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.

Early life

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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

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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

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
2007 Flight of Fury Jessica Video
2008 Jump Out Boys Maria
2009 Madea Goes to Jail Undercover Detective
Midnight Bayou Effie TV movie
The Way Home Tasha Short
2010 Moth to a Flame Kara Short
2012 A Woman's Worth Short Film Melissa Short
2013 The Other Door Melissa TV movie
Paradise Stripper #2
Oldboy Capri
2014 Xxv (25) Chris Short
2015 American Bad Boy Raven
The Runner Lucy Hall
What's Bullying? Teacher TV Short
Guiltless Ciera Short
2016 Forward - Short
59 Seconds Foster Mom
2017 Stain Bernice
2018 Dangerous Daze Benita Bangs Short
2019 A Madea Family Funeral Sylvia
Afterthoughts Det. Paige Aldridge Short
2020 Sanctioned April's Mom Short
2021 Wendy Williams: The Movie Wendy Williams TV movie
The Manor Liesel
2022 Respect the Jux Karen
2023 Love & Murder: Atlanta Playboy Sophia

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
2008 All My Children Reporter Episode: "1.9970"
2010 Fake It Til You Make It MILF Recurring Cast
2011 The Closer Keisha Murphy Episode: "Unknown Trouble"
Torchwood Janet Episode: "Miracle Day: The Middle Men"
2012 Californication Hooker Episode: "The Ride-Along"
Body of Proof Eve Johnson Episode: "Going Viral, Part 2"
The Mentalist Angel Episode: "Something Rotten in Redmund"
Days of Our Lives Martine Kent Regular Cast
Common Law Kelly Episode: "Joint Custody"
2013 NCIS: Los Angeles Ellen Episode: "History"
2013–14 Graceland Cassandra Recurring Cast: Season 1, Guest: Season 2
2014 First Nikki Episode: "The First Awkward Moment"
Bad Teacher Meg the Bartender Recurring Cast
It Could be Worse Actress Episode: "Too Much Candy"
2015 Reconcilable Differences Eve Recurring Cast
Real Husbands of Hollywood Tracy Episode: "Cabin Pressure"
2016 NCIS Laurie Perkins Episode: "Pay to Play"
2017 General Hospital Grace McMorris Episode: "1.13746" & "1.13820"
Indoor Boys Alyssa Episode: "Mafia"
Ballers Lydia Episode: "Alley-Oops"
The Walking Dead Zia Episode: "The King, the Widow, and Rick"
2019 Being Mary Jane Keia Episode: "Becoming Pauletta"
She's Gotta Have It Jameelah Hawkins Recurring Cast: Season 2
2019–23 Tyler Perry’s The Oval Lily Winthrop Main Cast
2023 Princess Power Queen Katia Recurring Cast

References

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  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b "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.
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