8 Things You Didn’t Know About Tom Payne

Tom Payne is an English actor who was born on December 21, 1982. Payne was born in Chelmsford, Essex, and raised in Bath, Somerset, where he attended King Edward’s School and was active in the drama department.

You may be familiar with Tom Payne from his acting career, but there is more to his life as you will discover from the following facts.

8 Things You Didn’t Know About Tom Payne

1. Appeared In Wuthering Heights

The Walking Dead was not the first time lead actors Andrew Lincoln and Tom Payne appeared on screen together. They both appeared in the two-part British miniseries Wuthering Heights in 2009. ^[1]

2. His Rapid Acceptance Into The Role

When Tom got the audition, he knew it was for TWD, but he was only given a brief description and a fictitious name. He still didn’t know what part he’d end up playing when he submitted his audition tape on a Wednesday. He found out he got the part while in London on that Friday, and they wanted him on the set as soon as possible.

3. Only Seen The One Episode Of The Walking Dead

Before landing what is possibly his most important role in his American film career, Tom Payne had only seen the pilot episode of The Walking Dead. We’d even wander to say his British career, because the TWD universe and their fans are on another level.

4. Cast In 2013 Movie The Physician

His most notable role prior to joining The Walking Dead cast was in the 2013 film The Physician, which also starred Ben Kingsley. But you probably didn’t notice him because, while the film did well with international audiences, it was never released in the United States. ^[2]

5. The Reaon For Relocating From England

Even though he was acting as much as he could in England, he decided to relocate to Los Angeles because the cost of living was lower there and he knew he could make his acting money go further if he lived somewhere less expensive.

6. Also Starred In HBO Series

You might have seen him on the short-lived HBO show Luck. The show, which starred Dustin Hoffman and Nick Nolte and was about horse trainers and gamblers, lasted only one season and nine episodes. In his first American role, Tom played Leon “Bug Boy,” a jockey involved in the violent life of gangsters. ^[3]

7. Nine Weeks Training With Steven Ho

He trained for nine weeks with Steven Ho, who has trained many of the cast members. He also does boxing to ensure that he can do everything physical that the Jesus character requires, and Jesus is extremely ninja-like and flexible. He’s also a perfectionist who insists on doing all of the physical work himself. ^[4]

8. He Never Aspired To Be Well Known

For Tom, fame and millions of dollars were never his goals. All he wanted, like all great artists and people who love their art, was to make enough money to live off his art. “That was his ultimate goal,” he says. We’re pretty sure that landing a role on one of the most popular shows on television has helped him achieve that goal and then some.