Actress Ciera Payton chatted about starring in the hit primetime series “The Oval” on BET.
American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” This quote applies to actress Ciera Payton.
‘The Oval’
Tyler Perry’s “The Oval” is the No. 1 show on cable, and Payton plays the role of Lilly Winthrop, the wife of White House Chief of Staff Donald Winthrop (Lodric Collins).
“When I first booked the role, it was definitely a dream come true,” she admitted. “I wanted to book a series regular role and also a fun character like Lilly. The experience working on there and working with Tyler Perry has been like a Disneyland for actors, that’s how I would describe it. ‘The Oval’ is everything I had hoped for as an actor.”
Portraying Lilly in ‘The Oval’
On playing Lilly in “The Oval,” Payton said, “Lilly is just so layered, and every time I open up the scripts and see where she is going, I realize how strong and how brave she is. Lilly fights for the people that she loves, and she fights for what is right.”
“Lilly is a girl that came from humble beginnings and made her way into the White House, and she knows how to hold her ground,” she added.
Payton had great words about working with Lodric Collins and Brad Benedict (who plays Secret Service Agent Kyle Flint). “It is so much fun. Our characters are constantly throwing punches at each other and we know how to take the hits really well. I trust Lodric in the scenes, we rehearse like crazy leading up to it,” she said.
“With Brad Benedict, our characters are always so mean to each other so it’s fun to release all of that in between the scenes or after filming, and then hang out and joke around. I enjoy it.”
“Also, Bill Barrett is smart and a professional. I love Travis Cure, he is such a big bear of a guy, and he wants to do a good job. I appreciate that when I get on set and work with Travis. All of us get in there and bow down to each other,” she added.
Payton praised the fans of “The Oval” for being the greatest. “The fans are the best,” she underscored. “Sometimes, I am out and about here in Los Angeles, and I would run into people that watch ‘The Oval’ and it makes my day. The people watch and they are faithful. I love all of the fans, they are amazing.”
Stage of her life
On the title of the current chapter of her life, Payton said, “Stepping into my new story, or Ciara finally blooms.”
‘The Runner’
Payton also played Lucy Hall, the cheerleading coach that takes down a prominent campaign in “The Runner” opposite Academy Award winner Nicolas Cage. “I loved that movie and I loved working with Nicolas Cage,” she said. “He was a dream come true to work with. Austin Stark, the director, was great and I loved every minute of it.”
The digital age
On being an actress in the digital age, Payton said, “For me, it doesn’t make much of a difference. I am a part of the acting class that had black and white headshots when I first started out.”
“I think it’s a great time for actors, it’s all opportunity for everyone to be seen, share their stories, and let their voices be heard. It’s a great time and I am still trying to learn it all,” she added.
Superpower of choice
If she were to have any superpowers, she revealed that it would be “teleportation,” as well as “knowing every language,” and “being able to shapeshift.”
Success
Regarding her definition of the word success, Payton said, “Success is feeling comfortable and enjoying who I am, and all of who I am: the mess, the beauty, the glory, the dysfunction, all of it, and being okay with that every single day.”
To learn more about Ciera Payton, check out her official website, and follow her on Instagram.
