Photo Credit: Lionsgate Films
Actor Tom Payne, recognized for his roles as Jesus in The Walking Dead and Malcolm Bright in Prodigal Son, recently sat down for an engaging interview with The Kinda Nerdy Girl’s KJ. The versatile actor delved into his latest project, Imaginary, currently gracing theaters, and offered insights into his upcoming collaboration with Kevin Costner in the film Horizon.
Host (KJ): Tom, it’s great to have you back and to be able to talk about so many exciting things that are coming for you. Let’s talk about project number one, because we’ve got Imaginary in theaters now. I watched the trailer, I didn’t know what I was in for, and now I’m apologizing out loud to my imaginary friends for abandoning them. How scary was this concept for you when you read the script?
Tom Payne: Well, I have a two-year-old now, and just to see the power of his imagination already is quite a scary thing, because, you know, when you tell a small child like that a story, I can see him. He just, like, starts to gaze off into the distance, and I know that he’s in the story that you’re telling in such a vivid way. And in our movie, in Imaginary, that’s basically what happens. My youngest daughter in the movie gains a new imaginary friend and he’s right. I mean, he’s a teddy bear in the movie. And he’s right there and they’re talking to each other the whole time he’s talking to her. And you’re not quite sure if he’s bad or good. But we had a real teddy bear. It was animatronic. And the puppeteers are moving him. And and that was really great and very useful for us to work with. And so on set, we could see that there was something there to work with and see the little girl talking to him. So it wasn’t quite, he’s not completely imaginary, but he’s absolutely something to be wary of.
KJ: Imaginary is the movie that we’re talking about. But we also need to shift over because this summer you’ve got Horizon coming out. What a pleasure it must have been. Can you talk about working with Kevin Costner on this particular project?
Tom Payne: Yeah, I mean, that was just a dream, really. You know, sometimes you get lucky to work with people that mean something to you from your childhood. I’ve been watching Kevin since I was a small child. I live close to Universal Studios in LA and we have like a neighbor pass to go there. And I’ve been to the Waterworld show like 20 times and like, yeah, he was like a big figure from my childhood. So when I’m having a Zoom with him and he’s offering me a job on his lifelong project, I couldn’t quite believe it. And yeah, I mean, he’s been working on this film since the 80s. Started off as one script and then became, I think, four. I think they’ve made it three now. We filmed two of them, and they come out in June and August this year. And, yeah, it was just a dream. Like, it’s everything that you think a movie was going to be when you’re a little kid. So when I was standing on that set in the great plains of Utah with the horses and the wagons around me, I couldn’t quite believe my luck, really. And Kevin is just a dream, lovely, lovely man. And everyone was very, very happy and excited to be there and helping him to achieve his vision.
KJ: Tom, you have played some characters that have really made an impact on big fandoms. And, you know, I was I was actually talking in my live stream last night about how we were going to have you on the show and just wanted to let you know, I know it’s all business sometimes, but there was a lot of love for Prodigal Son and people who wish that that would continue on. What is that like, you know, for you? Is it just kind of part of the business?
Tom Payne: Yes, unfortunately. I mean, there were a few different things that contributed to that, but I think the pandemic was definitely one of them. You know, it becomes a budgeting thing. Everything is a business. And the show was just a bit too expensive with the added cost of COVID and stuff. But yeah, that was a real bummer because that was one of those shows where everything just kind of worked, really. All the casting was there. Everyone fit their parts incredibly well. Everyone had a great time doing it. And unfortunately, we just fell by the wayside. You know, timing is everything. I think 10 years ago, we would have been the biggest show on television and I wouldn’t have to worry about providing for my family for a while. That’s what happened. Then the breaks. This is the industry that we’re in, the industry that I chose. I just, it means a lot to me that people love that show. It helps a lot of people, you know, with Malcolm struggles as a character. I had a lot of people sending me messages about how it helped them get through. You know, we made it, we made 32 episodes, I think in the end and on HBO max it will continue to exist. And the ending that we shot does kind of work as an ending for the series. It’s a little bit of a cliffhanger, but it does work. And so it is this kind of own self-contained thing. I mean, it’s kind of a bit of a daydream at this point. I have a two-year-old son now who we got just after we finished shooting the second season, and now I’m in a different stage of life. It’s very weird. Like, Walking Dead was one stage of life, Prodigal Son’s another. You just kind of keep moving forward, and you just have to be excited about what’s around the corner.
KJ: What are your thoughts on your son if he wants to grow up and and be in showbiz like his dad?
Tom Payne: Yeah, absolutely. You know, my wife’s a musician. We’re both heavily involved in the creative side of life. But, honestly, I don’t know what the world’s going to look like when he’s an adult and looking for work. I really, I really don’t know what the job market is going to be like, what the industry is going to look like 20 years from now. I would absolutely support him in whatever he wants to do, but I don’t know what that could be 20 years from now.
For the full interview, check it out on YouTube below: