Bruce Payne
Bruce Martyn Payne is an English actor, producer, screenwriter, film director and theatre director. Payne is best known for portraying villains, such as Charles Rane in Passenger 57, Jacob Kell in ', and Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons and '.
Payne trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and was identified, in the late 1980s, with the "Brit Pack" of rising young British actors.
Early life
Payne developed an interest for acting at an early age. In an interview with Impact magazine in 2001, Payne claimed that a crocodile from the play Peter Pan shouted that it would eat his brother and then proceeded to run up stage.At the age of 14, he was diagnosed with a slight form of spina bifida, which by age 16 required surgery to rectify. Payne was hospitalised for 6 months following the operation.
Payne continued school studies, despite a contact with a talent scout during that time. After his graduation, he enrolled in the National Youth Theatre for two seasons. Payne has described this experience as "Four hundred kids thrown together to work on 7 plays." In addition, he was occupied with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for one season. He then auditioned for several fringe acting companies, but was told he was too young and lacked experience. However, in 1979, he was admitted to the "prestigious" RADA acting programme. Before being accepted at RADA, Payne worked as a joiner, a salesman, and a landscape gardener. Payne graduated from RADA in 1981 with seven major prizes for acting, comedy and physical presence.
Payne was part of a 'new wave' of actors to emerge from the academy. Others included Jonathan Pryce, Juliet Stevenson, Alan Rickman, Anton Lesser, Kenneth Branagh, and Fiona Shaw. In 1980 the Principal of RADA, Hugh Cruttwell, selected a scene from an adaptation of William Shakespeare's Macbeth, which Payne co-wrote with Paul McGann, to be performed in front of Queen Elizabeth II, in one of her rare visits to the academy. Payne directed the scene in which he and McGann acted. Payne played Macbeth and wielded a baseball bat on stage instead of a sword. Kenneth Branagh performed a soliloquy from Hamlet at the same event.
Acting career
1980s
Payne's first television role was in the Tales Out of School series. Payne played a PE teacher who 'comes across as more head bully than responsible adult during his classes'. His first major film role came in Privates on Parade in which he played the singing and dancing Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright.In 1983, he appeared in Michael Mann's horror film The Keep as an unnamed border guard. That same year, Steven Berkoff cast him in his production of West at the Donmar Warehouse. Payne played Les, a member of an East End London gang intent on gaining revenge against the rival Hoxton Mob for the slaying of one of their number. Richard Corliss of TIME stated that Payne bestowed "a frighteningly dynamic performance" in the play.
In 1985, Payne was cast as a "committed", "butch snooker manager" known as "The One" in director Alan Clarke's snooker musical Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire. Michael Brooke stated that Payne gave the "stand-out performance" in the film. and MS London stated that Payne 'is a charismatic presence, with a capable voice, who is perfectly cast as The One'.
In 1986, both Payne and Berkoff appeared in Julien Temple's musical Absolute Beginners. Payne played a psychotic "pompous and pathetic racist" named Flikker, who participated in the 1958 Notting Hill race riots. One reviewer argued that Payne was "the only actor to walk off Absolute Beginners with his reputation not only intact but enhanced" and that his portrayal of Flikker "was a headbutt of reality in a fantasmagoria of overkill." One critic stated that Payne gave a "meaty, saving-grace performance" in the film. The film journalist and editor, Ann Lloyd, selected Payne as the most promising newcomer of 1987 for his role in the film. In the same year Payne appeared in the film Solarbabies, along with fellow British performer Alexei Sayle, as filthy bounty hunters named Dogger and Malice. Payne said of his and Sayle's performances in Vogue that "the old image of an English arch-villain – Boris Karloff, that sort of thing" is turned "upside down. We're just a couple of soaks".
In 1988, Payne appeared as Eddy in the Steven Berkoff-directed play, Greek, at the Wyndham's Theatre. Martin Hoyle, writing for The Independent, stated that Payne's "Eddy is vital, intelligent and physically disciplined in the best Berkoff style". Charles Osbourne, writing for The Daily Telegraph, stated that Payne brought "a cheerful zest to the role of Eddy".
A reviewer for The Listener stated that Payne "impresses throughout" the play. Another reviewer stated that "Payne gives a powerful performance as Eddy, the crusader out to defeat the horror of society" only "to find that he is part of the horror".
In 1989, he was cast in For Queen and Country as a 'drug kingpin' named Colin.
Payne and other young British actors who were becoming established film actors, such as Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Paul McGann, were dubbed the 'Brit Pack'. Payne's performances endeared him to Warner Bros., who considered "Bruce Payne as Bruce Wayne" on their "one liner" press marketing PR campaign for the first of Tim Burton's Batman films. Ultimately, Michael Keaton got the role. Payne has commented, "Warner were fascinated by the similarity" between his name and that of Bruce Wayne. Payne has said that "they drew up a very short shortlist and there I was on it. Obviously, I lost out in the end to Michael Keaton".
In the same year Payne appeared as Doctor Burton in the dramatic film Zwei Frauen The film was nominated for Outstanding Feature Film at the German Film Awards.
1990s
In 1990 Payne appeared in the music video for Neil Young's song Over and Over, directed by Julien Temple, as a Stanley Kowalski esque character.In 1991, Payne was cast as the Devil in Switch. Payne was described as a "delightfully wicked Satan" by Film Review. The Providence Journal described him as a "slick devil".
In 1992, Payne was cast in his best-known role, opposite Wesley Snipes, as a "notorious terrorist and hijacker", with a steely, demonic nerve, named Charles Rane, in Passenger 57. Marcus Trower of Empire stated that Payne was "a brilliantly disconcerting madman. With his flowing blond Jesus locks, armour-piercing stare and casual sadism, he makes Hannibal Lecter look like a social worker – and like Anthony Hopkins' serial killer, part of the man's menace is in the apparent contradiction between his articulate, well-spoken English and his off-hand brutality." The Radio Times stated that Payne and Snipes both gave "charismatic turns" in the film. The New York Times stated that Payne brought a 'tongue-in-cheek humor to the psychopathic fiend'. A reviewer for People magazine stated that "Bruce Payne steals the plane—and the movie". In an article for the Waterloo Region Record, Jamie Portman described Payne as a "suave and cultivated English actor" playing "a suave and cultivated killer named Charles Rane" and suggested that a "key reason director Kevin Hooks chose him for the role was that he wanted a villain with as much magnetism as the hero". Payne was described as "icily perfect as the villainous Rane" in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Julius Marshall stated that Payne was "ideal for his role: charming, dangerous – the kind of evil genius you love to hate". The Star Tribune stated that 'Bruce Payne makes a splendid psychopath, consistently stealing scenes from the likes of Wesley Snipes and Elizabeth Hurley throughout Passenger 57'.
In 1993, Payne played a "charismatic" werewolf named Adam Garou in Full Eclipse. Joseph Savitski, who reviewed the film for Beyond Hollywood, stated, "Payne is masterful as Detective Garou, a seductive and evil villain with arrogance and confidence to spare. When he's on screen, Payne demands the attention of the audience, and you're hard pressed to resist his performance. Payne is also the perfect adversary, the kind you're supposed to hate, but who has the charisma to draw you in nonetheless".
In 1995, Payne played a "rogue FBI agent" named Karl Savak in director Kurt Wimmer's One Tough Bastard. One reviewer described Savak as one of the most 'entertaining movie villains in low budget action flick history' and noted that 'so awesome is Karl Savak that some lunatic has created a Facebook page in his honor'. Another reviewer stated that 'Bruce Payne, with his Whitesnake hair and nose ring is slimeball perfection as the villain'.
In 1998, he played Jurgen, a first-class and charismatic operative in season two of La Femme Nikita.
2000s
In 2000, Payne portrayed the villain Jacob Kell in ', the third sequel to the original Highlander film. One reviewer said of Highlander: Endgame, "the one in the cast that seems to be having the most fun is Bruce Payne. Traditionally, Highlander villains give performances that go completely over-the-top and well into the stratosphere. Payne contrarily gives a performance where he enunciates every syllable with relish and dramatic weight, resulting in a performance that is entirely captivating whenever he is on screen."Salon.com's reviewer wrote that " playing Kell as a cockney thug with triple crucifixes embedded in the heels of his Doc Martens, Payne is more fun than either of the stars". A reviewer for Trash City stated that "Endgame is pretty good, largely thanks to Bruce Payne's efforts as the bad guy, who is right up there with Clancy Brown's original decapitator", the Kurgan. Marke Andrews, writing for The Vancouver Sun, stated that Payne provided the "focal point" in the film and that he dived "into his role with gusto". Andrews also stated that Payne's 'facial expressions rival Jim Carrey's in The Mask. Cherriece Wright, who reviewed the film for The Dispatch, stated that it contained "brilliant performances by Christopher Lambert and Bruce Payne". Wright stated that Payne "delivers a great performance as Jacob Kell blending smoothly the malicious vindictiveness of the embittered immortal with a sarcastic wit that provides needed humor".
In the same year, Payne played Damodar in Dungeons & Dragons, henchman of the malevolent Profion. Although the film was critically panned, Payne's performance was reviewed favourably. One reviewer said that "Bruce Payne as Profion's nefarious assistant in his power-hungry schemes was the stand-out performance of all the actors in the film. Payne has a true lock on how to play a character that is menacing even without any show of power. His portrayal of Damodar calls to mind Doug Bradley's portrayal of Pinhead in the Hellraiser films, so coldly, coolly arrogant and confident is his character. Above and beyond the grade I give to this film, Payne has earned himself an A+ in my gradebook." Another reviewer stated that Payne's performance proved that he is "one of Hollywood's more reliable villains".
Branden Chowen, who reviewed the film for Indie Pulse, stated that "the standout in the film is the man who returns for the sequel: Bruce Payne. His character is written to be one-note throughout, but Payne still manages to create an excellent villain. Once the audience gets past his blue lipstick, which is no small feat, Payne is a formidable and passionate force". The Charlotte Observer stated that "menacing Bruce Payne gives the film's one potent performance". Abbie Bernstein for Audio Video Revolution declared that Payne was "enjoyably evil as the secondary baddie in charge of capturing the rebels"
In 2004, Payne appeared as the "snarling" Neighbour, who "dabbles" in producing kinky virtual games in the dystopian horror mystery Paranoia 1.0. The film was nominated in the best film category at the Sitges - Catalan International Film Festival and at the Sundance Film Festival, and won the best film award at the Malaga International Week of Fantastic Cinema. John Fallon stated that as the Neighbour, Payne "laid on the charisma and the macho-ness thick".
In 2005, Payne returned to the role of Damodar in . Payne was the only member of the original cast in the sequel.
In 2006, he helped to launch the National Youth Theatre's 50th-anniversary programme along with Sir Ian McKellen, Timothy Spall, Diana Quick, Paula Wilcox, Jonathan Wrather, newsreader Krishnan Guru-Murthy, and Little Britain''
2010s
In 2011, Payne appeared in the horror film Prowl as a "blatantly untrustworthy" "hillbilly truck driver" named Bernard in the film. Matt Withers, who reviewed the film for JoBlo.com, stated that "Bruce Payne shows up as a trucker in a throwaway role that he makes anything but". Payne also appeared in Carmen's Kiss.In 2012, Payne voiced a demon in the found-footage horror film Greystone Park.
In 2013, Payne appeared in the Warner Bros. action film Getaway. Payne also appeared in the action film Vendetta as a sinister Whitehall Mandarin named Mr. Rooker. One reviewer of the film gave it eight out of ten and stated that Payne 'nearly steals the movie with a plum role as the icy head of British black ops'. In addition, Payne portrayed Auschwitz camp Commandant Rudolf Hoess, in a 'superciliously evil' manner, in the French film Victor Young Perez, which concerns the life of the Tunisian Jew flyweight boxer Victor Perez.
In 2015, Payne played Winston, a religious fanatic, in the horror film Re-Kill.
In 2018 Payne appeared in the Anthology film London Unplugged, which premiered at the East End Film Festival.
2020s
Payne played the main antagonist in , which is due to be released in 2020. Payne has also been cast as Frank Warren in Michael-The Michael Watson Story, a biopic of boxer Michael Watson.Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
| 1982 | Privates on Parade | Flight Sergeant Kevin Cartwright | Michael Blakemore | Based on the Peter Nichols play Privates on Parade |
| 1983 | The Keep | Border Guard #2 | Michael Mann | Based on F. Paul Wilson's 1981 novel The Keep |
| 1984 | Oxford Blues | Peter Howles | Robert Boris | A remake of the 1938 film A Yank at Oxford |
| 1985 | Billy the Kid and the Green Baize Vampire | T.O. | Alan Clarke | Loosely based on the rivalry between the snooker players Ray Reardon and Jimmy White |
| 1986 | Absolute Beginners | Flikker | Julien Temple | Based on Colin MacInnes 1959 novel Absolute Beginners |
| 1986 | Smart Money | Lawrance MacNiece | Bernard Rose | |
| 1986 | Solarbabies | Dogger | Alan Johnson | |
| 1986 | Caprice | Jack | Joanna Hogg | Short Film |
| 1988 | The Fruit Machine or Wonderland | Echo | Philip Saville | Speaks not a word of dialogue as the film's primary nemesis |
| 1989 | For Queen and Country | Colin | Martin Stellman | |
| 1989 | Zwei Frauen or Silence Like Glass | Doctor Burton | Carl Schenkel | |
| 1991 | Pyrates | Liam | Noah Stern | |
| 1991 | ' | R.B Harker | Hope Perello | Loosely based on The Howling novels by Gary Brandner |
| 1991 | Switch | The Devil | Blake Edwards | Based on George Axelrod's play Goodbye Charlie |
| 1992 | Passenger 57 | Charles Rane | Kevin Hooks | |
| 1993 | Full Eclipse | Adam Garou | Anthony Hickox | |
| 1994 | The Cisco Kid | General Martin Dupre | Luis Valdez | Based on the character created by O. Henry in his 1907 short story The Caballero's Way |
| 1994 | Necronomicon | Edward De Lapoer | Christophe Gans | Part 1 The Drowned. Loosely based on H. P. Lovecraft's short story The Rats in the Walls |
| 1995 | One Tough Bastard or One Man's Justice | Karl Savak | Kurt Wimmer | |
| 1995 | ' | Gordon Pruett | Paul Levine | |
| 1996 | Kounterfeit | Frankie | John Mallory Asher | |
| 1997 | No Contest II or Face the Evil | Jack Terry | Paul Lynch | |
| 1997 | Ravager | Cooper Wayne | James D. Deck | |
| 1999 | Sweepers | Doctor Cecil Hopper | Keoni Waxman | |
| 1999 | ' | The Warlock / Phillip Covington | Eric Freiser | |
| 2000 | ' | Jacob Kell | Doug Aarniokoski | Based on characters created by Gregory Widen |
| 2000 | Dungeons & Dragons | Damodar | Courtney Solomon | Based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game |
| 2001 | ' | Mr. Blue | Frederick Feitshans IV | A spoof of the James Bond films |
| 2001 | Ripper | Marshall Kane | John Eyres | |
| 2002 | Steal or Riders | Lieutenant Macgruder | Gerard Pires | |
| 2003 | Newton's Law | Dad | Pete Antico | Short Film |
| 2003 | Hellborn or Asylum of the Damned | Dr. McCort | Philip J. Jones | |
| 2004 | Paranoia 1.0 or One Point O | The Neighbour | Jeff Renfroe and Marteinn Thorsson | |
| 2005 | ' | Damodar | Gerry Lively | Based on the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game |
| 2007 | Messages | Doctor Robert Golding | David Fairman | |
| 2008 | Brothel | Thief/Death | Amy Waddell | |
| 2010 | Dance Star | Harry | Steven M. Smith | Short film |
| 2011 | Prowl | Bernard | Patrik Syversen | |
| 2011 | Carmen's Kiss | Michael | David Fairman | An adaptation of the Georges Bizet opera Carmen |
| 2012 | Greystone Park or The Asylum Tapes | Demon | Sean Stone | Voice role |
| 2013 | Getaway | Distinguished Man | Courtney Solomon | |
| 2013 | Vendetta | Mr Rooker | Stephen Reynolds | |
| 2013 | Victor Young Perez | Rudolf Hoess | Jacques Ouaniche | Based on the life of Victor Perez |
| 2014 | Tales of the Supernatural | Father Doyle | Steven M. Smith | |
| 2014 | Final Command | Kane | Ross Peacock | Short film |
| 2014 | Asylum | Lieutenant Sharp | Todor Chapkanov | |
| 2015 | Age of Kill | Prime Minister James Newmont | Neil Jones | |
| 2015 | Re-Kill | Winston | Valeri Milev | |
| 2015 | The Antwerp Dolls | Ray Ferrino | Jake Reid | |
| 2015 | Ripper | Jack the Ripper | James Campbell | Short film |
| 2016 | Breakdown | Peter Grainger | Jonnie Malachi | |
| 2016 | Shopping | Nick | Layke Anderson | Short film |
| 2016 | In the Morning | James | Tom Kinnersly | Short film |
| 2017 | The Rizen | Admin | Matt Mitchell | |
| 2018 | London Unplugged | Nick | Layke Anderson | Anthology film |
| 2019 | Acid Pit Stop | Jacob | Jason Wright | |
| 2020 | ' | Lord Kal | Piergiuseppe Zaia | |
| 2020 | Election Night | Dominic Drummond | Neil Monaghan | Post Production |
| 2020 | Rendel 2: Cycle of Revenge | Edward Cox | Jesse Haaja | Filming |
| 2020 | Give Them Wings | Dr Markum | Sean Cronin | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Dark Room | Dr Leonard | Vincenzo Franceschini | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Cold in the North | Martin | Neil Jones | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Codename: Adapt | Bruce Payne and Ranjeet S. Marwa | Preproduction | |
| 2020 | Romeo + Juliet | Lord Capulet | Ranjeet S. Marwa | Based on the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Preproduction |
| 2020 | Stop and Smell the Roses | Hank | Brian Skeet | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Disorientated | Mateo | Brian Skeet | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Natas Corp | Fredrik Hiller | Preproduction | |
| 2020 | Michael-The Michael Watson Story | Frank Warren | Sean Cronin | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Bharal | Sterling | Jake Reid | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Made Ordinary | Dr Andersson | Christian Kotey | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Creators: The Present | Lord Kal | Piergiuseppe Zaia | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Razor Bastard | Adrien Blackstone | Ranjeet S. Marwa | Preproduction |
| 2020 | Reflections | Will | Chris David | Short Film. Pre Production |
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
| 1997 | Lowball | Demian Lichtenstein | |
| 2018 | The Boy Who Never Came Home: A True Story | Ranjeet S. Marwa | Documentary |
| 2019 | ' | Piergiuseppe Zaia | |
| 2019 | Creators: The Present | Piergiuseppe Zaia | |
| 2020 | Codename: Adapt | Bruce Payne and Ranjeet S. Marwa | |
| 2020 | Stop and Smell the Roses | Brian Skeet | |
| 2020 | Disorientated | Brian Skeet |
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
| 2020 | ' | Piergiuseppe Zaia | Assistant Director |
| 2021 | Creators: The Present | Piergiuseppe Zaia | Assistant Director |
| 2021 | Codename: Adapt | Ranjeet S. Marwa | Collaborating Director |
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
| 2018 | The Boy Who Never Came Home: A True Story | Ranjeet S. Marwa | Executive Story Editor |
| 2020 | ' | Piergiuseppe Zaia | Story Supervisor |
| 2020 | Dark Room | Vincenzo Franceschini | Co-Writer |
| 2020 | A Little Boy's Diary | Ranjeet S. Marwa | Contributing Writer |
| 2021 | Codename: Adapt | Bruce Payne and Ranjeet S. Marwa | Co-writer |
TV appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1982 | Tales Out of School | Barratt | Episode: "Birth of a Nation" |
| 1983 | Keep it in the Family | Policeman | Episode: "A Moving Affair" |
| 1984 | West | Les | TV movie adaptation of Steven Berkoff's play |
| 1984 | The Bill | Adam March | Episode: "Clutching at Straws" |
| 1984 | Diana | Sergeant Grice | Episode 7 |
| 1984 | The Brief | Sergeant Davis RMP | Episode: "People" |
| 1985 | Operation Julie | DC Malcolm Pollard | TV movie based on Dick Lee and Chris Pratt's nonfiction book Operation Julie: How the Undercover Police Team Smashed the World's Greatest Drugs Ring |
| 1985 | Oscar | Warder Martin | Episode: "De Profundis" |
| 1987 | Lost Belongings | Simon Hunt | Episodes: "The American Friend" and "Lenny Leaps In" |
| 1987 | The Bell-Run | Pace | TV movie |
| 1987 | Miss Marple | Michael Rafiel | Episode: "Nemesis", an adaptation of Agatha Christie's 1971 novel Nemesis |
| 1988 | The Equalizer | Greg Rivers | Episode: "Eighteen with a Bullet" |
| 1989 | Storyboard | Gerald | Episode: "Snakes and Ladders" |
| 1990 | Yellowthread Street | Nick Eden | Seven episodes, series based on the Yellowthread Street novels by William Leonard Marshall |
| 1990 | Bergerac | Jake | Episode: "The Messenger Boy" |
| 1995 | Tales from the Crypt | Sergeant | Episode: "Comes the Dawn" |
| 1998 | La Femme Nikita | Jurgen | Episodes: "Approaching Zero", "Third Person", and "Spec Ops" |
| 1999 | Cleopatra | Cassius | TV movie adaptation of Margaret George's 1997 historical fiction novel The Memoirs of Cleopatra |
| 2000 | Britannic | Major Baker, MD | TV movie |
| 2000 | Apocalypse Revelation | Domitian | TV movie |
| 2003 | Dragnet | Alex Karp | Episode: "All That Glitters" |
| 2003 | Keen Eddie | Yellow | Episode: "Horse Heir" |
| 2003 | Spooks or MI-5 | Mickey Kaharias | Episode : "Smoke and Mirrors" |
| 2004 | Charmed | Leader of the Order | Episode: "Prince Charmed" |
| 2017 | Count Arthur Strong | Mr Duncan | Series 3 Episode: Arthur the Hat |
Theatre
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | Julius Caesar | Julius Caesar | Directed by Michael Croft ; play by William Shakespeare |
| 1979 | The Tale of Randy Robin | Performer | Directed by John Godber ; play by Michael Lawrence |
| 1980 | The Pillars of Society | Karsten Bernick | Directed by Glyn Idris Jones ; play by Henrik Ibsen |
| 1980 | The Recruiting Officer | Captain Plume | Directed by Euan Smith ; play by George Farquhar |
| 1980 | 'Tis Pity She's a Whore | Vasques | Directed by Adrian Noble ; play by John Ford |
| 1980 | Macbeth | Macbeth | Directed by Bruce Payne ; play by William Shakespeare |
| 1981 | No Names, No Medals | SAS Soldier | Directed by Euan Smith ; play by Euan Smith |
| 1981 | A Midsummer Night's Dream | Cobweb | Directed by Richard Digby Day ; play by William Shakespeare |
| 1982 | PIAF | Yves Montand | Directed by Jeremy Howe ; play by Pam Gems |
| 1982 | Privates on Parade | Flight sergeant Kevin Cartwright | Directed by Michael Blakemore ; play by Peter Nichols |
| 1983 | The Rocky Horror Picture Show | Frank-N-Furter | Directed by Christopher Dunham ; play by Richard O'Brien |
| 1983 | West | Les | Directed by Steven Berkoff ; play by Steven Berkoff |
| 1984 | Alice | The Inventor | Directed by Nicholas Hytner ; a musical version of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel Alice in Wonderland |
| 1988 | Greek | Eddy and Fortune-Teller | Directed by Steven Berkoff ; play by Steven Berkoff |
| Year | Title | Notes |
| 1980 | Macbeth | Play by William Shakespeare |
| 1993 | Greek | Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles; play by Steven Berkoff |
Other Media
Music Videos- Neil Young- Over and Over as a Stanley Kowalski esque character. Directed by Julien Temple.
- Budweiser Bud Ice as a sinister spokesman.