and care-free kingpin". Payne appeared in the sequel of the Finnish superhero film, Rendel 2: Cycle of Revenge.

Filmography

Film

+ As actor Year Title Role Director Notes 1982 Privates on Parade Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright Michael Blakemore Based on the Peter Nichols play Privates on Parade 1983 The Keep Border Guard #2 Michael Mann Based on F. Paul Wilson's 1981 novel The Keep 1984 Oxford Blues Peter Howles Robert Boris A remake of the 1938 film A Yank at Oxford 1985 Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire T.O. (The One) Alan Clarke Loosely based on the rivalry between the snooker players Ray Reardon and Jimmy White 1986 Absolute Beginners Flikker Julien Temple Based on Colin MacInnes 1959 novel Absolute Beginners Smart Money Lawrance MacNiece Bernard Rose Solarbabies Dogger Alan Johnson Caprice Jacko / Edwina LaPage Joanna Hogg Short Film 1988 The Fruit Machine or Wonderland Echo Philip Saville Payne does not speak a word of dialogue as the film's primary antagonist 1989 For Queen and Country Colin Martin Stellman Silence Like Glass or Zwei Frauen Doctor Burton Carl Schenkel 1991 Pyrates Liam Noah Stern Howling VI: The Freaks R.B Harker Hope Perello Loosely based on The Howling novels by Gary Brandner Switch The Devil Blake Edwards Based on George Axelrod's play Goodbye Charlie 1992 Passenger 57 Charles Rane Kevin Hooks 1993 Full Eclipse Adam Garou Anthony Hickox Necronomicon Edward De Lapoer Christophe Gans Part 1 The Drowned. Loosely based on H. P. Lovecraft's short story The Rats in the Walls 1994 The Cisco Kid General Martin Dupre Luis Valdez Based on the character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story The Caballero's Way 1995One Tough Bastard or One Man's Justice Karl Savak Kurt WimmerAurora: Operation Intercept Gordon Pruett Paul Levine 1996 Kounterfeit Frankie John Mallory Asher 1997 No Contest II or Face the Evil 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 Based on characters created by Gregory Widen Dungeons & Dragons Damodar Courtney Solomon Based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game 2001 Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team Mr. Blue Frederick Feitshans IV A spoof of the James Bond films Ripper Marshall Kane John Eyres 2002 Steal or Riders Lieutenant Macgruder Gerard Pires 2003Newton's Law Dad Pete Antico Short Film Hellborn or Asylum of the Damned Dr. McCort Philip J. Jones 2004 Paranoia 1.0 or One Point O The Neighbour Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson 2005 Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God Damodar Gerry Lively Based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game 2007 Messages Doctor Robert Golding David Fairman 2008 Brothel Thief/Death Amy Waddell 2010 Dance Star Harry Steven M. Smith Short film 2011 Prowl Bernard Patrik Syversen Carmen's Kiss Michael David Fairman An adaptation of the Georges Bizet opera Carmen 2012Greystone Park or The Asylum Tapes Demon Sean Stone Voice role 2013 Getaway Distinguished Man Courtney Solomon Vendetta Mr Rooker Stephen Reynolds Victor Young Perez Rudolf Hoess Jacques Ouaniche Based on the life of Victor Perez 2014 Tales of the Supernatural Father Doyle Steven M. Smith Final Command Kane Ross Peacock Short film 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 Ripper Jack the Ripper James Campbell Short film 2016 Breakdown Peter Grainger Jonnie Malachi Shopping Nick Layke Anderson Short film In the Morning James Tom Kinnersly Short film 2017 The Rizen Admin Matt Mitchell 2018 London Unplugged Nick Layke Anderson Anthology film 2019 Acid Pit Stop Jacob Jason Wright Nominated- FANtastic Horror Film Festival Best Actor in a Feature Film 2020 Creators: The Past Lord Kal Piergiuseppe Zaia 2021 Nemesis Damien Osborne James Crow Election Night Dominic Drummond Neil Monaghan Give Them Wings Dr Markum Sean Cronin 2024 Rendel 2: Cycle of Revenge Edward Cox Jesse Haaja The Stoic Rhodes Jonathan Eckersley

+ As producer Year Title Director Notes 1997 Lowball Demian Lichtenstein 2018 The Boy Who Never Came Home: A True Story Ranjeet S. Marwa Documentary 2020 Creators: The Past Piergiuseppe Zaia 2021Nemesis James Crow Karma Coma 2022

+ As director/assistant director Year Title Director Notes 2020 Creators: The Past Piergiuseppe Zaia Assistant Director

+ As screenwriter Year Title Director Notes 2015Re-Kill Valeri Milev Contributing writer The Antwerp Dolls Ray Ferrino Contributing writer 2016 Shopping Layke Anderson Contributing writer 2018 The Boy Who Never Came Home: A True Story Ranjeet S. Marwa Executive Story Editor 2020 Creators: The Past Piergiuseppe Zaia Story Supervisor A Little Boy's Diary Ranjeet S. Marwa Contributing Writer 2021 Karma Coma 2022 2022 Mia (tra sogno e realtà) Antonio Centomani English Film Screenplay

TV appearances

Theatre

+ As actor Year Title Role Notes 1978 Julius Caesar Julius Caesar Directed by Michael Croft (Shaw Theatre); play by William Shakespeare 1979 The Tale of Randy Robin Performer Directed by John Godber (Cathedral Hall, Edinburgh); play by Michael Lawrence 1980 The Pillars of Society Karsten Bernick Directed by Glyn Idris Jones (RADA); play by Henrik Ibsen The Recruiting Officer Captain Plume Directed by Euan Smith (RADA); play by George Farquhar 'Tis Pity She's a Whore Vasques Directed by Adrian Noble (RADA); play by John Ford Macbeth Macbeth Directed by Bruce Payne (RADA); play by William Shakespeare 1981 No Names, No Medals SAS Soldier Directed by Euan Smith (RADA); play by Euan Smith A Midsummer Night's Dream Cobweb Directed by Richard Digby Day (Nottingham Playhouse); play by William Shakespeare 1982 PIAF Yves Montand Directed by Jeremy Howe (York Theatre Royal); play by Pam Gems Privates on Parade Flight sergeant Kevin Cartwright Directed by Michael Blakemore (Derby Playhouse); play by Peter Nichols 1983 The Rocky Horror Picture Show Frank-N-Furter Directed by Christopher Dunham (Palace Theatre, Westcliff-on-Sea); 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); a musical version of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice in Wonderland 1988 Greek Eddy and Fortune-Teller Directed by Steven Berkoff (Wyndhams Theatre); play by Steven Berkoff

+ As director Year Title Notes 1980 Macbeth Play by William Shakespeare 1993 Greek Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; play by Steven Berkoff

Other media

Music videos

Neil Young- Over and Over'' (1990) as a Stanley Kowalski esque character. Directed by Julien Temple.

Television advertisements

NatWest (1983) as a punk youth. Budweiser Bud Ice (1995) as a sinister spokesman.