Bruce Payne Biography

Bruce Martyn Payne (born 22 November 1958) is an award-winning English character actor and producer and was a member of the 1980s Brit Pack. Although he is best known for his villainous 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. Adele Cherreson in Cosmopolitan said, "saying that Payne is a good actor is like saying Fred Astaire is a good dancer." 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, like so many other actors in the professional world, in order to augment his performances. For example, he shaved his head for his role in the Dungeons and Dragons films.

Early life

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

Payne continued school studies, despite a contact with a talent scout during that time. After his graduation, he enrolled in the National Youth Theatre for two seasons. Payne has described this experience as "Four hundred kids thrown together to work on 7 plays." In addition, Payne was occupied with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for one season. He then auditioned for several fringe acting companies but was told he was too young and lacked experience. However, in 1979 he was admitted to the "prestigious" Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) acting program. Before being accepted at RADA, Payne worked as a joiner, a salesman and a landscape gardener. Payne graduated from RADA in 1981 with seven major prizes for acting, comedy (Payne won the Fabia Drake Prize for Comedy 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 Queen Elizabeth II, in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne would later appear on stage in both Julius Caesar and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Payne also played Karsten Bernick in the Henrik Ibsen play The Pillars of Society while at RADA, a production in which Paul McGann also appeared.

Acting career

1980s

Payne's first television role was in the Tales Out of School series which also featured Tim Roth and Jim Broadbent. Payne played a PE teacher who 'comes across as more head bully than responsible adult during his classes'. Payne's first major film role came with Michael Blakemore's Privates on Parade (1982) in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright (the role which Ben Cross had played in the stage version), 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 comedy film Oxford Blues (1984) 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 ever episode of ITV's long running police drama The Bill as Paul March. Sean Bean also appeared in the first series of the drama, while Robert Carlyle, Keira Knightley, Hugh Laurie, Tom Hollander and David Tennant also made guest appearances in the show.

In 1985 Payne was cast as a "committed", "butch snooker manager" known as 'The One' (also known as T.O.) in director Alan Clarke's snooker musical Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire. 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. Critic Michael Brooke has 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'. Another reviewer stated that Payne effectively portrayed The One. Film critic, Geoff Andrew, has stated that the film is arguably Alan Clarke's "best". 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 in an episode of the American action Drama The Equalizer (alongside fellow British actor Edward Woodward) as a "sleazy" 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 psychotic "pompous and pathetic racist" named Flikker who participates in the 1958 Notting Hill race riots. One reviewer argued that Payne was "the only actor to walk off Absolute Beginners with his reputation not only intact but enhanced" and that his portrayal of Flikker "was a headbutt of reality in a fantasmagoria of overkill." One critic stated that Payne gave a "meaty, saving-grace performance" in the film. The film journalist and editor, Ann Lloyd, selected Payne as the most promising newcomer of 1987 for his role in the film. 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 British performer Alexei Sayle, as filthy bounty hunters named Dogger and Malice with their own saying, "I stink therefore I am" (a humorous corruption of the René Descartes aphorism). 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" several 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" "machete wielding-murderer Echo, a steely, mute blonde menace- the incarnation of evil" 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. Eddie is ultimately fatally wounded by Echo. The film's screenwriter, Frank Clarke, has stated that "Echo the murderer signifies HIV/AIDS, and the dolphinarium is the sanctuary from it'. London's Time Out 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 Wyndham's 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 Alice, written by Richard Scott and Anthony Phillips, in a production directed by Nicholas Hytner. 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] 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 'as a right-hand man, an intimidator and enforcer' after he leaves the army. Leonard Maltin described the film as a "striking, laced- in-acid contemporary thriller of life in Thatcherite Britain". 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, playing opposite Jack Nicholson's Joker. 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. The film was nominated for Outstanding Feature Film at the German Film Awards.

1990s

In 1990 Payne appeared in the ITV 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 heartthrob 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 was interviewed by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan on This Morning to promote the show. 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 Kami"?ski 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 best known role, opposite Wesley Snipes, as a "real dyed in the wool villain", a "notorious terrorist and hijacker", with a steely, demonic nerve, named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57. 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 Anthony Hopkins' serial killer, part of the man's menace is in the apparent contradiction between his articulate, well-spoken English and his off-hand brutality." The Radio Times stated that Payne and Snipes both gave "charismatic turns" in the film. The New York Times stated that Payne brought a 'tongue-in-cheek humour to the psychopathic fiend'. A reviewer for People magazine stated that "Bruce Payne steals the plane"?and the movie". In an article for the Waterloo Region Record, Jamie Portman described Payne as a "suave and cultivated English actor" playing "a suave and cultivated killer named Charles Rane" and suggested that a "key reason director Kevin Hooks chose him for the role was that he wanted a villain with as much magnetism as the hero". Payne was described as "icily perfect as the villainous Rane" in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Julius Marshall stated that Payne was "ideal for his role: charming, dangerous " the kind of evil genius you love to hate". The Star Tribune stated that 'Bruce Payne makes a splendid psychopath, consistently stealing scenes from the likes of Wesley Snipes and Elizabeth Hurley throughout Passenger 57'. Eight of sixteen Hollywood films about terrorism in the 1980s and 1990s 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 "Payne is masterful as Detective Garou, a seductive and evil villain with arrogance and confidence to spare. When he's on-screen, Payne demands the attention of the audience, and you're hard pressed to resist his performance. Payne is also the perfect adversary, the kind you're supposed to hate, but who has the charisma to draw you in nonetheless". Kim Newman, who reviewed the film for Empire magazine, described it as "harebrained fun with lotsa guns and lotsa cool lines". A reviewer for Film Review stated that the film was a "moody, violent, stylish and offbeat take on the werewolf legend". 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 a "disgruntled man" named Edward De Lapoer in H.P. 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 "follows in the footsteps" of his uncle by performing 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. The Indianapolis Star described Payne's and Perlman's characters as "hissable foreign villains".

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 Andrejchenko), 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 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 "rogue FBI agent" named Karl Savak, who has been described as a 'cool wacko cop', in One Tough Bastard which also featured Brian Bosworth, MC Hammer, Jeff Kober and Neal McDonough 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 Gerard Butler), attempts to avenge the murder of his wife and daughter. One critic stated that Payne's character, Savak, is one of the most 'entertaining movie villains in low budget action flick history' and that 'so awesome is Karl Savak that some lunatic has created a Facebook page in his honor'. Another reviewer stated that 'Bruce Payne, with his Whitesnake hair and nose ring is slimeball perfection as the villain'.

In 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. TV Guide described Payne's character as "enigmatic". 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 (the sequel to No Contest which also starred Tweed along with Andrew Dice Clay, Robert Davi and Roddy Piper) 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. Unbeknownst to Erickson, Hopper established a "rehabilitation clinic as a cover for his covert munitions dealing". 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 that 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) "with knives on the Ides of March". 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. Bruce was at one point considered for the role of Deacon Frost in the hit film Blade before Stephen Dorff won the role.

2000s

Payne portrayed the villain Jacob Kell in Highlander: Endgame (2000), the third sequel to the original Highlander film. 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". 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".

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 (who one reviewer described as 'Darth Vader in armor') 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 (as a massacre survivor), 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 and was described by Robert Pardy, writing for the TV Guide, as "good creepy fun". 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 Gérard Pirès' first English-language film Steal as a "crazed" 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". A remake of the film, titled Foolproof, starring Ryan Reynolds, Kristin Booth and David Suchet was released in 2003. 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). During its run Spooks won BAFTA Television Awards, Royal Television Society Awards and Crime Thriller Awards and 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 'bizarre' Neighbour (who "dabbles" in producing kinky virtual games "by acting out the scenes with various partners") in the dystopian horror mystery 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). LeVar Burton, David Carradine, John de Lancie, Adrian Paul and Zachary Quinto also made guest appearances in the show.

In 2005, Payne returned to the role of Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God. Payne was the only member of the original cast in the sequel 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. 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 in the Disturbance segment of the portmanteau Tales of the Supernatural 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 The Voice of Silence 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 an 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".

2010s

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. In 2011, Payne appeared in the horror film Prowl, which also starred Courtney Hope, Ruta Gedmintas, Josh Bowman 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 starred 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.

In 2012 Payne voiced a demon in the found footage horror film Greystone Park (also known as The Asylum Tapes) which also starred Sean Stone, Oliver Stone, Alexander Wraith and Pete Antico, and was the directorial debut of Sean Stone.The film is based on the true life experiences of film makers Sean Stone and Alexander Wraith. They met at a dinner with Oliver Stone when Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps was being filmed in October 2009, where they started to discuss ghost stories. As a result, Sean and Alexander decided to visit an abandoned psychiatric hospital in New Jersey, famous for its radical treatment of patients with mental illness, 'to explore whether or not they believe in the supernatural'. Once inside the institution they soon discovered that they were not alone. In August 2012, Payne attended the world premiere of the Frank Harper directed film St George's Day (which stars Craig Fairbrass, Frank Harper and Charles Dance) at the Odeon in Covent Garden, London. Payne, Harper and Fairbrass had all appeared in the 1989 film For Queen and Country.

In 2013, Payne appeared alongside Ethan Hawke, Selena Gomez, Jon Voight, Paul Freeman, and Rebecca Budig in the Warner Bros. action film Getaway, which was directed by Courtney Solomon. The film concerned a race car driver named Brent Magna (Ethan Hawke) who with help of The Kid (Selena Gomez) must get behind the wheel of a car and follow the orders of a mysterious man (Jon Voight) to save his kidnapped wife. Payne and Freeman played henchmen of the mysterious voice. J.R. Taylor, who reviewed the film for Celebrity Watchdog stated that Payne was given a 'thankless supporting role' in the movie. The film currently holds a 2% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 106 reviews.

Payne has appeared in two horror films (Re-Kill and Asylum) produced by After Dark Films, which are yet to be released. Payne plays Winston 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. Payne stars as Lieutenant Sharp in Asylum alongside Stephen Rea and Steve Toussaint. The film concerns a 12 man swat team under the command of Lieutenant Sharp and Sergeant Powell (played by Steve Toussaint) which responds to a hostage situation at the remote Rolling River Mental Hospital, where criminally insane residents have rioted and taken over. Rea and Payne had previously appeared together in Lost Belongings in 1987. Payne has also been cast as Rudolf Hess in a French film concerning the Tunisian Jew flyweight boxer Victor Perez. The film is being directed by Jacques Ouaniche and also stars Brahim Asloum as Perez and Isabella Orsini as his love interest, Mireille Balin. In addition, Payne has been cast alongside Danny Dyer and Vincent Regan in the action film Vendetta as a sinister Whitehall Mandarin named Mr Rooker.

Personal life

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

Work

Filmography

Actor

• The Voice of Silence (2015)
• Young Perez (2014) as Rudolf Hess
• Re-Kill (2014) as Winston
• Vendetta (2013) as Mr Rooker
• Tales of the Supernatural (2013) as Priest
• Asylum (2013) as Lieutenant Sharp
• Getaway (2013) as Distinguished Man
• Greystone Park (a.k.a. The Asylum Tapes) (2012) as Demon (voice)
• Carmen's Kiss (2011) as Michael
• Prowl (2011) as Bernard
• Dance Star (2010) as Harry
• Brothel (2008) as Thief
• Messages (2007) as Doctor Robert Golding
• Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God (2005) as Damodar
• Paranoia 1.0 (a.k.a. One Point O) (2004) as The Neighbour
• Hellborn (a.k.a. Asylum of the Damned) (2003) as Dr. McCort
• Newton's Law (2003)
• Apocalypse Revelation (aka San Giovanni " L'apocalisse) (2002) as Domitian
• Steal (aka Riders) (2002) as Lieutenant Macgruder
• Ripper (2001) as Marshall Kane
• Never Say Never Mind: The Swedish Bikini Team (2001) as Mr. Blue
• Dungeons & Dragons (2000) as Damodar
• Highlander: Endgame (2000) as Jacob Kell
• Warlock III: The End of Innocence (1999) (V) as The Warlock / Phillip Covington
• Sweepers (1999) as Doctor Cecil Hopper
• Ravager (1997) as Cooper Wayne
• No Contest II aka Face the Evil II (1997) as Jack Terry
• Kounterfeit (1996) as Frankie
• Aurora: Operation Intercept (1995) as Gordon Pruett
• One Tough Bastard aka One Man's Justice (1995) as Karl Savak
• Necronomicon (1994) as Edward De Lapoer (part 1)
• The Cisco Kid (1994) as General Martin Dupre
• Full Eclipse (1993) as Adam Garou
• Passenger 57 (1992) as Charles Rane
• Switch (1991) as The Devil
• Howling VI: The Freaks (1991) as R.B Harker
• Pyrates (1991) (as Bruce Martyn Payne) as Liam
• Zwei Frauen aka Silence Like Glass (1989) as Doctor Burton
• For Queen and Country (1989) as Colin
• The Fruit Machine aka Wonderland (1988) as Echo
• Solarbabies (1986) as Dogger
• Smart Money (1986) as Lawrance MacNiece
• Absolute Beginners (1986) as Flikker
• Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire (1985) as T.O. (The One)
• Oxford Blues (1984) as Peter Howles
• The Keep (1983) as Border Guard #2
• Privates on Parade (1982) as Flight Sgt. Kevin Cartwright

Producer

• Lowball (1997) (executive producer)

TV appearances

• Charmed: "Prince Charmed" as Leader of the Order (2004)
• Spooks aka MI-5: "Smoke and Mirrors" as Mickey Kaharias (2003)
• Keen Eddie: "Horse Heir" as Yellow (2003)
• Dragnet: "All That Glitters" as Alex Karp (2003)
• Britannic (2000) as Major Baker, MD
• Cleopatra (1999) as Cassius
• La Femme Nikita: three episodes as Jurgen (1998)
• Tales from the Crypt: "Comes the Dawn" as Sergeant (1995)
• Bergerac: "The Messenger Boy" as Jake (1990)
• Yellowthread Street: The Series as Nick Eden (1990)
• Storyboard: Snakes and Ladders as Gerald (1989)
• Caprice (1988)
• Miss Marple: Nemesis (1987) as Michael Rafiel
• The Bell-Run (1987) as Pace
• Lost Belongings (1987) as Simon Hunt
• The Equalizer: "Eighteen with a Bullet" as Greg Rivers (1985)
• Operation Julie (1985) as DC Malcolm Pollard
• The Bill: Clutching at Straws (1984) as Adam March
• West (1984) as Les
• Keep it in the Family: A Moving Affair (1983) as Policeman
• Tales Out of School (1982)

Stage

Actor

• Greek (1988) " Role: Eddy, Directed by Steven Berkoff " Wyndhams Theatre
• Alice (1984) " Role: The Inventor, Directed by Nicholas Hytner -Playhouse Theatre
• West (1983) " Role: Les, Directed by Steven Berkoff " Donmar
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show " Role: Frank-N-Furter
• PIAF " Role: Yves Montand " York Theatre Royal
• No Names- No Medals
• A Midsummer Night's Dream- Role: Cobweb " Nottingham Play House
• Julius Caesar- Role: Julius Caesar " Shaw Theatre
• Macbeth (1982) " Role: Macbeth, Directed by Bruce Payne " Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• The Pillars of Society " Role: Karsten Bernick, Directed by Glyn Idris Jones " Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• Cabaret " Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• Tis Pity She's a Whore " Royal Academy of Dramatic Art
• The Cherry Orchard " Royal Academy of Dramatic Art

Director

• Greek (1993)
• Macbeth (1982)