David Payne is a British actor/playwright who began his acting career at the age of 55 when he came across an audition notice that read “Auditions for Shadowlands, British accents a help!”  Staged at Nashville’s prestigious Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in 1996 Payne, who had never been on stage before but who did have a British accent, decided to audition hoping for a minor part. He staggered everybody (including himself) when he won the lead role of C.S. Lewis. Though he did not know it at the time, a successful acting career had been launched!