Tom Payne

Thomas "Tom" Payne (born December 21, 1982, in Chelmsford, Essex) is a British actor known for his role as Paul "Jesus" Rovia in the television series *The Walking Dead*. He currently portrays Malcolm Bright in the series *Prodigal Son*.

Payne grew up in Bath, Somerset, in western England. He trained at London's Central School of Speech and Drama, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2005. During his training, he performed in plays such as *Class Enemy*, *The Balcony*, *The Rivals*, *Three Sisters*, *A Midsummer Night's Dream*, *Richard III*, and *The Man Who Had All the Luck*.

After graduating, Payne landed his first leading role in the West End production of *Journey's End*. He also appeared alongside Imogen Stubbs in Maria Aberg's production of *Shrieks of Laughter* at the Soho Theatre.

His early television roles included appearances in series such as *Skins - Hautnah* and *Casualty*. In 2007, he played Brett Aspinall in two seasons of the series *Waterloo Road*.

In 2008, Payne made his feature film debut alongside Frances McDormand and Amy Adams in *Miss Pettigrew's Big Day*. From 2011 to 2012, he appeared in the television series *Luck* as Leon Micheaux. In 2013, he took his first leading role in *The Medicus*, the film adaptation of the novel by Noah Gordon.

His brother, Will Payne, is also an actor.