Ciera Payton

Last updated

Ciera Payton (born January 26, 1986) is an American actress, writer and singer. She has appeared in television series such as The Walking Dead , General Hospital , Graceland , and NCIS. She also had a supporting role as Sylvia in Tyler Perry's A Madea Family Funeral . She currently stars in the BET soap opera The Oval .

Contents

Early life

Ciera Payton graduated from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts [1] and received her bachelor of fine arts degree in drama from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. [2]

Career

Payton got her start in the feature film Flight of Fury (2007), playing the female lead role of CIA agent Jessica opposite Steven Seagal. She was a junior in college while filming Flight of Fury. In 2009, she made her off-Broadway debut, starring as the lead role of Savannah in Savannah Black and Blue, [3] produced by the Negro Ensemble Company.

In 2010, Payton transitioned from New York to Los Angeles where she booked the role of Janet Tanner in the BBC American reboot of Torchwood . She later appeared on The Closer , playing opposite Keira Sedwick as Keisha Murphy. [1] After gaining a few roles on the small screen, Payton was granted the role of Capri in Spike Lee's film Oldboy , sharing the screen with Josh Brolin. [4]

In 2014, she appeared as the cheerleading coach who takes down a prominent campaign in The Runner starring Nicolas Cage. [5]

In 2016, she received the Los Angeles Pioneer Woman Award for her work providing arts programs to at-risk youth. [6]

In 2019, she starred in the film A Madea Family Funeral . [4]

Payton portrayed talk show host Wendy Williams in the 2021 Lifetime biopic Wendy Williams: The Movie . [7] [8]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2007 Flight of Fury JessicaVideo
2008Jump Out BoysMaria
2009 Madea Goes to Jail Undercover Detective
Midnight Bayou EffieTV movie
The Way HomeTashaShort
2010Moth to a FlameKaraShort
2012A Woman's Worth Short FilmMelissaShort
2013The Other DoorMelissaTV movie
Paradise Stripper #2
Oldboy Capri
2014Xxv (25)ChrisShort
2015American Bad BoyRaven
The Runner Lucy Hall
What's Bullying?TeacherTV Short
GuiltlessCieraShort
2016Forward-Short
59 SecondsFoster Mom
2017StainBernice
2018Dangerous DazeBenita BangsShort
2019 A Madea Family Funeral Sylvia
AfterthoughtsDet. Paige AldridgeShort
2020SanctionedApril's MomShort
2021 Wendy Williams: The Movie Wendy Williams TV movie
The Manor Liesel
2022Respect the JuxKaren
2023Love & Murder: Atlanta PlayboySophia

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
2008 All My Children ReporterEpisode: "1.9970"
2010Fake It Til You Make ItMILFRecurring Cast
2011 The Closer Keisha MurphyEpisode: "Unknown Trouble"
Torchwood JanetEpisode: "Miracle Day: The Middle Men"
2012 Californication HookerEpisode: "The Ride-Along"
Body of Proof Eve JohnsonEpisode: "Going Viral, Part 2"
The Mentalist AngelEpisode: "Something Rotten in Redmund"
Days of Our Lives Martine KentRegular Cast
Common Law KellyEpisode: "Joint Custody"
2013 NCIS: Los Angeles EllenEpisode: "History"
2013–14 Graceland CassandraRecurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2
2014FirstNikkiEpisode: "The First Awkward Moment"
Bad Teacher Meg the BartenderRecurring Cast
It Could be WorseActressEpisode: "Too Much Candy"
2015Reconcilable DifferencesEveRecurring Cast
Real Husbands of Hollywood TracyEpisode: "Cabin Pressure"
2016 NCIS Laurie PerkinsEpisode: "Pay to Play"
2017 General Hospital Grace McMorrisEpisode: "1.13746" & "1.13820"
Indoor BoysAlyssaEpisode: "Mafia"
Ballers LydiaEpisode: "Alley-Oops"
The Walking Dead ZiaEpisode: "The King, the Widow, and Rick"
2019 Being Mary Jane KeiaEpisode: "Becoming Pauletta"
She's Gotta Have It Jameelah HawkinsRecurring Cast: Season 2
2019–23 Tyler Perry’s The Oval Lily WinthropMain Cast
2023 Princess Power Queen KatiaRecurring Cast

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carroll Baker</span> American actress (born 1931)

Carroll Baker is an American retired actress. After studying under Lee Strasberg at the Actors Studio, Baker began performing on Broadway in 1954. From there, she was recruited by director Elia Kazan to play the lead in the adaptation of two Tennessee Williams plays into the film Baby Doll in 1956. Her role in the film as a coquettish but sexually naïve Southern bride earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Stephanie Zimbalist is an American actress best known for her role as Laura Holt in the NBC detective series Remington Steele.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Annette Bening</span> American actress (born 1958)

Annette Carol Bening is an American actress. With a career spanning over four decades, she is known for her versatile work across screen and stage. Bening has received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, two Golden Globe Awards, and nominations for five Academy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award and two Tony Awards, making her one of few artists nominated for the Triple Crown of Acting without winning.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kathleen Robertson</span> Canadian actress (born 1973)

Kathleen Robertson is a Canadian actress. She has starred in a number of films, and from 2011 to 2012 played the role of Kitty O'Neill in the Starz political drama series Boss. From 2014 to 2016, Robertson starred as homicide detective Hildy Mulligan in the TNT series Murder in the First. She also played Tina Edison in the Canadian sitcom Maniac Mansion (1990–1993) and Clare Arnold in the Fox teen drama series Beverly Hills, 90210 (1994–1997). In 2019, she played a main character in the series Northern Rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penelope Ann Miller</span> American actress (born 1964)

Penelope Ann Miller, sometimes credited as Penelope Miller, is an American actress. She began her career on Broadway in the original run of Biloxi Blues (1985–1986), later appearing in the 1988 film adaptation of the same name. After playing small roles in the comedies Adventures in Babysitting (1987) and Big Top Pee-wee (1988), and receiving a Tony Award nomination for her leading role in the Broadway revival of Our Town (1988–1989), Miller came to prominence with a succession of major parts in films such as The Freshman, Awakenings, Kindergarten Cop, Other People's Money (1991), Chaplin (1992), The Shadow (1994), and The Relic (1997). For her portrayal of exotic dancer Gail in Carlito's Way (1993), she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Kelli Renee Williams is an American actress and director. She is known for her roles as lawyer Lindsay Dole on the ABC legal drama The Practice, psychologist and deception expert Dr. Gillian Foster on the Fox series Lie to Me, Jackie Clarke on the Lifetime series Army Wives, and Margaret Reed on the NBC drama series Found.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Scott Lee</span> American actor and martial artist

Jason Scott Lee is an American actor and martial artist. He played Mowgli in Disney's 1994 live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book and Bruce Lee in the 1993 martial arts film Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marla Gibbs</span> Actress, entertainer, singer, writer, and producer (born 1931)

Marla Gibbs is an American actress, singer, comedian, writer, and television producer whose career spans seven decades. Gibbs is known for her role as George Jefferson's maid, Florence Johnston, on the CBS sitcom The Jeffersons (1975–1985), for which she received five nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Foster (actor)</span> American actor

Benjamin A. Foster is an American actor. His films include The Punisher (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand and Alpha Dog, 30 Days of Night (2007), The Messenger and Pandorum, The Mechanic (2011), Contraband (2012), Kill Your Darlings and Lone Survivor, The Program (2015), Warcraft (2016), and Leave No Trace (2018). He has won an Independent Spirit Award for portraying Tanner Howard in Hell or High Water (2016). He also had a recurring role as Russell Corwin in the television series Six Feet Under (2003–2005).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patricia Morison</span> American stage, television and film actress (1915-2018)

Eileen Patricia Augusta Fraser Morison was an American stage, television and film actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood and mezzo-soprano singer. She made her feature film debut in 1939 after several years on the stage, and amongst her most renowned were The Fallen Sparrow, Dressed to Kill opposite Basil Rathbone and the screen adaptation of The Song of Bernadette. She was lauded as a beauty with large blue eyes and extremely long, dark hair. During this period of her career, she was often cast as the femme fatale or "other woman". It was only when she returned to the Broadway stage that she achieved her greatest success as the lead in the original production of Cole Porter's Kiss Me, Kate and subsequently in The King and I.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynn Whitfield</span> American actress (born 1953)

Lynn Whitfield is an American actress. She began her acting career in television and theatre before progressing to supporting roles in film. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie and received a Golden Globe Award nomination for her breakout performance as Josephine Baker in the HBO biographical film The Josephine Baker Story (1991).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madea</span> Fictional character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry

Mabel "Madea" Earlene Simmons is a character created and portrayed by Tyler Perry. She is portrayed as a tough, street-smart elderly African-American woman.

Darren Grant is an American television, film and music video director. He has directed over eighty music videos for mostly R&B and hip hop artists. In 2005, Grant directed his debut film Diary of a Mad Black Woman. In 2008, he directed the film Make It Happen starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jodelle Ferland</span> Canadian actress (born 1994)

Jodelle Micah Ferland is a Canadian actress. She debuted as a child actress at the age of four in the television film Mermaid (2000) for which she won a Young Artist Award and received a Daytime Emmy Award nomination, making her the youngest nominee in Emmy history. Her career progressed with roles in the television film Carrie (2002), the horror films They (2002), Tideland (2005), Silent Hill (2006) and Case 39 (2009), and the comedy film Good Luck Chuck (2007). She also led the television series Kingdom Hospital (2004).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rochelle Aytes</span> American actress, model (active 1999– )

Rochelle Aytes is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as April Malloy on ABC drama series Mistresses (2013–16) and as the voice of Rochelle in the critically acclaimed video game Left 4 Dead 2 (2009). Aytes also starred in the auto-biography story film of TLC titled CrazySexyCool: The TLC Story as Perri "Pebbles" Reid, short-lived series Drive and The Forgotten (2009–10), as well as Criminal Minds and Work It. In film, Aytes has appeared in White Chicks, Madea's Family Reunion and Trick 'r Treat. Aytes also had a recurring role as Agent Greer, an ex-CIA officer, on the CBS television series Hawaii Five-0. Since 2019, Aytes has played Nichelle Carmichael in the CBS action series S.W.A.T..

Fernanda Andrade is a Brazilian actress, model and singer based in the United States. She is best known for starring in the 2012 horror film, The Devil Inside as Isabella Rossi, Special Agent Salazar in the 2020 sci-fi action thriller television show Next and for her role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Wendy Spector in Moon Knight.

<i>A Madea Family Funeral</i> 2019 American comedy film directed by Tyler Perry

A Madea Family Funeral is a 2019 American comedy film written, directed, and produced by Tyler Perry. It is the eleventh installment of the Madea cinematic universe, and stars Perry in several roles, including as the titular character, as well as Cassi Davis and Patrice Lovely. The plot follows Madea and her friends as they must set up an unexpected funeral during a family get-together in Maxine, Georgia.

Sydney Mikayla Shepherd, known professionally as Sydney Mikayla, is an American actress. In 2014, Mikayla portrayed Olympic gymnast Gabby Douglas in the Lifetime biopic for which she won a Young Artist Award. From 2019 to 2022, Mikayla was a cast member in the ABC daytime soap opera, General Hospital, in the role of Trina Robinson. She also voices the role of Wolf in the Netflix animated series Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.

<i>Wendy Williams: The Movie</i> American TV movie

Wendy Williams: The Movie is an American biographical drama television film directed by Darren Grant about the life of entertainer Wendy Williams. The film premiered on January 30, 2021, on Lifetime.

Jen Harper is an American actress, known for her roles in television series In the Heat of the Night and Greenleaf.

References

  1. 1 2 "Catch NOCCA graduate Ciera Payton on the premiere of 'The Closer'". The Times-Picayune. New Orleans, Louisiana. July 9, 2011.
  2. "About". Ciera Payton official website. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  3. Webster, Andy (2009-11-11). "At Shetler Studios, a Woman's Tough Climb to the Police Beat". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-12-22.
  4. 1 2 "Credits". Ciera Payton official website. 2019-05-04. Archived from the original on 2019-05-04. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  5. "The Runner (2015) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  6. "Women's History Month 2016". Los Angeles City Council District 6. April 1, 2016. Retrieved 2019-05-04.
  7. Ciera Payton on playing media mogul Wendy Williams in Lifetime's "Wendy Williams: The Movie"
  8. "See the First Trailer for the Wendy Williams Biopic, Documenting Her Substance Abuse Issues: 'You've Got a Coke Habit'". PEOPLE.com. Retrieved 2020-12-04.