Bruce Payne
Encyclopedia
Bruce Martyn Payne is an award winning English character actor
and producer and was a member of the 1980's Brit Pack
. Although he is best known for his villain
ous roles, Bruce Payne has played characters across the spectrum. His notable villainous roles include Charles Rane in Passenger 57
, Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame
and Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons
and Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God. His notable heroic roles include Frankie in Kounterfeit
, Dr. Burton in Silence Like Glass
and Major Baker in Britannic
. His notable comic roles include Yellow in Keen Eddie
, Dogger in Solarbabies
, and the Devil in Switch
. Payne has received many plaudits for his acting. A reviewer in Cosmopolitan
once asserted that "saying that Payne is a good actor is like saying Fred Astaire
is a good dancer."
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 this 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 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 carpenter, 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 which had previously been won by Anthony Ainley
) 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 the Queen 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. Paul McGann
also appeared in the play.
and Jim Broadbent
. Payne's first major film role came in 1982 with Michael Blakemore
's Privates On Parade
in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (the role which Ben Cross
had played in the stage version), appearing alongside John Cleese
, Denis Quilley
and David Bamber
. The film was an adaptation of the Peter Nichols
play of the same title about a fictional military entertainment group, the "Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia", assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan
jungle in the years after World War II. Payne's character, Cartwright, is part of the group whose performances include imitations of The Andrews Sisters
. One of the units members, Sergeant Major Reg Drummond (played by Michael Elphick
), provides the enemy with both ammunition and information which is the catalyst for a 'terrible battle' in which Cartwright is shot causing him to lose the use of his legs. Payne would appear with Quilley again in Cleopatra
.
In 1983 he appeared in Michael Mann's horror film
The Keep
, alongside Scott Glenn
, Gabriel Byrne
, Jürgen Prochnow
, Alberta Watson
and Ian McKellen
, as a border guard. In the same year Steven Berkoff
cast him in his production of West at the Donmar Warehouse. The play also featured Ralph Brown
, Rory Edwards, Ken Sharrock and Stella Tanner. 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. Payne also appeared in Limehouse Films' television adaptation of the play. This was followed by a role in the 1984 comedy film Oxford Blues
which starred Rob Lowe
, Ally Sheedy
, Cary Elwes
and Michael Gough
. Payne played Peter Howles in the film, the leader of an Oxford University student society. Payne also appeared in the third episode of the first series of ITV
's long running police drama The Bill
as Paul March. Sean Bean
also appeared in the first series of the drama.
In 1985 Payne was cast as a '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
. T.O. was the manager of Billy the Kid (played by Phil Daniels
) and employer of Egypt (played by Richard Ridings
). In the film T.O. comes to owe money to a loan shark known as the Wednesday Man (played by Don Henderson
) and is forced to arrange a snooker match between Billy the Kid and the World Champion, the Green Baize Vampire (played by Alun Armstrong
), with the condition that the loser never plays professional snooker again. T.O. sang three of the songs in the film ("Poker Song", "I'm the One" and "White Lines Black Cadillac") and also participated in the songs "Kid to Break" and "It's the Fame Game". The story was written by Trevor Preston and the music was composed by George Fenton
. A reviewer for the British Film Institute
(BFI) stated that Payne gave the 'stand out performance' in the film. A reviewer for MS London stated that Payne 'is a charismatic presence, with a capable voice, who is perfectly cast as The One'. In the same year Payne played a threadbare undercover drug detective, with stringy hair and filthy clothes, in Bob Mahoney's Operation Julie, which also starred Colin Blakely
and David Swift. He also appeared with Michael Gambon
in a biography drama about Oscar Wilde
on the BBC
and in an episode the American action Drama The Equalizer
(alongside fellow British actor Edward Woodward
) as an avaricious and immoral music manager named Greg Rivers, who attempts to exploit a young female rock singer (played by Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick
).
In 1986 both Payne and Berkoff appeared in Julien Temple
's musical Absolute Beginners
along with David Bowie
, Eddie O'Connell, James Fox
, Lionel Blair
and Edward Tudor-Pole
. Payne played a '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. The film also starred Patsy Kensit
who would appear with Payne again in Full Eclipse
. In the same year Payne appeared in the Mel Brooks
film Solarbabies
, along with fellow Brit Alexei Sayle
, as filthy bounty hunters named Dogger and Malice with their own saying, 'i stink therefore i am' (a humorous corruption of René Descartes
' famous saying). 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'. Payne also appeared in the Bernard Rose
directed film Smart Money
as a villain named Lawrance MacNiece, 'a hired hand for' a number of corporations,who frames the main character Leon (played by Spencer Leigh
) for a computer fraud.
In 1987 Payne appeared in two episodes of the Thames Television
Drama Lost Belongings, which was set in Ulster
, as a journalist named Simon Hunt. The drama also starred Stephen Rea
, Harry Towb
and Lynn Farleigh
. He also appeared alongside Neil Pearson
in The Bell Run as a racing driver and as Michael Rafiel (the 'sullen son' of a deceased man and 'chief suspect' of a previous murder) in a television adaptation of the Miss Marple
novel Nemesis. In 1988 Payne played a 'mob-hired' 'knife-wielding martial-arts murderer' named Echo in the Philip Saville
directed film, The Fruit Machine, which also starred Robbie Coltrane
and Robert Stephens
. In the film Echo brutally murders someone but is seen doing so by Eddie (played by Emile Charles
) and Michael (played by Tony Forsyth
) who are two gay teenagers on the brink of adulthood. Eddie and Michael spend the rest of the film attempting to evade Echo, who is intent on killing them, and eventually end up at a Dolphinarium in Brighton
. The film's screenwriter, Frank Clarke, has stated that 'Echo the murderer signifies HIV/AIDS, and the dolphinarium is the sanctuary from it'. Time Out's London
Magazine described Payne's character as a 'sicko'.
In the same year Payne also appeared as Eddy in the Steven Berkoff
directed play, Greek (a retelling of Sophocles
' Oedipus Rex), at the Wyndhams Theatre along with Georgia Brown
, Gillian Eaton and Berkoff himself. Berkoff has stated that Payne "gave a vital and dynamic performance and trod on the edge of danger". 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'. Payne directed the same play in 1993 with Adam Ant
playing the lead role. Payne also performed in the stage musicals of The Rocky Horror Show
, playing Frank 'N' Furter (he would later appear alongside the writer of the play, Richard O'Brien
, in the film Dungeons & Dragons
) and had the lead male role, the Mathmagician, in Nicholas Hytner
's Alice, which was written by Richard Scott and Anthony Phillips
. Alice also featured Sally Ann Triplett
(in the title role), Femi Taylor
, David Easter
, Stanley Fleet and Isabelle Lucas
. Mike Priestley, writing for the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, stated that Payne gave 'a nicely controlled performance' in the play. Desmond Pratt of the Yorkshire Post
described the cast of the play as a 'happy team of excellent talents'. Payne also appeared alongside Tilda Swinton
in the Joanna Hogg directed Drama Caprice. Payne's appearances on stage and television raised his profile and whilst he was in Greek he was 'visited backstage by people such as Dustin Hoffman
, David Bowie
, Jeff Goldblum
[and] Sir Ian McKellen
'.
In 1989 he starred alongside Denzel Washington
, Dorian Healy
, Graham McTavish
, Craig Fairbrass
, Ken Stott
and Amanda Redman
in the Martin Stellman directed film For Queen and Country
as a 'drug kingpin' named Colin who offers the main character, Reuben (played by Washington), work after he leaves the army. Leonard Maltin
described the film as a 'striking, laced- in-acid contemporary thriller of life in Thatcherite England'. 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
along with Jami Gertz
, Martha Plimpton
, George Peppard
and Rip Torn
as a 'young doctor who treats' two young women with cancer.
detective series Yellowthread Street which was set in Hong Kong and was based on the novels by author William Leonard Marshall
. The series also starred Robert Taylor
(who would later appear in The Matrix
), Mark McGann
(brother of Paul McGann
), Tzi Ma
, Catherine Neilson
and Ray Lonnen
. Bruce Payne played a detective named Nick Eden in the series, a sleuth who often throws 'away the rule book' and 'walks on the wild side'. The Sunday Magazine stated that Payne 'was Britain's answer to Miami Vice
heart-throb Don Johnson
'. The Daily Mirror described Payne's character Eden as a 'cocky copper'. The series cost £8 million and was the most expensive programme ever funded by ITV
at the time. Payne also appeared in an episode of the BBC
Drama series Bergerac
which starred John Nettles
.
In 1991 Payne was cast as the Devil in Switch
which was the penultimate film directed by Blake Edwards
. The film concerns a man named Steve Brooks (played by Perry King
) who is a notorious womaniser murdered by three upset women. God gives Steve a chance to redeem himself by finding one woman who loves him for who he really is, otherwise he becomes the property of the Devil. However, the Devil suggests making it more difficult for Steve by forcing him to return as a woman. This idea is embraced by God and Steve is thus sent back to Earth as a woman, Amanda Brooks (played by Ellen Barkin
). Barkin was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the film. Payne was described as a 'delightfully wicked Satan' by Film Review
. The Providence Journal
described him as a 'slick devil'. Payne also played the vampire R. B. Harker in Howling VI: The Freaks
. In the film Harker captures and forces a young man named Ian (played by Brendan Hughes) to work for his carnival of travelling freaks. One reviewer stated that "H. B. Harker played by Bruce Payne is the one thing that makes this film watchable. His unrepentantly evil Harker is wonderful, aristocratic, neither over or underplayed." The film critic Wheeler Winston Dixon
stated that Payne gave a 'delicious' performance in the film. Kim Newman described Payne's character as a 'nasty vampire'. Frederick Clarke described Payne as an 'elegant and suave' vampire. Payne has appeared in numerous horror films since and is considered a veteran of the genre. In the same year he appeared as Kevin Bacon
's lothario 'best chum' in the comedy Pyrates
which also starred Kyra Sedgwick
. John Ferguson, writing for the Radio Times
, stated that Payne gave a 'solid' performance in the film. Whilst working on the film, Payne told cinematographer Janusz Kamiński
on set that he was talented enough to win an Oscar. This prediction was subsequently vindicated as Kaminski has won two Oscars for his work on Schindler's List
and Saving Private Ryan
.
In 1992 Payne was cast in his most famous role, opposite Wesley Snipes
, as a 'real dyed in the wool villain', a 'notorious terrorist and hijacker' named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57
. In the film it is revealed that the character Charles Rane (also known as the 'Rane of Terror') had masterminded four terrorist attacks and with the help of his associates including Sabrina Ritchie (played by Elizabeth Hurley
) and Forget (played by Michael Horse
), he hijacks a plane escorting him from one prison to another. Wesley Snipes
' character, John Cutter, attempts to stop him before he kills the passengers. 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 Sir 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'. Eight of sixteen Hollywood films about terrorism in the 1980's and 1990's cast British actors as the terrorist (the other British actors cast as terrorists, in addition to Payne, were David Suchet
in Iron Eagle
and Executive Decision
, Alan Rickman
in Die Hard
, Jeremy Irons
in Die Hard with a Vengeance, Sean Bean
in Patriot Games
, Gary Oldman
in Air Force One
and Art Malik
in True Lies
).
In 1993, Payne turned 'total wolf' playing a 'charismatic' werewolf named Adam Garou, opposite Mario Van Peebles
and Patsy Kensit
, in Full Eclipse
, which was directed by Anthony Hickox
. In the film a Los Angeles detective named Max Dire (played by Van Peebles) who is mourning the death of his partner, Jim Sheldon (played by Anthony Denison
), and who is experiencing marital problems attends a counselling session at the penthouse of detective and crisis counsellor Garou. Dire learns that those attending the counselling sessions regularly have been injecting themselves with a serum which greatly enhances their physical capabilities and conducting raids on criminals. Dire also learns that the serum emanates from Garou himself and that he is a werewolf. Joseph Savitski, who reviewed the film for Beyond Hollywood, stated that 'Bruce Payne is masterful as Detective Garou, a seductive and evil villain with arrogance and confidence to spare. When he’s onscreen, 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'. Kim Newman, who reviewed the film for Empire
magazine, described it as 'harebrained fun with lotsa guns and lotsa cool lines'. The script writer Richard Christian Matheson
stated that 'most monsters have a sort of grudge against humanity, but I don't think Garou does: he simply dislikes crime. That makes him interesting, and Bruce really brings all of these nuances out. He's a wonderful actor and a very bright man'.
In 1994 Payne appeared as Edward De Lapoer in HP Lovecraft's Necronomicon
which also featured fellow British thespian David Warner
. Edward is a 'tragic figure' who is distraught about the death of his wife in a car accident who realises that he has inherited an abandoned family hotel from his ancestor Jethro De Lapoer (played by Richard Lynch) who committed suicide years before. Edward finds the book, the Necronomicon, which contains a description of a ritual to bring people back from the dead. Edward performs the ritual to resurrect his wife but soon realises that it is a ploy by a gigantic monster with tentacles, one eye and a large mouth which intends to eat him. One reviewer said of his performance that 'Payne is especially effective because of his suppression of his tortured grief, adding considerable power to his scenes'. The film won the award for the best special effects at the 1994 Fantafestival. In 1994, Payne played General Martin Dupre in The Cisco Kid
which also starred Jimmy Smits
, Sadie Frost
and Ron Perlman
.
In 1995 he starred alongside Lance Henriksen
, John Stockwell
and Corbin Bernsen
, as Major Gordon Pruett, in Aurora: Operation Intercept
. In the film, Pruett is a proficient pilot of the revolutionary high-altitude fighter-bomber Aurora, who is tasked with stopping Francesca Zaborszin (played by Natalya Andreychenko
), who believes that the U.S. government murdered her father (played by Curt Lowens
), and who has established a base in the deserts of Kazakhstan
. From her base she is wielding powerful electromagnetic pulses channelled though orbiting navigation satellites to attack and bring down civilian aircraft. Payne has appeared alongside Lance Henriksen on another two occasions, in No Contest II
in 1997 and in the dystopian classic Paranoia 1.0
in 2004.
Payne appeared alongside Corbin Bernsen again in the 1996 film Kounterfeit
as a 'seasoned former criminal' named Frankie. The film was written by David Chase
, Katherine Fugate
and Jay Irwin, directed by John Mallory Asher
and also starred Hilary Swank
and Andrew Hawkes. In the film, Frankie, who is the owner of a strip club, and his best friend, Tommy 'Hopscotch' Hopkins (played by Hawkes), come into possession of counterfeited money which they arrange to exchange for real money. The exchange goes wrong and an undercover cop called Danny (played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar
) is killed. Frankie and Hopscotch are forced to hide the money to evade being killed while Danny's sister, Colleen (played by Swank), mistakenly believes that Frankie murdered her brother and seeks revenge. A reviewer for the TV Guide
stated that 'Frankie's slablike features and seedy-cool demeanor initially makes him just one outsized thug among many, but Payne gradually warms up the protagonist and balances nicely against Hawkes's scenery-chewing Joe Pesci
act'. Payne also appeared in an episode of season six of the American television series Tales from the Crypt
alongside Michael Ironside
. Ironside and Payne played big game hunters who become hunted themselves by vampires. Ironside had played the villain in Highlander II: The Quickening
. Payne would later play the villain in Highlander: Endgame
. The series ran from 1989 to 1996, won four awards and also featured guest appearances from Daniel Craig
, Tim Curry
, Timothy Dalton
, Jane Horrocks
, Bob Hoskins
, Malcolm McDowell
, Ewan McGregor
, Demi Moore
, Joe Pesci
, Brad Pitt
, Tim Roth
, David Warner
and many other notable actors and actresses. In the same year, Payne turned his talents to producing the film Lowball which starred Peter Greene
.
Payne also played a corrupt FBI Agent named Karl Savak, who has been described as a 'cool wacko cop', in One Tough Bastard
which also featured Brian Bosworth
and M.C. Hammer and was directed by Kurt Wimmer
. In the film Savak is intent on stealing prototype military weapons to sell to crime boss Dexter Kane (played by M.C. Hammer). In the process one of Savak's underlings, Marcus (played by Jeff Kober
) kills the wife and daughter of military combat expert John North (played by Brian Bosworth
) who becomes intent on revenge. The film is not dissimilar to the 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen
for which Wimmer wrote the story and in which the main character, Clyde Shelton (played by Gerrard Butler), attempts to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter.
In 1997 Payne starred as 'an intriguing newcomer' in season two of the successful Canadian television series La Femme Nikita. The series was based on the French action film Nikita, which was directed by Luc Besson
, and the remake in English, Point of No Return
. It concerned a lady named Nikita (played by Peta Wilson
) who is falsely accused of killing a police officer and sentenced to life in prison. Whilst in prison she is recruited by a government organisation, known as Section One, which fakes her suicide. She is trained by Michael (Roy Dupuis
) to become an assassin. Payne's character, Jurgen, who made three appearances in the second series, was 'a training specialist who becomes Michael's rival'. The character was 'a mysterious man with a very checkered past involving specialised training and Special Ops/Undercover work'. As a consequence of the intimacy between Nikita and Jurgen, and the 'love triangle' which developed between Nikita, Michael and Jurgen, Payne's character created a long standing controversy amongst fans of the series. In the same year Payne had a lead role in the Horror
/Science Fiction film Ravager
which also featured Yancy Butler
, Juliet Landau
and Robin Sachs
. Payne's character, Cooper Wayne, was the captain of a spaceship which is forced to land in desolate territory. Whilst there, one of the passengers is infected by military bio-weapons and attempts to kill the others. Wayne struggles to get the ship ready to fly again as passengers and crew are murdered. The Radio Times
described the film as Outbreak
meets Alien
and stated that it was 'a competently made and acted science-fiction thriller'. John Stanley stated that the interactions between Butler's character and Payne's and Landau's characters 'provide more substance than usual'. Payne also appeared alongside Shannon Tweed
and Lance Henriksen
in No Contest II
as a film director who attempts to stop a villain unleashing a lethal nerve gas bomb which threatens the safety of the world.
In 1998, Payne played Cecil Hopper in the film Sweepers
, a Doctor who teams up with Dolph Lundgren
's character, Christian Erickson, to disarm mine fields in a humanitarian minesweeping operation in Angola
. The Radio Times
stated that Payne gave a 'solid' performance in the film. In 1999, Payne replaced fellow British actor Julian Sands
as the Warlock in Warlock III: The End of Innocence. Payne and Sands were often mistaken for one another and had appeared together in both Privates on Parade
and Oxford Blues
. In the film the Warlock plots to sacrifice a young woman named Kris (played by Ashley Laurence
), who is staying at an abandoned house owned by her ancestors, as he intends to exchange her soul with a consort from hell to mother a race of evil. Richard Scheib, writing for The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review Database said that "as the Warlock, Bruce Payne, an actor who has magnificently theatrical charisma and presence is actually better in the part than the perpetually overwrought Julian Sands.". The film critic John Fallon stated that Payne gave 'a charismatic, subdued scary performance' in the film and the he 'couldn’t take' his 'eyes off him' as he was 'all charm'. Payne was described as a suave warlock by The Fresno Bee
. The director of the film, Eric Freiser, stated that 'in the first two movies, Julian was very smooth as the character, but Bruce makes for a scarier villain. You feel he is capable of more evil than Julian'.
In the same year, Payne was part of an all star cast, including Timothy Dalton
, Leonor Varela
, Billy Zane
, Sean Pertwee
, Owen Teale
, Rupert Graves
and David Schofield
, in Cleopatra
, which was directed by Franc Roddam
and which was based on the Margaret George
book The Memoirs of Cleopatra
. Payne played Cassius, who conspired with Brutus (Pertwee) and Casca (Schofield) to assassinate Caesar (Dalton). This was followed by another television role, as Doctor Baker, in Britannic
, which was directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
. In the film Doctor Baker attempts to foil a plot by a German Spy (played by Edward Atterton
) to sink the HMHS Britannic
, the sister ship of the , but is ultimately killed. The film also starred Amanda Ryan
, John Rhys-Davies
, Jacqueline Bisset
, Ben Daniels
and Alex Ferns
. Payne appeared alongside John Rhys-Davies
again in the 2001 spoof film Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team
.
. In the film, Kell is described as the most powerful ever immortal with 661 immortal kills compared to 262 for Connor MacLeod
(played by Christopher Lambert
), and 174 for Duncan MacLeod
(played by Adrian Paul
). Kell is so powerful that he has assembled a group of immortals loyal to him (including Cracker Bob, played by Ian Paul Cassidy
, Carlos Jones, played by Damon Dash
, Kate, played by Lisa Barbuscia
and Jing Ke, played by Donnie Yen
) in contravention of the rules of the game. Kell is intent on killing all of Connor's friends and lovers in an attempt to avenge the death of his adopted father, Father Rainy (played by Donald Douglas
). Billy Idol
, David Bowie
and Jean Claude Van Damme had all been considered for the role but ultimately Payne was cast. 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
) who is attempting to overthrow young Empress Savina (played by Thora Birch
). Profion tasks Damodar with locating a rod which will allow him to control Red Dragons and defeat the Empress. However two thieves (Ridley, played by Justin Whalin
) and Snails, played by Marlon Wayans
), a Dwarf (Elwood Gutworthy, played by Lee Arenberg
) and a young Mage (Marina Pretensa, played by Zoe McLellan
) acquire the map revealing the location of the rod before Damodar and attempt to foil Profion's plot. Although the film, which was directed by Courtney Solomon
, was criticised, 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 2001, Payne appeared in the horror film Ripper
as a 'world renowned' 'wimpish' University lecturer, Marshall Kane, whose students are targeted by a serial killer attempting to emulate Jack the Ripper
. The film also starred A. J. Cook
, Kelly Brook
and Jürgen Prochnow
, who had also performed with Payne in The Keep
. Kane is an authority on serial killers having researched and met many. Jim Harper stated that Payne was 'appropriately creepy as the man who's spent too long working with lunatics'. The film reviewer John Fallon stated that "Bruce Payne brings a touch of class to the film.". The film won a DVD Premiere Award for its special effects. Payne also appeared as Mr Martin Chatsworth Bluestone, also known as the mysterious Mr. Blue, in Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team
, a film which was described by The Daily Telegraph
as a 'cross between Austin Powers, Charlie's Angels
and James Bond
. In the film it is revealed that Mr Blue is the founder and CEO of Blue Sky Limited, a think-tank for NATO countries. He is shown to be a logistics expert who coordinates the activities of the Swedish Bikini team, a group of special agents. One reviewer stated that the film was 'enormous fun and full of Bondian touches, a must-see.
In 2002 Payne appeared with his friend Steven Berkoff
in Gerard Pires
' first English Language film Steal
as a corrupt 'hardboiled cop', Lieutenant Macgruder, who attempts to pressurise a group of bank robbers led by Slim (played by Stephen Dorff
) into sharing the money that they have appropriated with him, but is subsequently caught by his colleague Karen (played by Natasha Henstridge
). The Syracuse New Times
stated that he gave a 'snarling' performance in the film. John J Puccio, who reviewed the film for DVD Town, described Payne's character as a 'surly, slimy tough guy'. Payne also appeared with Richard Harris
in the Christian film Apocalypse Revelation
as the Roman Emperor Domitian
, whom he is regarded as depicting with 'ample dementia'. The film is set in 90 AD and concerns Jesus' last surviving disciple, John of Patmos (played by Harris), and his writings and visions of the Apocalypse. The film was one of thirteen installments of bible stories which were filmed and broadcast over a ten year period. The series was the 'largest television production ever undertaken' and won eleven Emmy Award
's. Other actors who appeared in the series include Sir Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper
, Gary Oldman
, Oliver Reed
, Christopher Lee
, Dame Diana Rigg and Elizabeth Hurley
. Payne also appeared in the final episode of second season of the BBC
drama Spooks
as an assassin named Mickey Karharias (the name Karharias was chosen because it is the Greek
word for Shark
) who is ostensibly hired to kill the main character Tom Quinn (played by Matthew Macfadyen
). Spooks
has won BAFTA Television Awards, Royal Television Society Awards and Crime Thriller Awards and has also featured guest appearances from Hugh Laurie
, Tim McInnerny
, Ian McDiarmid
, Andy Serkis
, Anton Lesser
, Martine McCutcheon
and Anthony Head
. Payne also made guest appearances in the police drama Dragnet as a member of the Russian Mafia and in the second episode of Keen Eddie
(a comedy-drama directed by Simon West
and starring Mark Valley
and Sienna Miller
) as an asthmatic criminal named Yellow. The latter saw him appear alongside Alexei Sayle
, his co-star from Solarbabies
, for the second time. Payne was considered for the role of Albert Wesker
in the first Resident Evil
film. Ultimately the character did not appear in that film and was subsequently played by Jason O'Mara
in Resident Evil: Extinction
and Shawn Roberts
in Resident Evil: Afterlife
.
In 2003 Payne appeared in the horror film Asylum of the Damned
, which was directed by Philip J Jones and also starred Matt Stasi, Tracy Scoggins
and Bill McKinney
. Payne played Doctor McCort, 'a doctor with a devil-may-care exterior', who specialises in treating mentally ill patients at an asylum. A new recruit at the asylum, James Bishop (played by Stasi), comes to realise that McCort is sacrificing patients to a harvester of souls and decides to intervene. Payne also appeared in Peter Antico's directorial debut, a short entitled Newton's Law, which also featured Allan Rich and María Conchita Alonso
. In 2004 Payne appeared as the Neighbour (who 'dabbles' in directing porn films) in the dystopian film Paranoia 1.0
, which also featured Jeremy Sisto
, Lance Henriksen
, Deborah Kara Unger
and Udo Kier
. The film was nominated in the best film category at the Catalonian International Film Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival
. It 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'. Alexandra Nakelski, who reviewed the film for Fangoria
, stated that 'Bruce Payne clad in S&M leather is so sexy it's no surprise all the women he comes in contact with want to be a part of his virtual reality porn game'. Scott Foundas, who reviewed the film for Variety
, described Payne's performance as 'snarling'. Payne also made a guest appearance in the twelfth episode of the sixth season of The WB Television Network
supernatural drama Charmed
as the leader of a nefarious order which attempts to kidnap Wyatt Halliwell
, the son of one of the main characters, Piper Halliwell
(played by Holly Marie Combs
).
In 2005, Payne returned to the role of Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God
. Payne was the only member of the original cast in the sequel which was reviewed more favourably than the original. The film was directed by Gerry Lively
and also starred Mark Dymond, Clemency Burton-Hill
and Roy Marsden
. The events of the film take place approximately 100 years after the first film. Damodar intends to take revenge against the inhabitants of Ismir by waking a Black Dragon. However a group of heroes led by Berek (Dymond) and including Dorian (played by Steven Elder
), Lux (played by Ellie Chidzey
) and Ormaline (played by Lucy Gaskell
) endeavour to stop him. One reviewer stated that Payne's 'performance is still the highlight of this one'. Another reviewer stated that Bruce Payne 'steals the show.' 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
.
In 2007, Payne played a forensic pathologist named Doctor Robert Goldring in the psychological thriller Messages
. The film was written by Ivan Levine and a consultant pathologist named Wayne Kinsey and also starred Jeff Fahey
, Martin Kove
, Kim Thomson
and Jon-Paul Gates
and was directed by David Fairman. In the film Goldring assists another pathologist, Doctor Richard Murray (played by Fahey), and a detective, DCI Collins (played by Kove), in tracking down a serial killer who has been targeting women. The British Film Magazine
described the film as 'exuberantly acted' while Cinemas Online stated that it contained 'some mesmerizing performances'. Payne worked with Fairman, Kove and Gates again on Carmen's Kiss. Payne and Gates have also appeared together in the musical Dance Star
and the horror film Disturbance
which were both produced by Greenway Entertainment and written and directed by Steven M Smith. Payne is set to work with Steven M Smith again on the film Infamous which is currently in development.
In 2008, Payne appeared alongside Serena Scott Thomas
, Grace Zabriskie
and Brett Cullen
in the psychological drama Brothel
, which was directed by Amy Waddell. In the film, a young couple buy and old house in Jerome which used to be a brothel. The husband commits suicide and the wife, Julianne (played by Thomas), attempts to come to terms with her loss and modernise the house. In doing so, she finds an old photograph of the brothel's inhabitants, and is then visited by apparitions including the madam, Sadie (played by Zabriskie) and a thief (played by Payne) and fantasy and reality become blurred. The film was shown at the fourteenth Sedona Film Festival
. John Reid, who reviewed the film for the Sedona Red Rock News
, noted 'the density of atmosphere and the intensity of the actors and crew palpable on the set'. David Kanowsky, who reviewed the film for Kudos, stated that it was 'a very fine ghost story without horror'. A contributor to the Independent Film Quarterly described the film as 'an erotic indie version of Inception
.
, which also stars Courtney Hope, Ruta Gedmintas
and Saxon Trainor
. The film is about a young woman named Amber (played by Courtney Hope) who in an attempt to escape her problems unwittingly becomes the prey of vampires. It was directed by Patrik Syversen and shown out of competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
. Payne played a 'blatantly untrustworthy' 'hillbilly truck driver' named Bernard in the film, who promises to give Amber and her friends a lift to Chicago
when their vehicle breaks down but who actually 'ends up taking them into an abandoned meat-packing plant that is now a training ground for a group of bloodthirsty vampires'. 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'. Another reviewer stated that Payne played the truck driver 'superbly'. Payne also appeared in Carmen's Kiss (an adaptation of the Georges Bizet
opera Carmen
) which also stars Vivienne Harvey and Hugo Speer
and was released in July 2011. Payne's character, Michael, was a fixer for a London
based criminal gang who attempts to stop a plan, to blackmail a United States Military attaché
named Drayton (played by Martin Kove
), devised by Carmen (played by Harvey) and sanctioned by the gang leader. Payne has also appeared in Re-Kill
(which also stars Roger Cross
, Scott Adkins
and Daniella Alonso, and is about a military unit, known as R-Division, whose task is to dispose of zombies) and Graystone
, the directorial debut of Sean Stone (son of Oliver Stone
), which are both set to be released in 2012. Payne was one of the attendants at the private screening of Oliver Stone
's South of the Border in Los Angeles in June 2010 along with Benicio del Toro
and James Brolin
.
Payne notes of his acting approach, "[i]f I'm allowed to in terms of time, I really like to get into the character.". Payne's commitment to his profession has led him to alter his physical appearance in order to augment his performances. For example, he shaved his head for his role in the Dungeons and Dragons films. The director of Highlander: Endgame
, Douglas Aarniokoski, has stated that 'Bruce Payne is the consummate professional. Bruce was just a great guy and a truly hard worker'. His co-star in the same film, Ian Paul Cassidy
, said that 'working with Bruce Payne was the ultimate pleasure for an actor. He is wonderfully talented and the consummate professional'.
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. Payne has had relationships with Petra Verkaik, Nina Kraft, and Marie Helvin
.
Producer
Director
Character actor
A character actor is one who predominantly plays unusual or eccentric characters. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a character actor as "an actor who specializes in character parts", defining character part in turn as "an acting role displaying pronounced or unusual characteristics or...
and producer and was a member of the 1980's Brit Pack
Brit Pack (actors)
The term Brit Pack is a moniker often used to described young British actors who are touted to achieve success in Hollywood. According to one article, 'every decade brings a new Brit Pack, another disparate group of actors backed by the media to achieve simultaneous Hollywood stardom...
. Although he is best known for his villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
ous roles, Bruce Payne has played characters across the spectrum. His notable villainous roles include Charles Rane in Passenger 57
Passenger 57
Passenger 57 is a 1992 American action film starring Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne. The film's success made Snipes a popular action hero icon.-Plot:...
, Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame is a 2000 fantasy film originally released on September 1, 2000. It is the fourth theatrical release in the Highlander film series, and it serves as both a continuation of the Highlander films and the Highlander television series...
and Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (film)
Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 American fantasy film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
and Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God. His notable heroic roles include Frankie in Kounterfeit
Kounterfeit
Kounterfeit is a 1996 American crime/thriller film starring Bruce Payne and Hilary Swank. Kounterfeit was directed by John Mallory Asher and written by David Chase, Katherine Fugate and Jay Irwin.-Plot summary:...
, Dr. Burton in Silence Like Glass
Zwei Frauen
Zwei Frauen is a 1989 German dramatic film. The film stars Jami Gertz, George Peppard, Bruce Payne and Rip Torn....
and Major Baker in Britannic
Britannic (film)
Britannic is a romantic drama film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It stars Edward Atterton and Amanda Ryan as star-crossed lovers on the forgotten sister ship of the , the HMHS Britannic...
. His notable comic roles include Yellow in Keen Eddie
Keen Eddie
Keen Eddie is an American action, comedy-drama television series that aired in 2003 on the Fox Network. The series follows a brash NYPD detective who goes to London when one of his cases goes sour and remains to work with New Scotland Yard...
, Dogger in Solarbabies
Solarbabies
Solarbabies is a 1986 science fiction film, made by Brooksfilms and directed by Alan Johnson. It was released on DVD on March 6, 2007....
, and the Devil in Switch
Switch (film)
Switch is a 1991 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards. A promiscuous man is murdered by his lovers and reincarnated as a beautiful woman .-Legacy:...
. Payne has received many plaudits for his acting. A reviewer in Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
once asserted that "saying that Payne is a good actor is like saying Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire
Fred Astaire was an American film and Broadway stage dancer, choreographer, singer and actor. His stage and subsequent film career spanned a total of 76 years, during which he made 31 musical films. He was named the fifth Greatest Male Star of All Time by the American Film Institute...
is a good dancer."
Early life
Payne was born in London, England 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 PanPeter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
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
Spina bifida
Spina bifida is a developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube. Some vertebrae overlying the spinal cord are not fully formed and remain unfused and open. If the opening is large enough, this allows a portion of the spinal cord to protrude through...
which by age 16 required surgery to rectify. Payne was hospitalised for 6 months following this 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
National Youth Theatre
The National Youth Theatre is a registered charity in London, Great Britain, committed to creative, personal and social development of young people through the medium of creative arts....
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 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
Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art is a drama school located in London, United Kingdom. It is generally regarded as one of the most renowned drama schools in the world, and is one of the oldest drama schools in the United Kingdom, having been founded in 1904.RADA is an affiliate school of the...
(RADA) acting program. Before being accepted at RADA, Payne worked as a carpenter, a salesman and a landscape gardener. Payne graduated from RADA in 1981 with seven major prizes for acting, comedy (Payne won the Fabia Drake
Fabia Drake
Fabia Drake OBE was an English actress whose professional career spanned almost 73 years during the 20th century.Drake was born in Herne Bay, Kent...
Prize for Comedy which had previously been won by Anthony Ainley
Anthony Ainley
Anthony Ainley was an English actor best known for his work on British television and particularly for his role as the third Master in Doctor Who. He was the fourth actor to play the role of the Master, and the first actor to portray the Master as a recurring role after the death of Roger Delgado...
) and physical presence. Payne was part of a 'new wave’ of actors to emerge from the Academy. Others included Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce
Jonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
, Juliet Stevenson
Juliet Stevenson
Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, CBE is an English actor of stage and screen.- Early life :Stevenson was born in Kelvedon, Essex, England, the daughter of Virginia Ruth , a teacher, and Michael Guy Stevenson, an army officer. Stevenson's father was in the army and was posted to a new place every...
, Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
, Anton Lesser
Anton Lesser
Anton Lesser is a British actor. He attended Moseley Grammar School and the University of Liverpool before going to RADA in 1977 where he was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal as the most promising actor of his year....
, Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from Northern Ireland. He is best known for directing and starring in several film adaptations of William Shakespeare's plays including Henry V , Much Ado About Nothing , Hamlet Kenneth Charles Branagh is an actor and film director from...
and Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw
Fiona Shaw, CBE is an Irish actress and theatre director. Although to international audiences she is probably most familiar for her minor role as Petunia Dursley in the Harry Potter films, she is an accomplished classical actress...
. Whilst at RADA, Payne wrote and directed himself in an adaptation of William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's Macbeth
Macbeth
The Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
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 the Queen in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne would later appear on stage in both Julius Caesar
Julius Caesar (play)
The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
and A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
. Payne also played Karsten Bernick in the Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen was a major 19th-century Norwegian playwright, theatre director, and poet. He is often referred to as "the father of prose drama" and is one of the founders of Modernism in the theatre...
play The Pillars of Society
The Pillars of Society
The Pillars of Society is an 1877 play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen....
while at RADA. Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
also appeared in the play.
1980s
Payne's first television role was in the Tales Out of School series which also featured Tim RothTim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
and Jim Broadbent
Jim Broadbent
James "Jim" Broadbent is an English theatre, film, and television actor. He is known for his roles in Iris, Moulin Rouge!, Topsy-Turvy, Hot Fuzz, and Bridget Jones' Diary...
. Payne's first major film role came in 1982 with Michael Blakemore
Michael Blakemore
Michael Howell Blakemore OBE is an Australian actor, writer and theatre director. In 2000 he became the only individual to win Tony Awards for best Director of a Play and Musical in the same year for Copenhagen and Kiss Me, Kate....
's Privates On Parade
Privates on Parade (film)
Privates on Parade is a 1982 film adaptation of the Peter Nichols play of the same title about a fictional - and mostly gay - military entertainment group, the "Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia" assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan jungle in the years after World War II.-Cast and...
in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (the role which Ben Cross
Ben Cross
Ben Cross is a British actor of the stage and screen, best known for his portrayal of the British Olympic athlete Harold Abrahams in the 1981 movie Chariots of Fire.-Early life:...
had played in the stage version), appearing alongside John Cleese
John Cleese
John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
, Denis Quilley
Denis Quilley
Denis Clifford Quilley OBE was an English theatre, television and film actor who was long associated with the Royal National Theatre....
and David Bamber
David Bamber
David James Bamber is an English actor, known for his television and theatre work. He is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.-Early years:...
. The film was an adaptation of the Peter Nichols
Peter Nichols
Peter Nichols FRSL is an English writer of stage plays, film and television.Born in Bristol, England, he was educated at Bristol Grammar School, and served his compulsory National Service as a clerk in Calcutta and later in the Combined Services Entertainments Unit in Singapore where he...
play of the same title about a fictional military entertainment group, the "Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia", assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan
Federation of Malaya
The Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
jungle in the years after World War II. Payne's character, Cartwright, is part of the group whose performances include imitations of The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters
The Andrews Sisters were a highly successful close harmony singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie eras. The group consisted of three sisters: contralto LaVerne Sophia Andrews , soprano Maxene Angelyn Andrews , and mezzo-soprano Patricia Marie "Patty" Andrews...
. One of the units members, Sergeant Major Reg Drummond (played by Michael Elphick
Michael Elphick
Michael John Elphick was an English actor. Elphick was known in the UK for his trademark croaky voice and his work on British television, in particular his roles as the eponymous private investigator in the ITV series Boon and later Harry Slater in BBC's EastEnders.Robust and ruggedly good-looking...
), provides the enemy with both ammunition and information which is the catalyst for a 'terrible battle' in which Cartwright is shot causing him to lose the use of his legs. Payne would appear with Quilley again in Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1999 film)
Cleopatra is a 1999 fictional film portrayal of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, produced by Hallmark Entertainment, starring Leonor Varela as the title character, Timothy Dalton as Julius Caesar, Billy Zane as Mark Antony, Rupert Graves as Octavius, Sean Pertwee as Brutus and Bruce Payne as Cassius....
.
In 1983 he appeared in Michael Mann's horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
The Keep
The Keep (film)
The Keep is a 1983 horror film directed by Michael Mann and starring Scott Glenn, Gabriel Byrne, Jürgen Prochnow, Alberta Watson and Ian McKellen. It was released by Paramount Pictures. The story is based on the F...
, alongside Scott Glenn
Scott Glenn
Theodore Scott Glenn is an American actor. His roles have included Wes Hightower in Urban Cowboy , astronaut Alan Shepard in The Right Stuff ,Emmett in Silverado , Commander Bart Mancuso in The Hunt for Red October , Jack Crawford in The Silence of the Lambs and The Wise Man in Sucker Punch -Early...
, Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel Byrne
Gabriel James Byrne is an Irish actor, film director, film producer, writer, cultural ambassador and audiobook narrator. His acting career began in the Focus Theatre before he joined Londo's Royal Court Theatre in 1979. Byrne's screen debut came in the Irish soap opera The Riordans and the...
, Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
, Alberta Watson
Alberta Watson
Faith Susan Alberta Watson , known professionally as Alberta Watson, is a Canadian movie and television series actress.-Early life:...
and Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
, as a border guard. In the same year Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
cast him in his production of West at the Donmar Warehouse. The play also featured Ralph Brown
Ralph Brown
Ralph William John Brown is an English actor and writer, known for playing Danny the drug dealer in Withnail and I, the security guard Aaron in Alien 3, DJ Bob Silver in The Boat That Rocked, and the pilot Ric Olié in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace...
, Rory Edwards, Ken Sharrock and Stella Tanner. 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
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss is a writer for Time magazine who focuses on movies, with the occasional article on music or sports. Corliss is the former editor-in-chief of Film Comment...
of TIME magazine stated that Payne bestowed 'a frighteningly dynamic performance' in the play. Payne also appeared in Limehouse Films' television adaptation of the play. This was followed by a role in the 1984 comedy film Oxford Blues
Oxford Blues
Oxford Blues is a 1984 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starred Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy and Amanda Pays. It is a remake of the 1938 MGM film A Yank at Oxford.-Plot:...
which starred Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe
Robert Hepler "Rob" Lowe is an American actor. Lowe came to prominence after appearing in films such as The Outsiders, Oxford Blues, About Last Night..., St. Elmo's Fire, and Wayne's World. On television, Lowe is known for his role as Sam Seaborn on The West Wing and his role as Senator Robert...
, Ally Sheedy
Ally Sheedy
Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. She is best known for her roles in the Brat Pack films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.-Early life:...
, Cary Elwes
Cary Elwes
Ivan Simon Cary Elwes , known professionally as Cary Elwes, is an English actor. The son of Dominick Elwes and Tessa Georgina Kennedy, Elwes acted in off-Broadway plays during college and moved to the United States in the early 1980s. He is known for his role as Westley in the cult classic The...
and Michael Gough
Michael Gough
Michael Gough was an English character actor who appeared in over 150 films. He is perhaps best known to international audiences for his roles in the Hammer Horror films from 1958, and for his recurring role as Alfred Pennyworth in all four movies of the Burton/Schumacher Batman franchise,...
. Payne played Peter Howles in the film, the leader of an Oxford University student society. Payne also appeared in the third episode of the first series of ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's long running police drama The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
as Paul March. Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
also appeared in the first series of the drama.
In 1985 Payne was cast as a 'butch snooker manager' known as 'The One' (also known as T.O.) in director Alan Clarke
Alan Clarke
Alan Clarke was a television and film director, producer and writer, born in Wallasey, Merseyside, England.Most of Clarke's output was for television rather than cinema, including work for the famous play strands The Wednesday Play and Play for Today...
's snooker musical Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire
Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire is a 1985 British musical film starring Phil Daniels and Alun Armstrong. The film was directed by Alan Clarke and written by Trevor Preston.-Plot:...
. T.O. was the manager of Billy the Kid (played by Phil Daniels
Phil Daniels
Philip W. "Phil" Daniels is an English actor, most noted for film and television roles as "cockneys" such as Jimmy in Quadrophenia, Richards in Scum, Stewart in The Class of Miss MacMichael, Mark in Meantime, Kevin Wicks in EastEnders, DCS Frank Patterson in New Tricks and Edward Kitchener "Ted"...
) and employer of Egypt (played by Richard Ridings
Richard Ridings
Richard Ridings is a British actor and is best known for his portrayal of Allan Ashburn in the ITV television drama Fat Friends, and for playing Bernard Green in the BBC1 comedy-drama Common as Muck. He trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.Ridings was born in...
). In the film T.O. comes to owe money to a loan shark known as the Wednesday Man (played by Don Henderson
Don Henderson
Don Henderson was an English actor whose film and TV work covered many years but is best remembered for his role as the fictional detective George Bulman...
) and is forced to arrange a snooker match between Billy the Kid and the World Champion, the Green Baize Vampire (played by Alun Armstrong
Alun Armstrong (actor)
Alun Armstrong is a prolific British character actor. Armstrong grew up in County Durham in North East England. He first became interested in acting through Shakespeare productions at his grammar school. Since his career began in the early 1970s, he has played, in his words, "the full spectrum of...
), with the condition that the loser never plays professional snooker again. T.O. sang three of the songs in the film ("Poker Song", "I'm the One" and "White Lines Black Cadillac") and also participated in the songs "Kid to Break" and "It's the Fame Game". The story was written by Trevor Preston and the music was composed by George Fenton
George Fenton
George Fenton is a British composer best known for his work writing film scores and music for television, although he also writes music for the theatre. His real name is George Howe but he is better known by his pseudonym of George Fenton.-Selected film and television credits:Fenton has composed...
. A reviewer for the British Film Institute
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute is a charitable organisation established by Royal Charter to:-Cinemas:The BFI runs the BFI Southbank and IMAX theatre, both located on the south bank of the River Thames in London...
(BFI) stated that Payne gave the 'stand out performance' in the film. A reviewer for MS London stated that Payne 'is a charismatic presence, with a capable voice, who is perfectly cast as The One'. In the same year Payne played a threadbare undercover drug detective, with stringy hair and filthy clothes, in Bob Mahoney's Operation Julie, which also starred Colin Blakely
Colin Blakely
Colin George Blakely was a Northern Irish character actor. He was considered an actor of great range.-Early life:...
and David Swift. He also appeared with Michael Gambon
Michael Gambon
Sir Michael John Gambon, CBE is an Irish actor who has worked in theatre, television and film. A highly respected theatre actor, Gambon is recognised for his roles as Philip Marlowe in the BBC television serial The Singing Detective, as Jules Maigret in the 1990s ITV serial Maigret, and as...
in a biography drama about Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
on the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
and in an episode the American action Drama The Equalizer
The Equalizer
The Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
(alongside fellow British actor Edward Woodward
Edward Woodward
Edward Albert Arthur Woodward, OBE was an English stage and screen actor and singer. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art , Woodward began his career on stage, and throughout his career he appeared in productions in both the West End in London and on Broadway in New York...
) as an avaricious and immoral music manager named Greg Rivers, who attempts to exploit a young female rock singer (played by Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick
Vitamin C (artist)
Colleen Ann Fitzpatrick is an American pop music singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress better known by her stage name, Vitamin C. Her singles include "Graduation ", "As Long As You're Loving Me", "The Itch", and her most successful hit the Top 20 Gold certified "Smile"...
).
In 1986 both Payne and Berkoff appeared in Julien Temple
Julien Temple
Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...
's musical Absolute Beginners
Absolute Beginners (film)
Absolute Beginners is a 1986 British rock musical film adapted from the Colin MacInnes book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple, featured David Bowie and Sade, and a breakout role by Patsy Kensit...
along with David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Eddie O'Connell, James Fox
James Fox
James Fox, OBE is an English actor.-Early life:James Fox was born in London, England to theatrical agent Robin Fox and actress Angela Worthington. He is the brother of actor Edward Fox and film producer Robert Fox. The actress Emilia Fox is his niece and the actor Laurence Fox is his son. His...
, Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair
Lionel Blair is a British actor, choreographer, tap dancer and television presenter. He is the son of Myer Ogus and Deborah Greenbaum...
and Edward Tudor-Pole
Edward Tudor-Pole
Edward Tudor-Pole is an English musician, singer , TV presenter and actor.- Musical career :Tudor-Pole formed the band Tenpole Tudor in 1974, and eventually came to prominence after appearing in the film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle as a possible replacement for Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols...
. Payne played a '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. The film also starred Patsy Kensit
Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
who would appear with Payne again in Full Eclipse
Full Eclipse
Full Eclipse is a 1993 science fiction crime film directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne, the story is set in Los Angeles where the police department has assembled a unique squad of officers who possess the ability to turn into werewolves. The tagline of the film...
. In the same year Payne appeared in the Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
film Solarbabies
Solarbabies
Solarbabies is a 1986 science fiction film, made by Brooksfilms and directed by Alan Johnson. It was released on DVD on March 6, 2007....
, along with fellow Brit Alexei Sayle
Alexei Sayle
Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007...
, as filthy bounty hunters named Dogger and Malice with their own saying, 'i stink therefore i am' (a humorous corruption of René Descartes
René Descartes
René Descartes ; was a French philosopher and writer who spent most of his adult life in the Dutch Republic. He has been dubbed the 'Father of Modern Philosophy', and much subsequent Western philosophy is a response to his writings, which are studied closely to this day...
' famous saying). Payne said of his and Sayle's performances in Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
that 'the old image of an English arch-villain - Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt , better known by his stage name Boris Karloff, was an English actor.Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein , Bride of Frankenstein , and Son of Frankenstein...
, that sort of thing' is turned 'upside down. We're just a couple of soaks'. Payne also appeared in the Bernard Rose
Bernard Rose (director)
Bernard Rose is an English actor and film director most famous for his direction of the 1992 urban horror film Candyman and the 1994 historical romance film Immortal Beloved....
directed film Smart Money
Smart Money (1986 film)
Smart Money was a BBC film made in 1986 which was written by Matthew Jacobs and directed by Bernard Rose. It starred Spencer Leigh, Bruce Payne and Richard Borthwick.-Plot:The film is a comedy thriller about computer fraud...
as a villain named Lawrance MacNiece, 'a hired hand for' a number of corporations,who frames the main character Leon (played by Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh
Spencer Leigh is a British actor, who has played roles in movies such as The Garden and The Last of England, and television series such as One Summer. He is considered one of the "Brit Pack".-External links:...
) for a computer fraud.
In 1987 Payne appeared in two episodes of the Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
Drama Lost Belongings, which was set in Ulster
Ulster
Ulster is one of the four provinces of Ireland, located in the north of the island. In ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for administrative and judicial...
, as a journalist named Simon Hunt. The drama also starred Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea
Stephen Rea is an Irish film and stage actor. Rea has appeared in high profile films such as V for Vendetta, Michael Collins, Interview with the Vampire and Breakfast on Pluto...
, Harry Towb
Harry Towb
Harry Towb was a Northern Irish actor.-Early life and career:Towb's father was Russian and his mother was Irish. He attended the Finiston School and Technical College, Belfast...
and Lynn Farleigh
Lynn Farleigh
-Television and film:Lynn Farleigh is perhaps best known for playing: Helen Wycliffe in Wycliffe; Krupskaya opposite Patrick Stewart's Lenin in the historical BBC drama Fall of Eagles; and the glamorous Vivien Ashton in the second series of the LWT secret agent series Wish Me Luck broadcast in...
. He also appeared alongside Neil Pearson
Neil Pearson
Neil Joshua Pearson is a British actor best known for his work on television.-Biography:Pearson grew up in Battersea, London, the son of a panel beater, who left home when he was five, and a legal secretary, and was educated at Woolverstone Hall School, Suffolk, a boarding school, where he first...
in The Bell Run as a racing driver and as Michael Rafiel (the 'sullen son' of a deceased man and 'chief suspect' of a previous murder) in a television adaptation of the Miss Marple
Miss Marple
Jane Marple, usually referred to as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in twenty short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur detective. She is one of the most famous...
novel Nemesis. In 1988 Payne played a 'mob-hired' 'knife-wielding martial-arts murderer' named Echo in the Philip Saville
Philip Saville
Philip Saville is a British television direction and screenwriting from the late 1950s...
directed film, The Fruit Machine, which also starred Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane
Robbie Coltrane, OBE is a Scottish actor, comedian and author. He is known both for his role as Dr...
and Robert Stephens
Robert Stephens
Sir Robert Stephens was a leading English actor in the early years of England's Royal National Theatre.-Early life and career:...
. In the film Echo brutally murders someone but is seen doing so by Eddie (played by Emile Charles
Emile Charles
Emile Charles is an English actor, best known for playing Eddie in the 1988 British Film The Fruit Machine, aka Wonderland . He is the younger brother of the Red Dwarf star Craig Charles.-External links:...
) and Michael (played by Tony Forsyth
Tony Forsyth
Tony Forsyth is an English actor.Forsyth is best known for his role playing "Michael" in the 1988 British Film The Fruit Machine, a/k/a Wonderland...
) who are two gay teenagers on the brink of adulthood. Eddie and Michael spend the rest of the film attempting to evade Echo, who is intent on killing them, and eventually end up at a Dolphinarium in Brighton
Brighton
Brighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
. The film's screenwriter, Frank Clarke, has stated that 'Echo the murderer signifies HIV/AIDS, and the dolphinarium is the sanctuary from it'. Time Out's London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
Magazine described Payne's character as a 'sicko'.
In the same year Payne also appeared as Eddy in the Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
directed play, Greek (a retelling of Sophocles
Sophocles
Sophocles is one of three ancient Greek tragedians whose plays have survived. His first plays were written later than those of Aeschylus, and earlier than or contemporary with those of Euripides...
' Oedipus Rex), at the Wyndhams Theatre along with Georgia Brown
Georgia Brown (English singer)
Georgia Brown was a British singer and actress.Born Lillian Claire Laizer Getel Klot in the East End of London to Mark and Annie Kirschenbaum Klot, Jewish immigrants to the United Kingdom, she was dispatched to Wales during the Blitz to escape the bombings in London...
, Gillian Eaton and Berkoff himself. Berkoff has stated that Payne "gave a vital and dynamic performance and trod on the edge of danger". Martin Hoyle, writing for The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, stated that Payne's 'Eddy is vital, intelligent and physically disciplined in the best Berkoff style'. Charles Osbourne
Charles Osborne (music writer)
Charles Thomas Osborne, born 24 November 1927 in Brisbane, Australia, is a journalist, critic, poet and novelist, and a recognised authority on opera. He was assistant editor of The London Magazine from 1958 until 1966, literature director of the Arts Council of Great Britain from 1971 until 1986,...
, writing for The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, 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'. Payne directed the same play in 1993 with Adam Ant
Adam Ant
Adam Ant is an English musician who gained popularity as the lead singer of New Wave/post-punk group Adam and the Ants and later as a solo artist, scoring ten UK top ten hits between 1980 and 1983, including three No.1s...
playing the lead role. Payne also performed in the stage musicals of The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show
The Rocky Horror Show is a long-running British horror comedy stage musical, which opened in London on 19 June 1973. It was written by Richard O'Brien, produced and directed by Jim Sharman. It came eighth in a BBC Radio 2 listener poll of the "Nation's Number One Essential Musicals"...
, playing Frank 'N' Furter (he would later appear alongside the writer of the play, Richard O'Brien
Richard O'Brien
Richard Timothy Smith , better known under his stage name Richard O'Brien, is an English writer, actor, television presenter and theatre performer. He is perhaps best known for writing the cult musical The Rocky Horror Show and for his role in presenting the popular TV show The Crystal Maze...
, in the film Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons (film)
Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 American fantasy film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
) and had the lead male role, the Mathmagician, in Nicholas Hytner
Nicholas Hytner
Sir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:...
's Alice, which was written by Richard Scott and Anthony Phillips
Anthony Phillips
Anthony Edwin "Ant" Phillips is an English multi instrumentalist, best known as a founding member of the band Genesis. He played guitar and sang backing vocals until leaving in 1970, following the recording of their second album, Trespass...
. Alice also featured Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett
Sally Ann Triplett is a British singer and actress most famous for her participation in the Eurovision Song Contest and many West End productions.-Eurovision:...
(in the title role), Femi Taylor
Femi Taylor
Femi Taylor is a British dancer and actress best known for portraying Jabba the Hutt's Twi'lek slave dancer Oola in the 1983 motion picture Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. She reprised the part fourteen years later, filming new scenes for the 1997 Special Edition rerelease, and was the...
, David Easter
David Easter
David Easter is an English actor.He is best known for his role as Pete Callan in the television soap opera Family Affairs from 1997 to 2005. He had previously been a regular cast member on Brookside, playing Pat Hancock from 1984 to 1987...
, Stanley Fleet and Isabelle Lucas
Isabelle Lucas
Isabelle Harriet Lucas was a Canadian-born British actress and singer.Lucas was born in Toronto, Canada, to a chef from Barbados who worked on the Canadian Pacific Railway. Lucas acted in amateur productions as a teenager in Toronto.-Career:Isabelle Lucas moved to London in 1954 after performing...
. Mike Priestley, writing for the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, stated that Payne gave 'a nicely controlled performance' in the play. Desmond Pratt of the Yorkshire Post
Yorkshire Post
The Yorkshire Post is a daily broadsheet newspaper, published in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England by Yorkshire Post Newspapers, a company owned by Johnston Press...
described the cast of the play as a 'happy team of excellent talents'. Payne also appeared alongside Tilda Swinton
Tilda Swinton
Katherine Mathilda "Tilda" Swinton is a British actress known for both arthouse and mainstream films. She has appeared in a number of films including The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Burn After Reading, The Beach, We Need to Talk About Kevin and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her...
in the Joanna Hogg directed Drama Caprice. Payne's appearances on stage and television raised his profile and whilst he was in Greek he was 'visited backstage by people such as Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Hoffman
Dustin Lee Hoffman is an American actor with a career in film, television, and theatre since 1960. He has been known for his versatile portrayals of antiheroes and vulnerable characters....
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Jeff Goldblum
Jeff Goldblum
Jeffrey Lynn "Jeff" Goldblum is an American actor. His career began in the mid-1970s and he has appeared in major box-office successes including The Fly, Jurassic Park and its sequel Jurassic Park: The Lost World, and Independence Day...
[and] Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
'.
In 1989 he starred alongside Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
, Dorian Healy
Dorian Healy
Dorian Healy is best known for his role as Cpt/Maj Kieran Voce in the award winning drama series Soldier Soldier .He conceived and co-wrote the TV series Masculine Mescaline with Soldier Soldier co-star Gary Love ....
, Graham McTavish
Graham McTavish
Graham McTavish is a Scottish television and film actor.He has played the character Warden Ackerman in Red Dwarf in five episodes of series 8. McTavish has also had many supporting roles in British dramas and films such as Casualty, Jekyll, The Bill, Taggart and Sisterhood...
, Craig Fairbrass
Craig Fairbrass
Craig Fairbrass is an English actor. He is known for his distinctive Cockney accent.-Life and career:Fairbrass was born in Stepney, London. He made his acting debut in an episode of the television series Shelley in 1980. This was followed by appearances in series such as Emmerdale, Three Up Two...
, Ken Stott
Ken Stott
Kenneth Campbell "Ken" Stott is a Scottish actor, particularly known in the United Kingdom for his many roles in television.-Early life:...
and Amanda Redman
Amanda Redman
-External links:* ArtistsTheatreSchool.com* The-Little.co.uk...
in the Martin Stellman directed film For Queen and Country
For Queen and Country
For Queen and Country is a 1989 crime drama film produced by Working Title Films and Zenith, starring Denzel Washington. Washington stars as Reuben James, a Black British former paratrooper, who joined the British Army to escape the poverty of inner city London.-Plot synopsis:Reuben , although...
as a 'drug kingpin' named Colin who offers the main character, Reuben (played by Washington), work after he leaves the army. Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin
Leonard Maltin is an American film and animated film critic and historian, author of several mainstream books on cinema, focusing on nostalgic, celebratory narratives.-Personal life:...
described the film as a 'striking, laced- in-acid contemporary thriller of life in Thatcherite England'. Payne and other young British actors who were becoming established film actors such as Tim Roth
Tim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
, Colin Firth
Colin Firth
SirColin Andrew Firth, CBE is a British film, television, and theatre actor. Firth gained wide public attention in the 1990s for his portrayal of Mr. Darcy in the 1995 television adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice...
and Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
were dubbed the 'Brit Pack
Brit Pack (actors)
The term Brit Pack is a moniker often used to described young British actors who are touted to achieve success in Hollywood. According to one article, 'every decade brings a new Brit Pack, another disparate group of actors backed by the media to achieve simultaneous Hollywood stardom...
'. 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
Tim Burton
Timothy William "Tim" Burton is an American film director, film producer, writer and artist. He is famous for dark, quirky-themed movies such as Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Corpse Bride and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet...
's Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
films. Ultimately Michael Keaton
Michael Keaton
Michael John Douglas , better known by the stage name Michael Keaton, is an American actor known for his early comedic roles, most notably his performance as the title character of Tim Burton's Beetlejuice . Keaton is also famous for his dramatic portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman in Tim Burton's...
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
Zwei Frauen
Zwei Frauen is a 1989 German dramatic film. The film stars Jami Gertz, George Peppard, Bruce Payne and Rip Torn....
along with Jami Gertz
Jami Gertz
Jami Beth Gertz is an American actress. Gertz is known for her early roles in the films Sixteen Candles, Crossroads, The Lost Boys, Less Than Zero, the 1980s TV series Square Pegs with Sarah Jessica Parker, and 1996's Twister, as well as for her role as Judy Miller in the CBS sitcom Still Standing...
, Martha Plimpton
Martha Plimpton
Martha Campbell Plimpton is an American actress and singer and former model. Plimpton is a screen, stage and television actress. She first appeared as Jonsy in the feature film River Rats before rising to prominence in the Richard Donner film The Goonies portraying the character Stef...
, George Peppard
George Peppard
George Peppard, Jr. was an American film and television actor.Peppard secured a major role when he starred alongside Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's , portrayed a character based on Howard Hughes in The Carpetbaggers , and played the title role of the millionaire sleuth Thomas Banacek in...
and Rip Torn
Rip Torn
Elmore Rual "Rip" Torn, Jr. , is an American actor of stage, screen and television.Torn received an Academy Award nomination as Best Supporting Actor for his role in the 1983 film Cross Creek. His work includes the role of Artie, the producer, on The Larry Sanders Show, for which he was nominated...
as a 'young doctor who treats' two young women with cancer.
1990s
In 1990 Payne appeared in the ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
detective series Yellowthread Street which was set in Hong Kong and was based on the novels by author William Leonard Marshall
William Leonard Marshall
William Marshall is an Australian author, best known for his Hong Kong-based "Yellowthread Street" mystery novels, some of which were used as the basis for a British TV series....
. The series also starred Robert Taylor
Robert Taylor (Australian actor)
- Biography :Taylor is best known internationally for his role in The Matrix as Agent Jones. He also appeared in the crocodile horror film Rogue and stars in Australian thriller Storm Warning and the 2009 Australian movie Coffin Rock.-Filmography:...
(who would later appear in The Matrix
The Matrix
The Matrix is a 1999 science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving...
), Mark McGann
Mark McGann
Mark McGann is an English actor, director and musician.- Acting career :McGann first appeared on stage in 1981 in the production Lennon at the Everyman Theatre and the London Astoria where he portrayed John Lennon, role which won him the first of his two Olivier Award nominations for best actor in...
(brother of Paul McGann
Paul McGann
Paul McGann is an English actor who made his name on the BBC serial The Monocled Mutineer, in which he played the lead role...
), Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma
Tzi Ma is a Chinese American actor who has made numerous appearances in American films and TV series.-Life and career:Ma was born in Hong Kong...
, Catherine Neilson
Catherine Neilson
Catherine Neilson is a British stage, television, and film actress, who was active from the late 1970s through the mid 1990s.-Career:...
and Ray Lonnen
Ray Lonnen
Ray Lonnen is an English stage and television actor. His most prominent roles include Willie Caine in the cold-war spy drama series The Sandbaggers , and also as Harry Brown in the television mini-series Harry's Game .-Television career:Lonnen's early television appearances include The Power Game ,...
. Bruce Payne played a detective named Nick Eden in the series, a sleuth who often throws 'away the rule book' and 'walks on the wild side'. The Sunday Magazine stated that Payne 'was Britain's answer to Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
heart-throb Don Johnson
Don Johnson
Donnie Wayne "Don" Johnson is an American actor known for his work in television and film. He played the lead role of James "Sonny" Crockett in the 1980s TV cop series, Miami Vice, which led him to huge success. He also played the lead role in the 1990s cop series, Nash Bridges...
'. The Daily Mirror described Payne's character Eden as a 'cocky copper'. The series cost £8 million and was the most expensive programme ever funded by ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
at the time. Payne also appeared in an episode of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Drama series Bergerac
Bergerac (TV series)
Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
which starred John Nettles
John Nettles
John Vivian Drummond Nettles, OBE is an English actor, historian and writer who is best known for playing the lead roles in Bergerac and Midsomer Murders.-Early life:...
.
In 1991 Payne was cast as the Devil in Switch
Switch (film)
Switch is a 1991 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards. A promiscuous man is murdered by his lovers and reincarnated as a beautiful woman .-Legacy:...
which was the penultimate film directed by Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards
Blake Edwards was an American film director, screenwriter and producer.Edwards' career began in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon turned to writing radio scripts at Columbia Pictures...
. The film concerns a man named Steve Brooks (played by Perry King
Perry King
Perry Firestone King is an American television and film actor. King played the role of Cody Allen on the detective series Riptide from 1983 to 1986.-Early life:...
) who is a notorious womaniser murdered by three upset women. God gives Steve a chance to redeem himself by finding one woman who loves him for who he really is, otherwise he becomes the property of the Devil. However, the Devil suggests making it more difficult for Steve by forcing him to return as a woman. This idea is embraced by God and Steve is thus sent back to Earth as a woman, Amanda Brooks (played by Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin
Ellen Barkin is an American film, television and theatre actress.-Early life:She was born Ellen Rona Barkin in Bronx, a borough of New York City, New York, the daughter of Evelyn , a hospital administrator who worked at Jamaica Hospital, and Sol Barkin, a chemical salesman...
). Barkin was nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in the film. Payne was described as a 'delightfully wicked Satan' by Film Review
Film Review (magazine)
Film Review magazine first appeared in 1950, initially for a 3-issue trial run. At the time it was titled "ABC Film Review" due to being tied in with ABC cinemas. At the time it was just 20 pages and cost 3 Old Pence. It was published by Associated British in association with Pathé and produced...
. The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal
The Providence Journal, nicknamed the ProJo, is a daily newspaper serving the metropolitan area of Providence, Rhode Island and is the largest newspaper in Rhode Island. The newspaper, first published in 1829 and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States, was purchased...
described him as a 'slick devil'. Payne also played the vampire R. B. Harker in Howling VI: The Freaks
Howling VI: The Freaks
Howling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....
. In the film Harker captures and forces a young man named Ian (played by Brendan Hughes) to work for his carnival of travelling freaks. One reviewer stated that "H. B. Harker played by Bruce Payne is the one thing that makes this film watchable. His unrepentantly evil Harker is wonderful, aristocratic, neither over or underplayed." The film critic Wheeler Winston Dixon
Wheeler Winston Dixon
Wheeler Winston Dixon is best known as a writer of film history, theory and criticism. He is the author of numerous books on film, as well as a professor who has taught at Rutgers University, New Brunswick; The New School in New York; and the University of Amsterdam, Holland. He received his Ph.D....
stated that Payne gave a 'delicious' performance in the film. Kim Newman described Payne's character as a 'nasty vampire'. Frederick Clarke described Payne as an 'elegant and suave' vampire. Payne has appeared in numerous horror films since and is considered a veteran of the genre. In the same year he appeared as Kevin Bacon
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon is an American film and theater actor whose notable roles include Animal House, Diner, Footloose, Flatliners, Wild Things, A Few Good Men, JFK, Apollo 13, Mystic River, The Woodsman, Trapped, Friday the 13th, Hollow Man, Tremors, Death Sentence, Frost/Nixon, Crazy, Stupid, Love....
's lothario 'best chum' in the comedy Pyrates
Pyrates
Pyrates is an 1991 comedy film, starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick about a couple who experience pyrokinesis after having sex. Directed and written by Noah Stern, the film was released on VHS on December 18, 1991.-Cast:*Kevin Bacon as Ari...
which also starred Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Minturn Sedgwick is an American actress.Sedgwick is best known for her starring role as Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson on the TNT crime drama The Closer. Sedgwick's role in the series won her a Golden Globe Award in 2007 and an Emmy Award in 2010...
. John Ferguson, writing for the Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
, stated that Payne gave a 'solid' performance in the film. Whilst working on the film, Payne told cinematographer Janusz Kamiński
Janusz Kaminski
Janusz Zygmunt Kamiński is a Polish cinematographer and film director. He has photographed all of Steven Spielberg's films since 1993's Schindler's List.-Life and career:...
on set that he was talented enough to win an Oscar. This prediction was subsequently vindicated as Kaminski has won two Oscars for his work on Schindler's List
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler, a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spielberg, and based on the novel Schindler's Ark...
and Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan
Saving Private Ryan is a 1998 American war film set during the invasion of Normandy in World War II. It was directed by Steven Spielberg, with a screenplay by Robert Rodat. The film is notable for the intensity of its opening 27 minutes, which depicts the Omaha Beach assault of June 6, 1944....
.
In 1992 Payne was cast in his most famous role, opposite Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
, as a 'real dyed in the wool villain', a 'notorious terrorist and hijacker' named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57
Passenger 57
Passenger 57 is a 1992 American action film starring Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne. The film's success made Snipes a popular action hero icon.-Plot:...
. In the film it is revealed that the character Charles Rane (also known as the 'Rane of Terror') had masterminded four terrorist attacks and with the help of his associates including Sabrina Ritchie (played by Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Jane Hurley is an English model and actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s. In 1994, as Grant became the focus of worldwide media attention due to the global box office success of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hurley accompanied him to the film's Los...
) and Forget (played by Michael Horse
Michael Horse
Michael Heinrich Horse is an American actor, jeweler, and ledger painter.-Early life:Michael Horse was born in a Yaqui Native American reserve near Tucson, Arizona, and is of Yaqui, Mescalero Apache, Zuni, European and Latino descent...
), he hijacks a plane escorting him from one prison to another. Wesley Snipes
Wesley Snipes
Wesley Trent Snipes is an American actor, film producer, and martial artist, who has starred in numerous action films, thrillers, and dramatic feature films. Snipes is known for playing the Marvel Comics character Blade in the Blade film trilogy, among various other high profile roles...
' character, John Cutter, attempts to stop him before he kills the passengers. Writing about the film, the reviewer Marcus Trower, of Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
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
Hannibal Lecter
Hannibal Lecter M.D. is a fictional character in a series of horror novels by Thomas Harris and in the films adapted from them.Lecter was introduced in the 1981 thriller novel Red Dragon as a brilliant psychiatrist and cannibalistic serial killer...
look like a social worker – and like Sir 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
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
stated that Payne and Snipes both gave 'charismatic turns' in the film. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
stated that Payne brought a 'tongue-in-cheek humour to the psychopathic fiend'. A reviewer for People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
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'. Eight of sixteen Hollywood films about terrorism in the 1980's and 1990's cast British actors as the terrorist (the other British actors cast as terrorists, in addition to Payne, were David Suchet
David Suchet
David Suchet, CBE, is an English actor, known for his work on British television. He is recognised for his RTS- and BPG award-winning performance as Augustus Melmotte in the 2001 British TV mini-drama The Way We Live Now, alongside Matthew Macfadyen and Paloma Baeza, and a 1991 British Academy...
in Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle
Iron Eagle is a 1986 action film directed by Sidney J. Furie and starring Jason Gedrick and Louis Gossett, Jr. While it received mixed reviews, the film earned US$24,159,872 at the U.S. box office. Iron Eagle was followed by three sequels: Iron Eagle II, Aces: Iron Eagle III and Iron Eagle on the...
and Executive Decision
Executive Decision
Executive Decision is a 1996 action film, directed by Stuart Baird and starring Kurt Russell, Halle Berry and Steven Seagal. The original music was composed by Jerry Goldsmith...
, Alan Rickman
Alan Rickman
Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman is an English actor and theatre director. He is a renowned stage actor in modern and classical productions and a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company...
in Die Hard
Die Hard
Die Hard is a 1988 American action film and the first in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. It is based on a 1979 novel by Roderick Thorp titled Nothing Lasts Forever, itself a sequel to the book The Detective, which...
, Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
in Die Hard with a Vengeance, Sean Bean
Sean Bean
Shaun Mark "Sean" Bean is an English film and stage actor. Bean is best known for playing Boromir in The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and, previously, British Colonel Richard Sharpe in the ITV television series Sharpe...
in Patriot Games
Patriot Games (film)
Patriot Games is a 1992 film directed by Phillip Noyce and based on Tom Clancy's the novel of the same name. It is a sequel to the 1990 film The Hunt for Red October. In the movie, Jack Ryan is played by Harrison Ford, Jack's surgeon-wife, Dr...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
in Air Force One
Air Force One (film)
Air Force One is a 1997 American action-thriller film written by Andrew W. Marlowe and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It stars Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, and Glenn Close, and also features Xander Berkeley, William H. Macy, Dean Stockwell and Paul Guilfoyle...
and Art Malik
Art Malik
Art Malik is a Pakistani-born British actor who achieved international fame in the 1980s through his starring and subsidiary roles in assorted British and Merchant-Ivory television serials and films...
in True Lies
True Lies
True Lies is a 1994 American action-comedy film directed by James Cameron and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Tom Arnold, Bill Paxton, Tia Carrere, Charlton Heston, and Art Malik. Eliza Dushku also appears in the film in one of her first major film roles...
).
In 1993, Payne turned 'total wolf' playing a 'charismatic' werewolf named Adam Garou, opposite Mario Van Peebles
Mario Van Peebles
Mario "Chip" Cain Van Peebles is an American director and actor who has appeared in numerous Hollywood films. He is son of filmmaker Melvin Van Peebles.-Life and career:...
and Patsy Kensit
Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Francis "Patsy" Kensit is an English actress, singer, model and former child star, known for her television and film appearances. Her films include Lethal Weapon 2 and she has been married to rock stars Jim Kerr and Liam Gallagher, as well as herself fronting the band Eighth Wonder...
, in Full Eclipse
Full Eclipse
Full Eclipse is a 1993 science fiction crime film directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne, the story is set in Los Angeles where the police department has assembled a unique squad of officers who possess the ability to turn into werewolves. The tagline of the film...
, which was directed by Anthony Hickox
Anthony Hickox
Anthony Hickox is an English film director, actor, film producer and screenwriter.His works include Waxwork and its sequel, Waxwork II: Lost in Time, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth, "Prince Valiant", "Children of the Corn", "Warlock: Armageddon", "Payback",...
. In the film a Los Angeles detective named Max Dire (played by Van Peebles) who is mourning the death of his partner, Jim Sheldon (played by Anthony Denison
Anthony Denison
Anthony John Sarrero , also known by his stage name Anthony Denison, is an American actor. The eldest of three, he was born and raised in New York City's Harlem. Before acting he worked for John Hancock Insurance as a life insurance agent in Poughkeepsie, New York...
), and who is experiencing marital problems attends a counselling session at the penthouse of detective and crisis counsellor Garou. Dire learns that those attending the counselling sessions regularly have been injecting themselves with a serum which greatly enhances their physical capabilities and conducting raids on criminals. Dire also learns that the serum emanates from Garou himself and that he is a werewolf. Joseph Savitski, who reviewed the film for Beyond Hollywood, stated that 'Bruce Payne is masterful as Detective Garou, a seductive and evil villain with arrogance and confidence to spare. When he’s onscreen, 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'. Kim Newman, who reviewed the film for Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
magazine, described it as 'harebrained fun with lotsa guns and lotsa cool lines'. The script writer Richard Christian Matheson
Richard Christian Matheson
Richard Christian Matheson is an American writer of horror fiction and screenplays. He is the author of the short story collections Scars and Other Distinguishing Marks and Dystopia; the novel Created By; and the screenplay for the Showtime Masters of Horror installments Dance of the Dead and...
stated that 'most monsters have a sort of grudge against humanity, but I don't think Garou does: he simply dislikes crime. That makes him interesting, and Bruce really brings all of these nuances out. He's a wonderful actor and a very bright man'.
In 1994 Payne appeared as Edward De Lapoer in HP Lovecraft's Necronomicon
Necronomicon (film)
H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon, original title Necronomicon, also called Necronomicon: Book of the Dead or Necronomicon: To Hell and Back is an American anthology horror film released in 1993. It was directed by Brian Yuzna, Christophe Gans and Shusuke Kaneko and was written by Brent V...
which also featured fellow British thespian David Warner
David Warner (actor)
David Warner is an English actor who is known for playing both romantic leads and sinister or villainous characters, both in film and animation...
. Edward is a 'tragic figure' who is distraught about the death of his wife in a car accident who realises that he has inherited an abandoned family hotel from his ancestor Jethro De Lapoer (played by Richard Lynch) who committed suicide years before. Edward finds the book, the Necronomicon, which contains a description of a ritual to bring people back from the dead. Edward performs the ritual to resurrect his wife but soon realises that it is a ploy by a gigantic monster with tentacles, one eye and a large mouth which intends to eat him. One reviewer said of his performance that 'Payne is especially effective because of his suppression of his tortured grief, adding considerable power to his scenes'. The film won the award for the best special effects at the 1994 Fantafestival. In 1994, Payne played General Martin Dupre in The Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid (1994 film)
The Cisco Kid was a 1994 Television Movie which updated the successful 1950s Comedy Western Television series. The film was written by Michael Kane and directed by Luis Valdez. Jimmy Smits played the Cisco Kid, the role previously played by Duncan Renaldo, while Cheech Marin played his English...
which also starred Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits
Jimmy Smits is an American actor. Smits is perhaps best known for his roles as attorney Victor Sifuentes on the 1980s legal drama L.A. Law, as NYPD Detective Bobby Simone on the 1990s police drama NYPD Blue, and as Congressman Matt Santos on The West Wing...
, Sadie Frost
Sadie Frost
Sadie Frost is an English actress, who currently runs fashion label Frost French and has designed the kitchens for a new development in the East End of London.-Biography:Frost was born Sadie Liza Vaughan in London...
and Ron Perlman
Ron Perlman
Ronald N. "Ron" Perlman is an American television, film and voice over actor. He is known for having played Vincent in the TV series Beauty and the Beast , a Deathstroke figure known as Slade in the animated series Teen Titans, Clarence "Clay" Morrow in Sons of Anarchy, the comic book character...
.
In 1995 he starred alongside Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
, John Stockwell
John Stockwell (actor)
John Stockwell is an American actor, director, producer, writer and former model.Stockwell was born John Stockwell Samuels IV in Galveston, Texas, the son of an attorney. His first feature film as an actor came in 1981's So Fine...
and Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Bernsen
Corbin Dean Bernsen is an American actor and director, known for his work on television. He is best known for his roles as divorce attorney Arnold Becker on the NBC drama series L.A. Law, and as retired police detective Henry Spencer on the USA Network comedy-drama series Psych...
, as Major Gordon Pruett, in Aurora: Operation Intercept
Aurora: Operation Intercept
Aurora: Operation Intercept is a 1995 film directed by Paul Levine and starring Bruce Payne, Lance Henriksen and John Stockwell.The "Aurora" is a secret hypersonic military aircraft based at Groom Lake. It is very similar to what aviation experts assume to be the Aurora aircraft. In the film, it is...
. In the film, Pruett is a proficient pilot of the revolutionary high-altitude fighter-bomber Aurora, who is tasked with stopping Francesca Zaborszin (played by Natalya Andreychenko
Natalya Andreychenko
Natalya Andrejchenko is a popular Soviet actress of 1970s and 1980s. She is famous as the Russian Mary Poppins.Natalya made a decision to become an actress in early high school. After an unsuccessful attempt to get into the Schepkin Art School, she was admitted to the Gerasimov Institute of...
), who believes that the U.S. government murdered her father (played by Curt Lowens
Curt Lowens
Curt Lowens is a German actor of the stage and films, and a survivor and resistant of the Holocaust.-Life and career:...
), and who has established a base in the deserts of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. From her base she is wielding powerful electromagnetic pulses channelled though orbiting navigation satellites to attack and bring down civilian aircraft. Payne has appeared alongside Lance Henriksen on another two occasions, in No Contest II
No Contest II
No Contest II was a 1997 action Film starring Shannon Tweed, Bruce Payne and Lance Henriksen.-Plot:Erich Dengler, the son of Manferd Dengler , poses as an Art Collector, Eric Dane, in order to take over the Holman Museum where he holds the occupants including Sharon Bell and Jack Terry who are...
in 1997 and in the dystopian classic Paranoia 1.0
Paranoia 1.0
Paranoia: 1.0 is a 2004 cyberpunk science fiction film written and directed by Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson. The film is a Kafkaesque nightmare in which a young computer programmer is an unwitting guinea pig in a corporate experiment to test a new advertising scheme...
in 2004.
Payne appeared alongside Corbin Bernsen again in the 1996 film Kounterfeit
Kounterfeit
Kounterfeit is a 1996 American crime/thriller film starring Bruce Payne and Hilary Swank. Kounterfeit was directed by John Mallory Asher and written by David Chase, Katherine Fugate and Jay Irwin.-Plot summary:...
as a 'seasoned former criminal' named Frankie. The film was written by David Chase
David Chase
David Chase is an American writer, director, and producer of television series. Chase has worked in television for more than 30 years; he has produced and written for shows as The Rockford Files, I'll Fly Away, and Northern Exposure. He has created two original series; the first, Almost Grown,...
, Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate
Katherine Fugate is an American film and television writer and producer.-Biography:Fugate is the creator of the TV series, Army Wives. She graduated with a B.A. in Theatre Arts from University of California, Riverside. Fugate and her aunt, the actress Barbara Eden, are direct descendants of...
and Jay Irwin, directed by John Mallory Asher
John Mallory Asher
John Mallory Asher is an American actor, director, writer and cinematographer.He is perhaps best known for his performance as Gary, on the USA Networks' series spinoff of the movie Weird Science.-Biography:...
and also starred Hilary Swank
Hilary Swank
Hilary Ann Swank is an American actress. Swank's film career began with a small part in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and then a major part in The Next Karate Kid , as Julie Pierce, the first female protégé of sensei Mr. Miyagi...
and Andrew Hawkes. In the film, Frankie, who is the owner of a strip club, and his best friend, Tommy 'Hopscotch' Hopkins (played by Hawkes), come into possession of counterfeited money which they arrange to exchange for real money. The exchange goes wrong and an undercover cop called Danny (played by Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Mark-Paul Harry Gosselaar is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his roles as Zack Morris in NBC's Saved by the Bell, Good Morning, Miss Bliss, and Saved by the Bell: The College Years, Detective John Clark in NYPD Blue, Jerry Kellerman in TNT's Raising the Bar, and more recently Peter...
) is killed. Frankie and Hopscotch are forced to hide the money to evade being killed while Danny's sister, Colleen (played by Swank), mistakenly believes that Frankie murdered her brother and seeks revenge. A reviewer for the TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
stated that 'Frankie's slablike features and seedy-cool demeanor initially makes him just one outsized thug among many, but Payne gradually warms up the protagonist and balances nicely against Hawkes's scenery-chewing Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
act'. Payne also appeared in an episode of season six of the American television series Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt (TV series)
Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
alongside Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside
Michael Ironside is a Canadian-born actor. He has also worked as a voice actor, producer, film director, and screenwriter in movie and television series in various Canadian and American productions. He is best known for playing villains and "tough guy" heroes, though he has also portrayed...
. Ironside and Payne played big game hunters who become hunted themselves by vampires. Ironside had played the villain in Highlander II: The Quickening
Highlander II: The Quickening
Highlander II: The Quickening is the second installment to the Highlander film series, released on January 31, 1991.-Plot:In August 1994, news broadcasts announce that the ozone layer is fading, and will be completely gone in a matter of months. In Africa, millions have perished from the effects of...
. Payne would later play the villain in Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame is a 2000 fantasy film originally released on September 1, 2000. It is the fourth theatrical release in the Highlander film series, and it serves as both a continuation of the Highlander films and the Highlander television series...
. The series ran from 1989 to 1996, won four awards and also featured guest appearances from Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
, Tim Curry
Tim Curry
Timothy James "Tim" Curry is a British actor, singer, composer and voice actor, known for his work in a diverse range of theatre, film and television productions. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California....
, Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
, Jane Horrocks
Jane Horrocks
Barbara Jane Horrocks is an English voice, stage, screen and television actress, voice artist, musician, and singer. She is best known for her role as "Bubble" in the TV series Absolutely Fabulous as well as her distinctive voice....
, Bob Hoskins
Bob Hoskins
Robert William "Bob" Hoskins, Jr. is an English actor known for playing Cockney rough diamonds, psychopaths and gangsters, in films such as The Long Good Friday , and Mona Lisa , and lighter roles in family films such as Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Hook .- Early life :Hoskins was born in Bury St...
, Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
, Ewan McGregor
Ewan McGregor
Ewan Gordon McGregor is a Scottish actor. He has had success in mainstream, indie, and art house films. McGregor is perhaps best known for his roles as heroin addict Mark Renton in the drama Trainspotting , young Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Star Wars prequel trilogy , and poet Christian in the...
, Demi Moore
Demi Moore
Demi Guynes Kutcher , known professionally as Demi Moore, is an American actress. After minor roles in film and a role in the soap opera General Hospital, Moore established her career in films such as St...
, Joe Pesci
Joe Pesci
Joseph Frank "Joe" Pesci is an American actor, comedian, and musician.He is known for playing a variety of different roles, from violent mobsters to comedic leads to quirky sidekicks...
, Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
, Tim Roth
Tim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
, David Warner
David Warner
David Warner may refer to:* Dave Warner, or David Robert Warner, Australian author, rock musician and screenwriter* David Warner , British actor* David Warner , Australian cricketer* David Bruce Warner, South African alpine skier...
and many other notable actors and actresses. In the same year, Payne turned his talents to producing the film Lowball which starred Peter Greene
Peter Greene
Peter Greene is an American character actor.A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Greene did not pursue a career in acting until his mid 20s...
.
Payne also played a corrupt FBI Agent named Karl Savak, who has been described as a 'cool wacko cop', in One Tough Bastard
One Tough Bastard
One Tough Bastard also known as One Man's Justice, was a 1996 Film, written by Steven Selling, directed by Kurt Wimmer and starring Brian Bosworth and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
which also featured Brian Bosworth
Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith "The Boz" Bosworth, is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma...
and M.C. Hammer and was directed by Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer
Kurt Wimmer is an American screenwriter and film director.Wimmer is of German descent, he attended the University of South Florida and graduated with a BFA degree in Art History. He then moved to Los Angeles where he worked for 12 years as a screenwriter before making his 2002 film, Equilibrium...
. In the film Savak is intent on stealing prototype military weapons to sell to crime boss Dexter Kane (played by M.C. Hammer). In the process one of Savak's underlings, Marcus (played by Jeff Kober
Jeff Kober
Jeff Kober is an American actor, known for his performances on television and film.-Major work:Jeff Kober, a native of Billings, Montana, was born on December 18, 1953. Not satisfied with being a rancher, Kober relocated to the L.A. area in his twenties with the desire to become an actor...
) kills the wife and daughter of military combat expert John North (played by Brian Bosworth
Brian Bosworth
Brian Keith "The Boz" Bosworth, is a former American football linebacker. He played college football for the University of Oklahoma...
) who becomes intent on revenge. The film is not dissimilar to the 2009 film Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man whose developed sociopathic tendencies drove him into killing while targeting not...
for which Wimmer wrote the story and in which the main character, Clyde Shelton (played by Gerrard Butler), attempts to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter.
In 1997 Payne starred as 'an intriguing newcomer' in season two of the successful Canadian television series La Femme Nikita. The series was based on the French action film Nikita, which was directed by Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
, and the remake in English, Point of No Return
Point of No Return (film)
Point of No Return is a 1993 American action film directed by John Badham and starring Bridget Fonda. It is a remake of Luc Besson's 1990 film Nikita.-Plot:...
. It concerned a lady named Nikita (played by Peta Wilson
Peta Wilson
Peta Gia Wilson is an Australian actress and model. She is best known as Nikita in the television series La Femme Nikita.-Early life:...
) who is falsely accused of killing a police officer and sentenced to life in prison. Whilst in prison she is recruited by a government organisation, known as Section One, which fakes her suicide. She is trained by Michael (Roy Dupuis
Roy Dupuis
Roy Dupuis is a Canadian actor best known for his role as counterterrorism operative Michael Samuelle in the television series La Femme Nikita...
) to become an assassin. Payne's character, Jurgen, who made three appearances in the second series, was 'a training specialist who becomes Michael's rival'. The character was 'a mysterious man with a very checkered past involving specialised training and Special Ops/Undercover work'. As a consequence of the intimacy between Nikita and Jurgen, and the 'love triangle' which developed between Nikita, Michael and Jurgen, Payne's character created a long standing controversy amongst fans of the series. In the same year Payne had a lead role in the Horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
/Science Fiction film Ravager
Ravager (film)
Ravager is a 1997 Horror/Science Fiction film written and directed by James D Deck and starring Bruce Payne.-Plot:A passenger spaceship is forced to land in a desolate territory on Earth. The crew of the spaceship discover military bio-weapons after searching for minerals within the territory...
which also featured Yancy Butler
Yancy Butler
Yancy Victoria Butler is an American television and movie actress known for her roles as Natasha Binder in the 1993 John Woo film Hard Target and as Detective Sara Pezzini on the TNT supernatural drama Witchblade.-Early life:...
, Juliet Landau
Juliet Landau
Juliet Rose Landau is an American actress best known for her role as Drusilla on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spinoff show Angel, the latter appearance earning her a Saturn Award nomination. She is also known for co-starring as Loretta King Hadler in Tim Burton's Ed Wood.She has appeared in a...
and Robin Sachs
Robin Sachs
Robin David Sachs is an English actor.Sachs was born in London, the son of actors Leonard Sachs and Eleanor Summerfield...
. Payne's character, Cooper Wayne, was the captain of a spaceship which is forced to land in desolate territory. Whilst there, one of the passengers is infected by military bio-weapons and attempts to kill the others. Wayne struggles to get the ship ready to fly again as passengers and crew are murdered. The Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
described the film as Outbreak
Outbreak (film)
Outbreak is a 1995 American disaster film starring Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Spacey. The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen. In addition, Outbreak features Cuba Gooding, Jr., Donald Sutherland, and Patrick Dempsey....
meets Alien
Alien (film)
Alien is a 1979 science fiction horror film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Tom Skerritt, Sigourney Weaver, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Ian Holm and Yaphet Kotto. The film's title refers to its primary antagonist: a highly aggressive extraterrestrial creature which...
and stated that it was 'a competently made and acted science-fiction thriller'. John Stanley stated that the interactions between Butler's character and Payne's and Landau's characters 'provide more substance than usual'. Payne also appeared alongside Shannon Tweed
Shannon Tweed
Shannon Lee Tweed is a Canadian actress and model. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller...
and Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
in No Contest II
No Contest II
No Contest II was a 1997 action Film starring Shannon Tweed, Bruce Payne and Lance Henriksen.-Plot:Erich Dengler, the son of Manferd Dengler , poses as an Art Collector, Eric Dane, in order to take over the Holman Museum where he holds the occupants including Sharon Bell and Jack Terry who are...
as a film director who attempts to stop a villain unleashing a lethal nerve gas bomb which threatens the safety of the world.
In 1998, Payne played Cecil Hopper in the film Sweepers
Sweepers (film)
Sweepers is a 1998 American and South African action film directed by Keoni Waxman. It stars Dolph Lundgren as Christian Erickson, a leading demolition expert trained to disarm mine fields in a humanitarian minesweeping operation in Angola...
, a Doctor who teams up with Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren
Dolph Lundgren is a Swedish actor, director, and martial artist. He belongs to a generation of film actors who epitomise the movie action hero stereotype including Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis, Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and Jean-Claude Van Damme.A graduate in chemical...
's character, Christian Erickson, to disarm mine fields in a humanitarian minesweeping operation in Angola
Angola
Angola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
. The Radio Times
Radio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
stated that Payne gave a 'solid' performance in the film. In 1999, Payne replaced fellow British actor Julian Sands
Julian Sands
Julian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
as the Warlock in Warlock III: The End of Innocence. Payne and Sands were often mistaken for one another and had appeared together in both Privates on Parade
Privates on Parade
Privates on Parade: A Play with Songs in Two Acts is a 1977 farce by English playwright Peter Nichols , with music by Denis King.-Plot:...
and Oxford Blues
Oxford Blues
Oxford Blues is a 1984 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starred Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy and Amanda Pays. It is a remake of the 1938 MGM film A Yank at Oxford.-Plot:...
. In the film the Warlock plots to sacrifice a young woman named Kris (played by Ashley Laurence
Ashley Laurence
Ashley Laurence is an American film and television actress. She is noted for her appearances in horror films, particularly the Hellraiser series.-Career:...
), who is staying at an abandoned house owned by her ancestors, as he intends to exchange her soul with a consort from hell to mother a race of evil. Richard Scheib, writing for The Science Fiction, Horror and Fantasy Film Review Database said that "as the Warlock, Bruce Payne, an actor who has magnificently theatrical charisma and presence is actually better in the part than the perpetually overwrought Julian Sands.". The film critic John Fallon stated that Payne gave 'a charismatic, subdued scary performance' in the film and the he 'couldn’t take' his 'eyes off him' as he was 'all charm'. Payne was described as a suave warlock by The Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee
The Fresno Bee is the daily newspaper serving Fresno, California and surrounding counties in that U.S. state's San Joaquin Valley. It is owned by The McClatchy Company and ranks fourth in circulation among the company's newspapers....
. The director of the film, Eric Freiser, stated that 'in the first two movies, Julian was very smooth as the character, but Bruce makes for a scarier villain. You feel he is capable of more evil than Julian'.
In the same year, Payne was part of an all star cast, including Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Peter Dalton ) is a Welsh actor of film and television. He is known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill , as well as Rhett Butler in the television miniseries Scarlett , an original sequel to Gone with the Wind...
, Leonor Varela
Leonor Varela
Leonor Varela Palma is a Chilean actress, and model. She played the character Cleopatra in the 1999 film Cleopatra...
, Billy Zane
Billy Zane
William George "Billy" Zane, Jr. is an American actor, producer and director. He is probably best known for his roles as Caledon Hockley in Titanic, The Phantom from The Phantom, John Wheeler in Twin Peaks and Mr...
, Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee
Sean Pertwee is an English actor known for his television, film and voice-over work.-Career:In the early 80s, he auditioned for a place at the Surrey County Youth Theatre where he was cast as Captain Fitzpatrick in the play Tom Jones, based on the novel by Henry Fielding...
, Owen Teale
Owen Teale
Owen Teale is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Guildford School of Acting, Teale made his television debut in The Mimosa Boys in 1984. He later appeared in Knights of God , Great Expectations , Waterfront Beat and Boon before being cast as Will Scarlet in the 1991 TV movie Robin Hood...
, Rupert Graves
Rupert Graves
Rupert Graves is an English film, television and theatre actor. He is best known for his role as DI Lestrade in the critically acclaimed television series Sherlock.-Early life:...
and David Schofield
David Schofield (actor)
David Schofield is an English actor who was born in Wythenshawe, Manchester, Lancashire in 1951. He has appeared in numerous television programmes and feature films during his career.-Early life:...
, in Cleopatra
Cleopatra (1999 film)
Cleopatra is a 1999 fictional film portrayal of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, produced by Hallmark Entertainment, starring Leonor Varela as the title character, Timothy Dalton as Julius Caesar, Billy Zane as Mark Antony, Rupert Graves as Octavius, Sean Pertwee as Brutus and Bruce Payne as Cassius....
, which was directed by Franc Roddam
Franc Roddam
Francis George "Franc" Roddam is an English film director, businessman, screenwriter, television producer and publisher. He is married to photographer, Leila Ansari, and has six children from previous marriages. He currently lives in London.-Career:Roddam's films include "Quadrophenia", "K2",...
and which was based on the Margaret George
Margaret George
Margaret George is an American historian and historical novelist, specializing in epic fictional biographies. She is known for her meticulous research and the large scale of her books. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee. She lives with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin...
book The Memoirs of Cleopatra
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
The Memoirs of Cleopatra is a novel written by Margaret George which was released on April 15, 1997.The author spent years traveling through different parts of the Mediterranean to research this novel. The story starts off with Cleopatra VII's memories of when she is just three years old and...
. Payne played Cassius, who conspired with Brutus (Pertwee) and Casca (Schofield) to assassinate Caesar (Dalton). This was followed by another television role, as Doctor Baker, in Britannic
Britannic (film)
Britannic is a romantic drama film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It stars Edward Atterton and Amanda Ryan as star-crossed lovers on the forgotten sister ship of the , the HMHS Britannic...
, which was directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith
Brian Trenchard-Smith is an English film and television director, producer, writer, consultant and actor who is notable for his contributions to the horror and action genre during the 1970s and 1980s in Australia. Most of his work has been in television, and the majority of his films have been...
. In the film Doctor Baker attempts to foil a plot by a German Spy (played by Edward Atterton
Edward Atterton
Edward Atterton is an English actor.Atterton's first television role was in an episode of ITV's Agatha Christie's Poirot in 1993. The same year, he was cast in the recurring role of Dr. Alex Taylor in the ITV drama series Medics...
) to sink the HMHS Britannic
HMHS Britannic
HMHS Britannic was the third and largest of the White Star Line. She was the sister ship of and , and was intended to enter service as a transatlantic passenger liner. She was launched just before the start of the First World War and was laid up at her builders in Belfast for many months before...
, the sister ship of the , but is ultimately killed. The film also starred Amanda Ryan
Amanda Ryan
Amanda Ryan is a British actress who trained at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. She is best known for her role on TV series Shameless as Sgt...
, John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies is a Welsh actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
, Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset
Jacqueline Bisset is an English actress. She has been nominated for four Golden Globe Awards and an Emmy Award. She is known for her roles in the films Bullitt , Airport , The Deep , Class , and the TV series Nip/Tuck in 2006...
, Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , he has taken on roles in numerous productions...
and Alex Ferns
Alex Ferns
Alexander "Alex" Ferns is a Scottish actor and television personality, best known for his EastEnders role as Trevor Morgan, "Britain's most-hated soap villain."...
. Payne appeared alongside John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies
John Rhys-Davies is a Welsh actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films and the dwarf Gimli in The Lord of the Rings trilogy...
again in the 2001 spoof film Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team
Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team
Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team is a 2001 British film spoof starring Bruce Payne, John Rhys-Davies and Cecilie Bull. It was directed by Buzz Feitshans IV.-Plot:...
.
2000s
In the year 2000, Payne portrayed the villain Jacob Kell in Highlander: EndgameHighlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame is a 2000 fantasy film originally released on September 1, 2000. It is the fourth theatrical release in the Highlander film series, and it serves as both a continuation of the Highlander films and the Highlander television series...
. In the film, Kell is described as the most powerful ever immortal with 661 immortal kills compared to 262 for Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod
Connor MacLeod, also known as The Highlander, is a fictional character in the Highlander film series, as well as the television programs Highlander: The Series, and Highlander: The Animated Series...
(played by Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
), and 174 for Duncan MacLeod
Duncan MacLeod
Duncan MacLeod is a fictional character from the Highlander multiverse. Duncan MacLeod serves as the protagonist for the TV continuation of the Highlander franchise, which comprises Highlander: The Series and its spin-off movies, Highlander: Endgame and Highlander: The Source...
(played by Adrian Paul
Adrian Paul
Adrian Paul Hewett , better known as Adrian Paul, is an actor best known for his role on the television series Highlander: The Series as Duncan MacLeod. In 1997, he founded The Peace Fund charitable organization.-Early life:...
). Kell is so powerful that he has assembled a group of immortals loyal to him (including Cracker Bob, played by Ian Paul Cassidy
Ian Paul Cassidy
Ian Paul Cassidy is an English actor, who has appeared mainly in American and Australian productions. In 2000 he played Cracker Bob in Highlander: Endgame and in 2001 he had a starring role in the drama series The Beast, which was cancelled after five episodes...
, Carlos Jones, played by Damon Dash
Damon Dash
__NOINDEX__...
, Kate, played by Lisa Barbuscia
Lisa Barbuscia
Lisa Barbuscia , also known as Lisa B, is an American model, singer and actress. She is known for small roles in a number of films, including Bridget Jones's Diary, Highlander: Endgame, and Almost Heroes. Her father is of Italian and Irish descent, and her mother is Puerto Rican...
and Jing Ke, played by Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
) in contravention of the rules of the game. Kell is intent on killing all of Connor's friends and lovers in an attempt to avenge the death of his adopted father, Father Rainy (played by Donald Douglas
Donald Douglas (actor)
Donald Douglas is a Scottish actor who has appeared in films and many well known television shows including Doctor Who, Blake's 7, and The Avengers....
). Billy Idol
Billy Idol
William Michael Albert Broad , better known by his stage name Billy Idol, is an English rock musician. A member of the Bromley Contingent of Sex Pistols fans, Idol first achieved fame in the punk rock era as a member of the band Generation X...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
and Jean Claude Van Damme had all been considered for the role but ultimately Payne was cast. 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
Salon.com
Salon.com, part of Salon Media Group , often just called Salon, is an online liberal magazine, with content updated each weekday. Salon was founded by David Talbot and launched on November 20, 1995. It was the internet's first online-only commercial publication. The magazine focuses on U.S...
, 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
Clancy Brown
Clarence J. "Clancy" Brown III is an American actor and voice actor. He is known for his roles in live action as The Kurgan in the cult classic film Highlander, Byron Hadley in the award-winning The Shawshank Redemption, Brother Justin Crowe in HBO's critically acclaimed Carnivàle, and Career...
's original decapitator', the Kurgan. Marke Andrews, writing for The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun
The Vancouver Sun is a daily newspaper first published in the Canadian province of British Columbia on February 12, 1912. The paper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network. It is published six days a week, Monday to Saturday...
, 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
Jim Carrey
James Eugene "Jim" Carrey is a Canadian-American actor and comedian. He has received two Golden Globe Awards and has also been nominated on four occasions. Carrey began comedy in 1979, performing at Yuk Yuk's in Toronto, Ontario...
's in The Mask
The Mask (film)
The Mask is a 1994 American superhero comedy film based on a series of comic books published by Dark Horse Comics. This film was directed by Chuck Russell, and produced by Dark Horse Entertainment and New Line Cinema, and originally released to movie theatres on July 29, 1994 through New Line...
. Cherriece Wright, who reviewed the film for The Dispatch
The Dispatch (Lexington)
The Dispatch is an American daily newspaper published in Lexington, North Carolina, by the New York Times Regional Media Group. The newspaper is published Monday through Saturday with no Sunday edition. Billing itself as "Davidson County's News Source", The Dispatch began publication in 1902...
, stated that it contained 'brilliant performances by Christopher Lambert
Christopher Lambert
Christophe Guy Denis "Christopher" Lambert is an American-born French actor who has appeared in French, European and American productions. He is best known for his role as Connor MacLeod, or simply "The Highlander", from the movie and subsequent movie franchise series of the same name...
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
Dungeons & Dragons (film)
Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 American fantasy film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
, henchman of the malevolent Profion (played by Jeremy Irons
Jeremy Irons
Jeremy John Irons is an English actor. After receiving classical training at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, Irons began his acting career on stage in 1969, and has since appeared in many London theatre productions including The Winter's Tale, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, The Taming of the...
) who is attempting to overthrow young Empress Savina (played by Thora Birch
Thora Birch
Thora Birch is an American actress. She was a child actor in the 1990s, starring in movies such as All I Want for Christmas , Patriot Games , Hocus Pocus , Now and Then , and Alaska . She came to prominence in 1999 after earning worldwide attention and praise for her performance in American Beauty...
). Profion tasks Damodar with locating a rod which will allow him to control Red Dragons and defeat the Empress. However two thieves (Ridley, played by Justin Whalin
Justin Whalin
Justin Garrett Whalin is an American actor best known for his role as Jimmy Olsen in the American television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.-Early life:...
) and Snails, played by Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
), a Dwarf (Elwood Gutworthy, played by Lee Arenberg
Lee Arenberg
Lee Arenberg is an American actor, best known for his role as Pintel, one of Captain Barbossa's crew of miscreants, in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series.-Career:...
) and a young Mage (Marina Pretensa, played by Zoe McLellan
Zoe McLellan
Zoe McLellan is an American actress who is mostly recognized for her roles as Petty Officer Jennifer Coates on JAG and as Lisa George on ABC's Dirty Sexy Money.-Biography:...
) acquire the map revealing the location of the rod before Damodar and attempt to foil Profion's plot. Although the film, which was directed by Courtney Solomon
Courtney Solomon
Courtney Solomon is a Canadian film producer.Solomon produced and directed the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons. His latest film, An American Haunting, is based on the Bell Witch legend in Tennessee....
, was criticised, 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
Doug Bradley
Douglas William "Doug" Bradley is an English actor best known for his roles in the Hellraiser film series.- Early life :Bradley was born in Liverpool, England...
's portrayal of Pinhead
Pinhead (Hellraiser)
Pinhead is a fictional character from the Hellraiser series. Created by Clive Barker and portrayed by Doug Bradley, Pinhead is a prominent figure in the series, mostly featured as the main antagonist....
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
The Charlotte Observer
The Charlotte Observer, serving Charlotte, North Carolina and its metro area, is the largest newspaper, in terms of circulation, in North Carolina and South Carolina...
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 2001, Payne appeared in the horror film Ripper
Ripper (film)
Ripper is a 2001 Canadian-British horror film, directed by John Eyres. The film stars A. J. Cook and Bruce Payne. It was written and produced by John A. Curtis and Evan Tylor and by production companies Prophecy Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions.- Plot :Molly Keller Ripper (also known as...
as a 'world renowned' 'wimpish' University lecturer, Marshall Kane, whose students are targeted by a serial killer attempting to emulate Jack the Ripper
Jack the Ripper
"Jack the Ripper" is the best-known name given to an unidentified serial killer who was active in the largely impoverished areas in and around the Whitechapel district of London in 1888. The name originated in a letter, written by someone claiming to be the murderer, that was disseminated in the...
. The film also starred A. J. Cook
A. J. Cook (actress)
Andrea Joy "A.J." Cook-Andersen is a Canadian actress best known for her role as Supervisory Special Agent Jennifer "JJ" Jareau in the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds...
, Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook
Kelly Brook is an English model, actress, entrepreneur, television presenter and Playboy model.-Early life:...
and Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow
Jürgen Prochnow is a German actor. His most well-known roles internationally have been as the sympathetic submarine captain in Das Boot , Duke Leto Atreides I in Dune , the minor, but important role of Neo-Stalinist dictator General Ivan Radek in Air Force One and the villain Maxwell Dent in...
, who had also performed with Payne in The Keep
The Keep (film)
The Keep is a 1983 horror film directed by Michael Mann and starring Scott Glenn, Gabriel Byrne, Jürgen Prochnow, Alberta Watson and Ian McKellen. It was released by Paramount Pictures. The story is based on the F...
. Kane is an authority on serial killers having researched and met many. Jim Harper stated that Payne was 'appropriately creepy as the man who's spent too long working with lunatics'. The film reviewer John Fallon stated that "Bruce Payne brings a touch of class to the film.". The film won a DVD Premiere Award for its special effects. Payne also appeared as Mr Martin Chatsworth Bluestone, also known as the mysterious Mr. Blue, in Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team
Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team
Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team is a 2001 British film spoof starring Bruce Payne, John Rhys-Davies and Cecilie Bull. It was directed by Buzz Feitshans IV.-Plot:...
, a film which was described by The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
as a 'cross between Austin Powers, Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels
Charlie's Angels is a television series about three women who work for a private investigation agency, and is one of the first shows to showcase women in roles traditionally reserved for men...
and James Bond
James Bond
James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...
. In the film it is revealed that Mr Blue is the founder and CEO of Blue Sky Limited, a think-tank for NATO countries. He is shown to be a logistics expert who coordinates the activities of the Swedish Bikini team, a group of special agents. One reviewer stated that the film was 'enormous fun and full of Bondian touches, a must-see.
In 2002 Payne appeared with his friend Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff
Steven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
in Gerard Pires
Gérard Pirès
-Filmography:* Guo bao zong dong yuan * Les Chevaliers du ciel * Double zéro * Steal * Taxi...
' first English Language film Steal
Steal (film)
Steal is a 2002 action adventure film starring Stephen Dorff, Natasha Henstridge, Bruce Payne and Steven Berkoff. It was directed by Gérard Pirès and written by Mark Ezra and Gérard Pirès.-Plot:...
as a corrupt 'hardboiled cop', Lieutenant Macgruder, who attempts to pressurise a group of bank robbers led by Slim (played by Stephen Dorff
Stephen Dorff
Stephen Dorff is an American actor, best known for portraying Stuart Sutcliffe in Backbeat, Johnny Marco in Somewhere, and for his roles in Blade and Cecil B. DeMented.-Early life:...
) into sharing the money that they have appropriated with him, but is subsequently caught by his colleague Karen (played by Natasha Henstridge
Natasha Henstridge
Natasha T. Henstridge is a Canadian fashion model turned actress. Her most notable on-screen roles include Species, The Whole Nine Yards, It Had To Be You, Ghosts of Mars, She Spies, the TV series Eli Stone, and the Canadian TV mini-series Would Be Kings, for which she won the Gemini Award for...
). The Syracuse New Times
Syracuse New Times
Syracuse New Times is a weekly alternative newspaper published in Syracuse, New York by William Brod and distributed throughout the central New York region. It is owned by All Times Publishing LLC. The publication is released every Wednesday, printing 46,000 copies and distributed to approximately...
stated that he gave a 'snarling' performance in the film. John J Puccio, who reviewed the film for DVD Town, described Payne's character as a 'surly, slimy tough guy'. Payne also appeared with Richard Harris
Richard Harris
Richard St John Harris was an Irish actor, singer-songwriter, theatrical producer, film director and writer....
in the Christian film Apocalypse Revelation
Apocalypse Revelation
Apocalypse Revelation is a 2002 telefilm starring Richard Harris and Bruce Payne.-Plot:The film is set in 90 AD and concerns Jesus Christ's last surviving disciple, John of Patmos, and his writings and visions of the Apocalypse. Emperor Domitian has declared himself to be God and ruler over heaven...
as the Roman Emperor Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
, whom he is regarded as depicting with 'ample dementia'. The film is set in 90 AD and concerns Jesus' last surviving disciple, John of Patmos (played by Harris), and his writings and visions of the Apocalypse. The film was one of thirteen installments of bible stories which were filmed and broadcast over a ten year period. The series was the 'largest television production ever undertaken' and won eleven Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
's. Other actors who appeared in the series include Sir Ben Kingsley, Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
, Gary Oldman
Gary Oldman
Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor, voice actor, filmmaker and musician.A member of the 1980s Brit Pack, Oldman came to prominence via starring roles in British films Meantime , Sid and Nancy and Prick Up Your Ears , with his performance in the latter bringing him his first BAFTA Award...
, Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed
Oliver Reed was an English actor known for his burly screen presence. Reed exemplified his real-life macho image in "tough guy" roles...
, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
, Dame Diana Rigg and Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Hurley
Elizabeth Jane Hurley is an English model and actress who became known as a girlfriend of Hugh Grant in the 1990s. In 1994, as Grant became the focus of worldwide media attention due to the global box office success of his film Four Weddings and a Funeral, Hurley accompanied him to the film's Los...
. Payne also appeared in the final episode of second season of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
drama Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
as an assassin named Mickey Karharias (the name Karharias was chosen because it is the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word for Shark
Shark
Sharks are a type of fish with a full cartilaginous skeleton and a highly streamlined body. The earliest known sharks date from more than 420 million years ago....
) who is ostensibly hired to kill the main character Tom Quinn (played by Matthew Macfadyen
Matthew Macfadyen
David Matthew Macfadyen is an English actor, known for his role as MI5 intelligence officer Tom Quinn in the BBC television drama series Spooks and for starring as Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice.In June, 2010 Macfadyen won a British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting...
). Spooks
Spooks
Spooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
has won BAFTA Television Awards, Royal Television Society Awards and Crime Thriller Awards and has also featured guest appearances from Hugh Laurie
Hugh Laurie
James Hugh Calum Laurie, OBE , better known as Hugh Laurie , is an English actor, voice artist, comedian, writer, musician, recording artist, and director...
, Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny
Tim McInnerny is an English actor. He is known for his role as Percy in Blackadder and Blackadder II, and as Captain Darling in Blackadder Goes Forth...
, Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid
Ian McDiarmid is a Scottish theatre actor and director, who has also made sporadic appearances on film and television.McDiarmid has had a successful career in theatre; he has been cast in many plays, while occasionally directing others and although he has appeared mostly in theatrical productions,...
, Andy Serkis
Andy Serkis
Andrew Clement G. "Andy" Serkis is an English actor, director and author. He is popularly known for playing Gollum in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy, for which he earned several award nominations, including the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in The Two Towers...
, Anton Lesser
Anton Lesser
Anton Lesser is a British actor. He attended Moseley Grammar School and the University of Liverpool before going to RADA in 1977 where he was awarded the Bancroft Gold Medal as the most promising actor of his year....
, Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon
Martine McCutcheon is an English singer, television personality and Laurence Olivier Award-winning actress. McCutcheon had minor success as one third of the pop group Milan in the early 1990s; however, it was her role as Tiffany Mitchell in BBC's EastEnders that made her a household name in the UK...
and Anthony Head
Anthony Head
Anthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
. Payne also made guest appearances in the police drama Dragnet as a member of the Russian Mafia and in the second episode of Keen Eddie
Keen Eddie
Keen Eddie is an American action, comedy-drama television series that aired in 2003 on the Fox Network. The series follows a brash NYPD detective who goes to London when one of his cases goes sour and remains to work with New Scotland Yard...
(a comedy-drama directed by Simon West
Simon West
Simon West is an English-born film director. West started as a film editor with the BBC, then directed documentaries and commercials including many for Budweiser...
and starring Mark Valley
Mark Valley
Mark Thomas Valley is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Brad Chase on the TV drama Boston Legal and Christopher Chance in Fox's action/drama Human Target.-Personal life:...
and Sienna Miller
Sienna Miller
Sienna Rose Diana Miller is a British-American actress, model, and fashion designer, best known for her roles in Layer Cake, Alfie, Factory Girl, The Edge of Love and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. In 2007, the London Film Criticsnamed her British Actress of the Year for Interview...
) as an asthmatic criminal named Yellow. The latter saw him appear alongside Alexei Sayle
Alexei Sayle
Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007...
, his co-star from Solarbabies
Solarbabies
Solarbabies is a 1986 science fiction film, made by Brooksfilms and directed by Alan Johnson. It was released on DVD on March 6, 2007....
, for the second time. Payne was considered for the role of Albert Wesker
Albert Wesker
is a character in the Resident Evil franchise. Although portrayed as a supporting character in the first game, he was later established as the primary antagonist of the series; he usually manipulated story events behind-the-scenes and had a role in more games than the other main characters...
in the first Resident Evil
Resident Evil (film)
Resident Evil is a British-German 2002 horror film written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. The film stars Milla Jovovich, Michelle Rodriguez, Eric Mabius, and James Purefoy...
film. Ultimately the character did not appear in that film and was subsequently played by Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
in Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
and Shawn Roberts
Shawn Roberts
-Life and career:Roberts was born in Stratford, Ontario on April 2, 1984. He started with playing the wolf in a school play of "Little Red Riding Hood" award-winning screenwriter Robert Forsythe and his friend's father helped him get a role in Emily of New Moon...
in Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Resident Evil: Afterlife is a 2010 Canadian-German 3D science-fiction horror action film written and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It stars Milla Jovovich, Ali Larter, Kim Coates, Shawn Roberts, Spencer Locke, Boris Kodjoe, and Wentworth Miller. The film marks Anderson's second time to direct in...
.
In 2003 Payne appeared in the horror film Asylum of the Damned
Asylum of the Damned
Asylum of the Damned also known as Hellborn is a 2003 horror film written by Matt McCombs, directed by Philip J Jones and starring Matt Stasi and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
, which was directed by Philip J Jones and also starred Matt Stasi, Tracy Scoggins
Tracy Scoggins
Tracy Dawn Scoggins is an American actress known for her roles as Cat Grant in the television series Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman and Monica Colby in the 1980s prime time soap opera Dynasty, and its spin-off series The Colbys...
and Bill McKinney
Bill McKinney
Bill McKinney is an American character actor whose most famous role was the sadistic mountain man in the movie Deliverance...
. Payne played Doctor McCort, 'a doctor with a devil-may-care exterior', who specialises in treating mentally ill patients at an asylum. A new recruit at the asylum, James Bishop (played by Stasi), comes to realise that McCort is sacrificing patients to a harvester of souls and decides to intervene. Payne also appeared in Peter Antico's directorial debut, a short entitled Newton's Law, which also featured Allan Rich and María Conchita Alonso
Maria Conchita Alonso
María Conchita Alonso , better known as María Conchita, is a Venezuelan Grammy Award-nominated singer and actress.- Early life :...
. In 2004 Payne appeared as the Neighbour (who 'dabbles' in directing porn films) in the dystopian film Paranoia 1.0
Paranoia 1.0
Paranoia: 1.0 is a 2004 cyberpunk science fiction film written and directed by Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson. The film is a Kafkaesque nightmare in which a young computer programmer is an unwitting guinea pig in a corporate experiment to test a new advertising scheme...
, which also featured Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Sisto
Jeremy Merton Sisto is an American actor. Sisto has had recurring roles as Billy Chenowith on the HBO series Six Feet Under and Detective Cyrus Lupo on Law & Order on television and also starred in the films Jesus, Clueless and Thirteen.-Early life:Sisto was born in Grass Valley, California, the...
, Lance Henriksen
Lance Henriksen
Lance James Henriksen is an American actor and artist best known to film and television audiences for his roles in science fiction, action, and horror films such as the Alien film franchise, and on television shows such as Millennium....
, Deborah Kara Unger
Deborah Kara Unger
Deborah Kara Unger is a Canadian actress. She is known for her roles in the films Crash , The Game , The Hurricane , White Noise , Silent Hill and 88 Minutes...
and Udo Kier
Udo Kier
Udo Kier is a German actor, known primarily for his work in horror and exploitation movies.-Early life:...
. The film was nominated in the best film category at the Catalonian International Film Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. It 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'. Alexandra Nakelski, who reviewed the film for Fangoria
Fangoria
Fangoria is an American magazine devoted to horror and exploitation films, which has a number of associated brands:* Fangoria Comics* Fangoria Films* Fangoria RadioFangoria may also refer to:* Fangoria , a Spanish electro pop band...
, stated that 'Bruce Payne clad in S&M leather is so sexy it's no surprise all the women he comes in contact with want to be a part of his virtual reality porn game'. Scott Foundas, who reviewed the film for Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
, described Payne's performance as 'snarling'. Payne also made a guest appearance in the twelfth episode of the sixth season of The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network
The WB Television Network is a former television network in the United States that was launched on January 11, 1995 as a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Tribune Broadcasting. On January 24, 2006, CBS Corporation and Warner Bros...
supernatural drama Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
as the leader of a nefarious order which attempts to kidnap Wyatt Halliwell
Wyatt Halliwell
Wyatt Matthew Halliwell is a fictional character on the WB television series Charmed. Charmed is a series which focuses on three good witches, the prophesied "Charmed Ones", sisters who battle the forces of evil. In present day scenes, infant Wyatt is portrayed by twins Jason and Kristopher...
, the son of one of the main characters, Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell
Piper Halliwell is a fictional character from the television series Charmed. One of the featured leads, Piper is introduced in the series as a witch and, more specifically, a Charmed One one of the most powerful witches of all time. The character was portrayed by Holly Marie Combs throughout the...
(played by Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs
Holly Marie Combs is an American film and television actress and producer whose roles have included a portrayal in Charmed as Piper Halliwell and another in Picket Fences, where she received a Young Artist Award for her role, as Kimberly Brock...
).
In 2005, Payne returned to the role of Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God
Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God
Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Gerry Lively. It is a made-for-TV sequel of sorts to the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons, which in turn was based on the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . The only returning actor is Bruce Payne reprising his...
. Payne was the only member of the original cast in the sequel which was reviewed more favourably than the original. The film was directed by Gerry Lively
Gerry Lively
Gerry Lively is a cinematographer and film director, known for directing Darkness Falls , Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon God and Body Armour .-External links:...
and also starred Mark Dymond, Clemency Burton-Hill
Clemency Burton-Hill
Clemency Margaret Greatrex Burton is a British actress, novelist, journalist and violinist.-Private life:The daughter of the TV presenter and writer Humphrey Burton and Gillian Hawser, an agent , she attended St Paul's Girls' School and Westminster School and went on to read English at Magdalene...
and Roy Marsden
Roy Marsden
Roy Marsden is an English actor, who is probably best known for his portrayal of Adam Dalgliesh in the Anglia Television dramatisations of P. D. James's detective novels.- Education :...
. The events of the film take place approximately 100 years after the first film. Damodar intends to take revenge against the inhabitants of Ismir by waking a Black Dragon. However a group of heroes led by Berek (Dymond) and including Dorian (played by Steven Elder
Steven Elder
Steven Elder is an English actor working in film, television and theatre.-Biography:Steven Elder's birth name is Steven William Thomas Lawrence. He was born in the front room of 63 Elder Drive in the coal-mining community of Sunnyside, Rotherham, England. His grandfather, father and five uncles...
), Lux (played by Ellie Chidzey
Ellie Chidzey
Ellie Chidzey is an English film and musical actress.Ellie was born on February 4, 1982 in Guildford, Surrey, England. She received her theatrical training in Mountview Theatre School of London during 3 years, after that she played in several plays and musicals like the Rocky Horror Picture Show,...
) and Ormaline (played by Lucy Gaskell
Lucy Gaskell
Lucy Gaskell is an English actress. She studied at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1998.Gaskell is known for the roles of Ruby Ferris in the BBC1 drama series Cutting It and Kirsty Clements in Casualty...
) endeavour to stop him. One reviewer stated that Payne's 'performance is still the highlight of this one'. Another reviewer stated that Bruce Payne 'steals the show.' In 2006 Payne helped to launch the National Youth Theatre
National Youth Theatre
The National Youth Theatre is a registered charity in London, Great Britain, committed to creative, personal and social development of young people through the medium of creative arts....
's 50th anniversary programme along with Sir Ian McKellen
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen, CH, CBE is an English actor. He has received a Tony Award, two Academy Award nominations, and five Emmy Award nominations. His work has spanned genres from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction...
, Timothy Spall
Timothy Spall
Timothy Leonard Spall, OBE is an English character actor and occasional presenter.-Early life:Spall, the third of four sons, was born in Battersea, London. His mother, Sylvia R. , was a hairdresser, and his father, Joseph L. Spall, was a postal worker...
, Diana Quick
Diana Quick
-Life:Quick was born in London, England. She grew up in Dartford, Kent, the third of a dentist's four children. She was educated at Dartford Grammar School for Girls, Kent. She was greatly aided by her English teacher, Miss Davis, who encouraged her to pursue acting...
, Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox
Paula Wilcox is an English actress. She is best known for her role as Chrissy in the British comedy Man About the House .-Early sitcom fame:...
, Jonathan Wrather, newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Krishnan Guru-Murthy
Krishnan Guru-Murthy , is a British television presenter and journalist employed by Channel 4. He presents the Channel 4 Evening News and the foreign affairs programme Unreported World.-Education:...
and Little Britain
Little Britain
Little Britain is a British character-based comedy sketch show which was first broadcast on BBC radio and then turned into a television show. It was written by comic duo David Walliams and Matt Lucas...
’s Matt Lucas
Matt Lucas
Matthew Richard "Matt" Lucas is an English comedian, screenwriter and actor best known for his acclaimed work with David Walliams in the television show Little Britain; as well as for his portrayals of the scorekeeping baby George Dawes in the comedy panel game Shooting Stars, Tweedledee and...
and David Walliams
David Walliams
David Edward Walliams is an English comedian, writer and actor, known for his partnership with Matt Lucas on the TV sketch show Little Britain and its predecessor Rock Profile...
.
In 2007, Payne played a forensic pathologist named Doctor Robert Goldring in the psychological thriller Messages
Messages (film)
Messages is a 2007 British Film written by Wayne Kinsey and Ivan Levine, directed by David Fairman and starring Jeff Fahey and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
. The film was written by Ivan Levine and a consultant pathologist named Wayne Kinsey and also starred Jeff Fahey
Jeff Fahey
Jeffrey David "Jeff" Fahey is an American film and television actor. He has portrayed Captain Frank Lapidus on the ABC series Lost and the title role of Deputy Marshal Winston MacBride on The Marshal.-Early life:...
, Martin Kove
Martin Kove
Martin Kove is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series.-Film appearances:His best-known roles may have been on the 1980s hit CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki and in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese...
, Kim Thomson
Kim Thomson
Kim Thomson is an English actress who has appeared on stage, television and film since the early 1980s in both the United Kingdom and the United States.-Early life:...
and Jon-Paul Gates
Jon-Paul Gates
Jon-Paul Gates is an actor who has starred in 26 feature films, predominantly playing the anatagonist. Was born in Greenford, Middlesex under the name of Jon Morrey...
and was directed by David Fairman. In the film Goldring assists another pathologist, Doctor Richard Murray (played by Fahey), and a detective, DCI Collins (played by Kove), in tracking down a serial killer who has been targeting women. The British Film Magazine
British Film (magazine)
British Film is an online publication covering British film industry which is read by hundreds of people weekly. The magazine began as a print publication in 2005 before the launch of the online version in 2007.-History:...
described the film as 'exuberantly acted' while Cinemas Online stated that it contained 'some mesmerizing performances'. Payne worked with Fairman, Kove and Gates again on Carmen's Kiss. Payne and Gates have also appeared together in the musical Dance Star
Dance star
Dance Star is a 2010 British film. It was written and directed by Steven M. Smith. The cast includes Bruce Payne and Vivien Creegor.-Plot:A teenager named Josie has never performed or auditioned for anybody at a professional level...
and the horror film Disturbance
Disturbance (film)
Disturbance is an upcoming British horror film. It was written by and directed by Steven M Smith. The cast includes Bruce Payne and Jon-Paul Gates.-Plot:...
which were both produced by Greenway Entertainment and written and directed by Steven M Smith. Payne is set to work with Steven M Smith again on the film Infamous which is currently in development.
In 2008, Payne appeared alongside Serena Scott Thomas
Serena Scott Thomas
Serena Harriet Scott Thomas is an English actress.-Family and personal:Scott Thomas was born in Nether Compton, Dorset. Her mother, Deborah , was brought up in Hong Kong and Africa, and studied drama before marrying Scott Thomas' father...
, Grace Zabriskie
Grace Zabriskie
Grace Zabriskie is an American actress. She has appeared in many popular American films but, she is best known for her work in television. She is perhaps best known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks, Seinfeld, and Big Love.-Early life:Zabriskie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana...
and Brett Cullen
Brett Cullen
Peter Brett Cullen is an American actor who has appeared in numerous motion pictures and television programs. Early in 2007, he was cast as the role of an estranged father to one of the American football players, Tim Riggins , in the NBC drama series Friday Night Lights.Cullen was born in Houston,...
in the psychological drama Brothel
Brothel (film)
Brothel is a 2008 film written and directed by Amy Waddell. The film stars Serena Scott Thomas, Brett Cullen, Timothy V. Murphy, and Bruce Payne. The movie was filmed in Jerome and Clarkdale, Arizona.-Plot:...
, which was directed by Amy Waddell. In the film, a young couple buy and old house in Jerome which used to be a brothel. The husband commits suicide and the wife, Julianne (played by Thomas), attempts to come to terms with her loss and modernise the house. In doing so, she finds an old photograph of the brothel's inhabitants, and is then visited by apparitions including the madam, Sadie (played by Zabriskie) and a thief (played by Payne) and fantasy and reality become blurred. The film was shown at the fourteenth Sedona Film Festival
Sedona Film Festival
The Sedona International Film Festival founded in 1994 is held in Sedona, Arizona, USA each year. A workshop also accompanies the event.The Sedona Film Festival is a five-day festival that features more than 125 films, including features, documentaries, foreign films, shorts, animation and student...
. John Reid, who reviewed the film for the Sedona Red Rock News
Sedona Red Rock News
The Sedona Red Rock News is a newspaper published in Sedona, Arizona. It is Sedona's only general interest print newspaper. The Sedona Red Rock News is the flagship newspaper of the family-owned Larson Newspapers, which also owns The Camp Verde Journal and the Cottonwood Journal Extra.The paper is...
, noted 'the density of atmosphere and the intensity of the actors and crew palpable on the set'. David Kanowsky, who reviewed the film for Kudos, stated that it was 'a very fine ghost story without horror'. A contributor to the Independent Film Quarterly described the film as 'an erotic indie version of Inception
Inception
Inception: The Subconscious Jams 1994-1995 is a compilation of unreleased tracks by the band Download.-Track listing:# "Primitive Tekno Jam" – 3:23# "Bee Sting Sickness" – 8:04# "Weed Acid Techno" – 8:19...
.
2010s
In 2011, Payne appeared in the horror film ProwlProwl (2010 film)
Prowl is a 2010 American horror film directed by Patrik Syversen and written by Tim Tori and starring Courtney Hope, Ruta Gedmintas and Bruce Payne.-Cast:* Courtney Hope as Amber* Ruta Gedmintas as Suzy* Joshua Bowman as Peter* Bruce Payne as Bernard...
, which also stars Courtney Hope, Ruta Gedmintas
Ruta Gedmintas
Ruta Gedmintas is an English actress known for her work on British television, primarily in Spooks: Code 9, The Tudors and Lip Service.-Biography:...
and Saxon Trainor
Saxon Trainor
Eileen Cecile "Saxon" Trainor is an American actress and Acting coach.-Biography:She studied with Stella Adler at the Stella Adler Conservatory and with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York...
. The film is about a young woman named Amber (played by Courtney Hope) who in an attempt to escape her problems unwittingly becomes the prey of vampires. It was directed by Patrik Syversen and shown out of competition at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
. Payne played a 'blatantly untrustworthy' 'hillbilly truck driver' named Bernard in the film, who promises to give Amber and her friends a lift to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
when their vehicle breaks down but who actually 'ends up taking them into an abandoned meat-packing plant that is now a training ground for a group of bloodthirsty vampires'. Matt Withers, who reviewed the film for JoBlo.com
JoBlo.com
JoBlo.com is a website primarily focused on the film industry.JoBlo.com was started in 1998 by Berge Garabedian , a movie reviewer who is known for critiquing movies from the perspective of an average movie-goer. The website's name is, in fact, a play on the term Joe Shmoe, and registered users of...
stated that 'Bruce Payne shows up as a trucker in a throwaway role that he makes anything but'. Another reviewer stated that Payne played the truck driver 'superbly'. Payne also appeared in Carmen's Kiss (an adaptation of the Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
opera Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
) which also stars Vivienne Harvey and Hugo Speer
Hugo Speer
Hugo Speer is an English actor.He was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire, and educated at Harrogate Grammar School. He studied acting at The Arts Educational School....
and was released in July 2011. Payne's character, Michael, was a fixer for a London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
based criminal gang who attempts to stop a plan, to blackmail a United States Military attaché
Military attaché
A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission . This post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer who retains the commission while serving in an embassy...
named Drayton (played by Martin Kove
Martin Kove
Martin Kove is an American actor who has appeared in feature films and television series.-Film appearances:His best-known roles may have been on the 1980s hit CBS television series Cagney & Lacey as Detective Victor Isbecki and in the 1984 hit film The Karate Kid as Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese...
), devised by Carmen (played by Harvey) and sanctioned by the gang leader. Payne has also appeared in Re-Kill
Re-Kill
Re-Kill is an upcoming American horror film starring Scott Adkins, Bruce Payne and Daniella Alonso, it was directed by Valeri Milev and written by Michael Hurst.-Cast:* Scott Adkins as Parker* Daniella Alonso as Matthews* Raicho Vasilev as Elvis...
(which also stars Roger Cross
Roger Cross
Roger Cross is a Canadian contemporary actor who has made numerous appearances in several movies and TV series, mostly on productions shot in Canada...
, Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins is an English actor and martial artist who is perhaps best known for playing Yuri Boyka in Undisputed II: Last Man Standing and Undisputed III: Redemption and Bradley Hume in Holby City and Ed Russell in Mile High...
and Daniella Alonso, and is about a military unit, known as R-Division, whose task is to dispose of zombies) and Graystone
Graystone (film)
Graystone is an upcoming horror film written by Sean Stone and Alexander Wraith, directed by Sean Stone and starring Sean Stone, Alexander Wraith, Antonella Lentini, Oliver Stone and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
, the directorial debut of Sean Stone (son of Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
), which are both set to be released in 2012. Payne was one of the attendants at the private screening of Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
's South of the Border in Los Angeles in June 2010 along with Benicio del Toro
Benicio del Toro
Benicio Monserrate Rafael del Toro Sánchez is a Puerto Rican and Spanish actor and film producer. He won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Javier Rodríguez in Traffic . He is also known for his roles as Fred Fenster in The Usual...
and James Brolin
James Brolin
James Brolin is an American actor, producer and director, best known for his roles in soap operas, movies, sitcoms, and television. He is the father of actor Josh Brolin and husband of singer/actress Barbra Streisand.-Early life:...
.
Payne notes of his acting approach, "[i]f I'm allowed to in terms of time, I really like to get into the character.". Payne's commitment to his profession has led him to alter his physical appearance in order to augment his performances. For example, he shaved his head for his role in the Dungeons and Dragons films. The director of Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame
Highlander: Endgame is a 2000 fantasy film originally released on September 1, 2000. It is the fourth theatrical release in the Highlander film series, and it serves as both a continuation of the Highlander films and the Highlander television series...
, Douglas Aarniokoski, has stated that 'Bruce Payne is the consummate professional. Bruce was just a great guy and a truly hard worker'. His co-star in the same film, Ian Paul Cassidy
Ian Paul Cassidy
Ian Paul Cassidy is an English actor, who has appeared mainly in American and Australian productions. In 2000 he played Cracker Bob in Highlander: Endgame and in 2001 he had a starring role in the drama series The Beast, which was cancelled after five episodes...
, said that 'working with Bruce Payne was the ultimate pleasure for an actor. He is wonderfully talented and the consummate professional'.
Personal life
In November 2005, Payne was arrested at Heathrow Airport after disembarking a flight from Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
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. Payne has had relationships with Petra Verkaik, Nina Kraft, and Marie Helvin
Marie Helvin
Marie Helvin is a fashion model, who worked extensively with David Bailey—to whom she was married between 1975-85—in the 1970s and 1980s she appeared in many fashion stories for British Vogue and posed for a series of nude photographs made by David Bailey, which were published in his 1980 book...
.
Filmography
Actor- Infamous (2013)
- DisturbanceDisturbance (film)Disturbance is an upcoming British horror film. It was written by and directed by Steven M Smith. The cast includes Bruce Payne and Jon-Paul Gates.-Plot:...
(2012) as Priest - Re-KillRe-KillRe-Kill is an upcoming American horror film starring Scott Adkins, Bruce Payne and Daniella Alonso, it was directed by Valeri Milev and written by Michael Hurst.-Cast:* Scott Adkins as Parker* Daniella Alonso as Matthews* Raicho Vasilev as Elvis...
(2012) as Winston - GraystoneGraystone (film)Graystone is an upcoming horror film written by Sean Stone and Alexander Wraith, directed by Sean Stone and starring Sean Stone, Alexander Wraith, Antonella Lentini, Oliver Stone and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
(2012) as Aristoi Charon - Carmen's Kiss (2011) as Michael
- ProwlProwl (2010 film)Prowl is a 2010 American horror film directed by Patrik Syversen and written by Tim Tori and starring Courtney Hope, Ruta Gedmintas and Bruce Payne.-Cast:* Courtney Hope as Amber* Ruta Gedmintas as Suzy* Joshua Bowman as Peter* Bruce Payne as Bernard...
(2011) as Bernard - Dance StarDance starDance Star is a 2010 British film. It was written and directed by Steven M. Smith. The cast includes Bruce Payne and Vivien Creegor.-Plot:A teenager named Josie has never performed or auditioned for anybody at a professional level...
(2010) as Harry - BrothelBrothel (film)Brothel is a 2008 film written and directed by Amy Waddell. The film stars Serena Scott Thomas, Brett Cullen, Timothy V. Murphy, and Bruce Payne. The movie was filmed in Jerome and Clarkdale, Arizona.-Plot:...
(2008) as Thief - MessagesMessages (film)Messages is a 2007 British Film written by Wayne Kinsey and Ivan Levine, directed by David Fairman and starring Jeff Fahey and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
(2007) as Dr. Robert Golding - Dungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon GodDungeons & Dragons 2: Wrath of the Dragon GodDungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God is a 2005 fantasy film directed by Gerry Lively. It is a made-for-TV sequel of sorts to the 2000 film Dungeons & Dragons, which in turn was based on the popular role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons . The only returning actor is Bruce Payne reprising his...
(2005) as Damodar - Paranoia 1.0Paranoia 1.0Paranoia: 1.0 is a 2004 cyberpunk science fiction film written and directed by Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson. The film is a Kafkaesque nightmare in which a young computer programmer is an unwitting guinea pig in a corporate experiment to test a new advertising scheme...
(a.k.a. One Point O) (2004) as The Neighbour - Hellborn (a.k.a. Asylum of the DamnedAsylum of the DamnedAsylum of the Damned also known as Hellborn is a 2003 horror film written by Matt McCombs, directed by Philip J Jones and starring Matt Stasi and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
) (2003) as Dr. McCort - Newton's Law (2003)
- Apocalypse RevelationApocalypse RevelationApocalypse Revelation is a 2002 telefilm starring Richard Harris and Bruce Payne.-Plot:The film is set in 90 AD and concerns Jesus Christ's last surviving disciple, John of Patmos, and his writings and visions of the Apocalypse. Emperor Domitian has declared himself to be God and ruler over heaven...
(aka San Giovanni – L'apocalisse) (2002) as DomitianDomitianDomitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War... - StealSteal (film)Steal is a 2002 action adventure film starring Stephen Dorff, Natasha Henstridge, Bruce Payne and Steven Berkoff. It was directed by Gérard Pirès and written by Mark Ezra and Gérard Pirès.-Plot:...
(aka Riders) (2002) as Lt. Macgruder - RipperRipper (film)Ripper is a 2001 Canadian-British horror film, directed by John Eyres. The film stars A. J. Cook and Bruce Payne. It was written and produced by John A. Curtis and Evan Tylor and by production companies Prophecy Entertainment and Studio Eight Productions.- Plot :Molly Keller Ripper (also known as...
(2001) as Marshall Kane - Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini TeamNever Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini TeamNever Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team is a 2001 British film spoof starring Bruce Payne, John Rhys-Davies and Cecilie Bull. It was directed by Buzz Feitshans IV.-Plot:...
(2001) as Mr. Blue - Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons (film)Dungeons & Dragons is a 2000 American fantasy film directed by Courtney Solomon and ostensibly based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
(2000) as Damodar - Highlander: EndgameHighlander: EndgameHighlander: Endgame is a 2000 fantasy film originally released on September 1, 2000. It is the fourth theatrical release in the Highlander film series, and it serves as both a continuation of the Highlander films and the Highlander television series...
(2000) as Jacob Kell - BritannicBritannic (film)Britannic is a romantic drama film directed by Brian Trenchard-Smith. It stars Edward Atterton and Amanda Ryan as star-crossed lovers on the forgotten sister ship of the , the HMHS Britannic...
(2000) (TV) as Maj. Baker, MD - Warlock III: The End of InnocenceWarlock IIIWarlock III: The End of Innocence is a 1999 direct-to-video horror film written by Bruce David Eisen and Eric Freiser and also directed by the latter. It is the third film in a series that started with the 1989 Warlock. The first two films starred Julian Sands as the Warlock but this one stars...
(1999) (V) as The Warlock / Phillip Covington - CleopatraCleopatra (1999 film)Cleopatra is a 1999 fictional film portrayal of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, produced by Hallmark Entertainment, starring Leonor Varela as the title character, Timothy Dalton as Julius Caesar, Billy Zane as Mark Antony, Rupert Graves as Octavius, Sean Pertwee as Brutus and Bruce Payne as Cassius....
(1999) (TV) as CassiusGaius Cassius LonginusGaius Cassius Longinus was a Roman senator, a leading instigator of the plot to kill Julius Caesar, and the brother in-law of Marcus Junius Brutus.-Early life:... - SweepersSweepers (film)Sweepers is a 1998 American and South African action film directed by Keoni Waxman. It stars Dolph Lundgren as Christian Erickson, a leading demolition expert trained to disarm mine fields in a humanitarian minesweeping operation in Angola...
(1999) as Dr. Cecil Hopper - RavagerRavager (film)Ravager is a 1997 Horror/Science Fiction film written and directed by James D Deck and starring Bruce Payne.-Plot:A passenger spaceship is forced to land in a desolate territory on Earth. The crew of the spaceship discover military bio-weapons after searching for minerals within the territory...
(1997) as Cooper Wayne - No Contest IINo Contest IINo Contest II was a 1997 action Film starring Shannon Tweed, Bruce Payne and Lance Henriksen.-Plot:Erich Dengler, the son of Manferd Dengler , poses as an Art Collector, Eric Dane, in order to take over the Holman Museum where he holds the occupants including Sharon Bell and Jack Terry who are...
aka Face the Evil II (1997) as Jack Terry - KounterfeitKounterfeitKounterfeit is a 1996 American crime/thriller film starring Bruce Payne and Hilary Swank. Kounterfeit was directed by John Mallory Asher and written by David Chase, Katherine Fugate and Jay Irwin.-Plot summary:...
(1996) as Frankie - Aurora: Operation InterceptAurora: Operation InterceptAurora: Operation Intercept is a 1995 film directed by Paul Levine and starring Bruce Payne, Lance Henriksen and John Stockwell.The "Aurora" is a secret hypersonic military aircraft based at Groom Lake. It is very similar to what aviation experts assume to be the Aurora aircraft. In the film, it is...
(1995) as Gordon Pruett - One Tough BastardOne Tough BastardOne Tough Bastard also known as One Man's Justice, was a 1996 Film, written by Steven Selling, directed by Kurt Wimmer and starring Brian Bosworth and Bruce Payne.-Plot:...
aka One Man's Justice (1995) as Karl Savak - NecronomiconNecronomicon (film)H.P. Lovecraft's: Necronomicon, original title Necronomicon, also called Necronomicon: Book of the Dead or Necronomicon: To Hell and Back is an American anthology horror film released in 1993. It was directed by Brian Yuzna, Christophe Gans and Shusuke Kaneko and was written by Brent V...
(1994) as Edward De Lapoer (part 1) - The Cisco KidThe Cisco Kid (1994 film)The Cisco Kid was a 1994 Television Movie which updated the successful 1950s Comedy Western Television series. The film was written by Michael Kane and directed by Luis Valdez. Jimmy Smits played the Cisco Kid, the role previously played by Duncan Renaldo, while Cheech Marin played his English...
(1994) as General Martin Dupre - Full EclipseFull EclipseFull Eclipse is a 1993 science fiction crime film directed by Anthony Hickox. Starring Mario Van Peebles and Bruce Payne, the story is set in Los Angeles where the police department has assembled a unique squad of officers who possess the ability to turn into werewolves. The tagline of the film...
(1993) as Adam Garou - Passenger 57Passenger 57Passenger 57 is a 1992 American action film starring Wesley Snipes and Bruce Payne. The film's success made Snipes a popular action hero icon.-Plot:...
(1992) as Charles Rane - SwitchSwitch (film)Switch is a 1991 comedy film written and directed by Blake Edwards. A promiscuous man is murdered by his lovers and reincarnated as a beautiful woman .-Legacy:...
(1991) as The Devil - Howling VI: The FreaksHowling VI: The FreaksHowling VI: The Freaks is a 1991 direct-to-video horror sequel to The Howling. It was directed by Hope Perello, from the screenplay by Kevin Rock....
(1991) as R.B Harker - PyratesPyratesPyrates is an 1991 comedy film, starring Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick about a couple who experience pyrokinesis after having sex. Directed and written by Noah Stern, the film was released on VHS on December 18, 1991.-Cast:*Kevin Bacon as Ari...
(1991) (as Bruce Martyn Payne) as Liam - Zwei FrauenZwei FrauenZwei Frauen is a 1989 German dramatic film. The film stars Jami Gertz, George Peppard, Bruce Payne and Rip Torn....
aka Silence Like Glass (1989) as Dr. Burton - For Queen and CountryFor Queen and CountryFor Queen and Country is a 1989 crime drama film produced by Working Title Films and Zenith, starring Denzel Washington. Washington stars as Reuben James, a Black British former paratrooper, who joined the British Army to escape the poverty of inner city London.-Plot synopsis:Reuben , although...
(1989) as Colin - The Fruit MachineThe Fruit Machine (film)The Fruit Machine was known as Wonderland in the United States.The Fruit Machine is a British Film thriller directed by BAFTA-winner Philip Saville about two bud gay teens running from an underworld assassin and the police...
aka Wonderland (1988) as Echo - SolarbabiesSolarbabiesSolarbabies is a 1986 science fiction film, made by Brooksfilms and directed by Alan Johnson. It was released on DVD on March 6, 2007....
(1986) as Dogger - Smart MoneySmart Money (1986 film)Smart Money was a BBC film made in 1986 which was written by Matthew Jacobs and directed by Bernard Rose. It starred Spencer Leigh, Bruce Payne and Richard Borthwick.-Plot:The film is a comedy thriller about computer fraud...
(1986) as Lawrance MacNiece - Absolute BeginnersAbsolute Beginners (film)Absolute Beginners is a 1986 British rock musical film adapted from the Colin MacInnes book of the same name about life in late 1950s London. The film was directed by Julien Temple, featured David Bowie and Sade, and a breakout role by Patsy Kensit...
(1986) as Flikker - Operation Julie (1985) (TV) as DC Malcolm Pollard
- Billy the Kid and the Green Baize VampireBilly the Kid and the Green Baize VampireBilly the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire is a 1985 British musical film starring Phil Daniels and Alun Armstrong. The film was directed by Alan Clarke and written by Trevor Preston.-Plot:...
(1985) as T.O. (The One) - Oxford BluesOxford BluesOxford Blues is a 1984 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starred Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy and Amanda Pays. It is a remake of the 1938 MGM film A Yank at Oxford.-Plot:...
(1984) as Peter Howles - The KeepThe Keep (film)The Keep is a 1983 horror film directed by Michael Mann and starring Scott Glenn, Gabriel Byrne, Jürgen Prochnow, Alberta Watson and Ian McKellen. It was released by Paramount Pictures. The story is based on the F...
(1983) as Border Guard #2 - Privates on ParadePrivates on Parade (film)Privates on Parade is a 1982 film adaptation of the Peter Nichols play of the same title about a fictional - and mostly gay - military entertainment group, the "Song and Dance Unit, Southeast Asia" assembled to entertain the troops in the Malayan jungle in the years after World War II.-Cast and...
(1982) as Flight Sgt. Kevin Cartwright
Producer
- Lowball (1997) (executive producer)
TV appearances
- Charmed: "Prince Charmed" as Leader of the Order (2004)
- SpooksSpooksSpooks is a British television drama series that originally aired on BBC One from 13 May 2002 – 23 October 2011, consisting of 10 series. The title is a popular colloquialism for spies, as the series follows the work of a group of MI5 officers based at the service's Thames House headquarters, in a...
aka MI-5: "Smoke and Mirrors" as Mickey Kaharias (2003) - Keen EddieKeen EddieKeen Eddie is an American action, comedy-drama television series that aired in 2003 on the Fox Network. The series follows a brash NYPD detective who goes to London when one of his cases goes sour and remains to work with New Scotland Yard...
: "Horse Heir" as Yellow (2003) - DragnetDragnet (series)Dragnet is a radio and television crime drama about the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his partners...
: "All That Glitters" as Alex Karp (2003) - La Femme Nikita: three episodes as Jurgen (1998)
- Tales from the CryptTales from the Crypt (TV series)Tales from the Crypt, sometimes titled HBO's Tales from the Crypt, is an American horror anthology television series that ran from 1989 to 1996 on the premium cable channel HBO...
: "Comes the Dawn" as Sergeant (1995) - BergeracBergerac (TV series)Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
: "The Messenger Boy" as Jake (1990) - Yellowthread StreetYellowthread StreetYellowthread Street was a 1990 ITV police drama about detectives of the Royal Hong Kong Police based on the novels by William Leonard Marshall....
: The Series as Nick Eden (1990) - Storyboard: Snakes and Ladders as Gerald (1989)
- Caprice (1988)
- Miss Marple: NemesisMiss Marple (TV series)Miss Marple is a British television series based on the Miss Marple murder mystery novels by Agatha Christie. It starred Joan Hickson in the title role, and aired from 1984 to 1992. All twelve original Miss Marple Christie novels have been dramatised. The screenplays were written by T. R...
(1987) as Michael Rafiel - The Bell-Run (1987) as Pace
- Lost Belongings (1987) as Simon Hunt
- The EqualizerThe EqualizerThe Equalizer is an American television series that ran for four seasons, initially on CBS, between 1985 and 1989. It starred Edward Woodward as an aging New York vigilante with a mysterious past...
: "Eighteen with a Bullet" as Greg Rivers (1985) - OscarOscar (TV serial)Oscar is a British TV serial that aired in on the BBC in March of 1985. Michael Gambon portrayed Oscar Wilde in his later years, while Bruce Payne portrayed him in his youth. Other actors include Robin Lermitte as Lord Alfred Douglas Tim Hardy as Alfred Taylor, Emily Richard as Constance Wilde and...
(1985) - The BillThe BillThe Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
: Clutching at Straws (1984) as Adam March - West (1984) as Les
- Keep it in the FamilyKeep it in the Family (TV series)Keep It in the Family is a British comedy television series that aired for five seasons between 1980 and 1983. It was about a likable and mischievous British cartoonist, Dudley Rush. Also featured were Dudley's wife, Muriel and their two daughters, Jacqui and Susan...
: A Moving Affair (1983) as Policeman - Tales Out of School (1982)
Stage
Actor- Greek (1988) – Role: Eddy, Directed by Steven BerkoffSteven BerkoffSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
– Wyndhams Theatre - Alice (1984) – Role: The Inventor, Directed by Nicholas HytnerNicholas HytnerSir Nicholas Robert Hytner is an English film and theatre producer and director. He has been the artistic director of London's National Theatre since 2003.-Biography:...
-Playhouse TheatrePlayhouse TheatreThe Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt in 1907 and still retains its original substage machinery... - West (1983) – Role: Les, Directed by Steven BerkoffSteven BerkoffSteven Berkoff is an English actor, writer and director. Best known for his performance as General Orlov in the James Bond film Octopussy, he is typically cast in villanous roles, such as Lt...
– Donmar - Rocky Horror Picture Show – Role: Frank-N-Furter
- PIAF – Role: Yves MontandYves Montand-Early life:Montand was born Ivo Livi in Monsummano Terme, Italy, the son of poor peasants Giuseppina and Giovanni Livi, a broommaker. Montand's mother was a devout Catholic, while his father held strong Communist beliefs. Because of the Fascist regime in Italy, Montand's family left for France in...
– York Theatre RoyalYork Theatre RoyalThe York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard's Place, York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 847 people. This reduced capacity takes into account removal of the mixing position seats and the stage side boxes which are normally not sold... - No Names- No Medals
- A Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's DreamA Midsummer Night's Dream is a play that was written by William Shakespeare. It is believed to have been written between 1590 and 1596. It portrays the events surrounding the marriage of the Duke of Athens, Theseus, and the Queen of the Amazons, Hippolyta...
- Role: Cobweb – Nottingham Play House - Julius CaesarJulius Caesar (play)The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, also known simply as Julius Caesar, is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in 1599. It portrays the 44 BC conspiracy against...
- Role: Julius CaesarJulius CaesarGaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
– Shaw TheatreShaw TheatreThe Shaw Theatre is a theatre in Somers Town, in the London Borough of Camden. It is located near the Euston Road, beside the British Library and St Pancras Chambers , equidistant from King's Cross station and Euston station.... - MacbethMacbethThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a play by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath. It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written sometime between 1603 and 1607...
(1982) – Role: Macbeth, Directed by Bruce Payne – Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - The Pillars of SocietyThe Pillars of SocietyThe Pillars of Society is an 1877 play written by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen....
- Role: Karsten Bernick, Directed by Glyn Idris Jones - Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - CabaretCabaret (musical)Cabaret is a musical based on a book written by Christopher Isherwood, music by John Kander and lyrics by Fred Ebb. The 1966 Broadway production became a hit and spawned a 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
- Royal Academy of Dramatic Art - Tis Pity She's a Whore - Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
- The Cherry OrchardThe Cherry OrchardThe Cherry Orchard is Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's last play. It premiered at the Moscow Art Theatre 17 January 1904 in a production directed by Constantin Stanislavski. Chekhov intended this play as a comedy and it does contain some elements of farce; however, Stanislavski insisted on...
– Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
Director
- Greek (1993)
- Macbeth (1982)