Khary Payton Biography: Awards, Girlfriend, Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Movies, Kids

Khary Payton is an American actor and voice artist who first drew attention with his recurring role as Dr. Terrell Jackson on the soap opera General Hospital.

He achieved wider recognition when he began portraying King Ezekiel on AMC’s The Walking Dead in 2016, delivering both dramatic presence and a memorable accent.

Simultaneously, his voice work as Cyborg in Teen Titans, Teen Titans Go!, and numerous video games, as well as Kaldur’ahm/Aqualad in Young Justice, has made him a familiar voice in the DC Animated Universe.

Profile

• Full name: Khary Ra Assalama Payton
• Date of birth: May 16, 1972
• Age: 53 years old
• Gender: Male
• Place of birth: Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
• State of origin: Georgia
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Actor, voice actor
• Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
• Weight: 70 kg (154 lbs)
• Eye color: Dark brown
• Hair color: Black
• Parents: Gwendolyn Middleton Payton (mother); Victor Payton (father)
• Siblings: One younger sister
• Spouse: Linda Braddock (m. 2001; div. 2009); Stacey Reed (m. 2010; filed for divorce 2019)
• Children: Karter Payton, Maya Payton, Eli Nkrumah
• Relationship status: Engaged to Tracy Swiatly since 2021
• Religion: Not publicly disclosed
• Ethnicity: African-American
• Net worth: US $4 million

Early Life and Education

Khary Payton was born on May 16, 1972, in Augusta, Georgia. He grew up in a creative household; his mother, Gwendolyn, worked as an artist, and his father, Victor, encouraged his early interest in performance.

At age 14, he won Showtime’s first Kid Talent Quest, introducing an animated special on the network in 1986. Payton later attended Southern Methodist University, earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre before embarking on his professional career.

Personal Life

Payton married Linda Braddock in 2001; they divorced in 2009. In 2010, he wed Stacey Reed, with whom he shares two children, Karter and Maya; they filed for divorce in 2019.

In late 2021, he and makeup artist Tracy Swiatly welcomed their son Eli Nkrumah and announced their engagement. His son Karter, born in 2010, came out as transgender in 2020, and Payton has publicly supported him through his transition.

Career

Payton began acting in 1986 with a televised introduction on Showtime and built early credits on series such as Walker, Texas Ranger, and The Shield.

He held a recurring part as Dr. Terrell Jackson on General Hospital (2011–2012) before landing the role of King Ezekiel on The Walking Dead in 2016, eventually becoming a main cast member through season eleven.

Parallel to his live-action work, he voiced Cyborg in Teen Titans and its spin-offs from 2003 onward and Kaldur’ahm/Aqualad in Young Justice, reprising Cyborg in video games such as Injustice: Gods Among Us and the animated series Teen Titans Go!.

Awards and Nominations

• Behind the Voice Actors Awards 2014 – Best Vocal Ensemble in a TV Series (Won)
• Behind the Voice Actors Awards 2015 – Best Male Vocal Performance in a TV Series – Action/Drama (Nominated)
• Saturn Awards 2018 – Best Supporting Actor on a Television Series (Nominated)

Net worth

Khary Payton’s net worth is estimated at US $4 million, accumulated through his extensive work in television, film, and voice acting across major franchises.

Social Media

• Instagram: @kharypayton
• X: @kharypayton

Filmography

• Walker, Texas Ranger (guest)
• Hannah Montana (guest)
• How I Met Your Mother (guest)
• Medium (guest)
• CSI: Miami (guest)
• General Hospital (2011–2012)
• The Walking Dead (2016–2022)
• Teen Titans (voice)
• Teen Titans Go! (voice)
• Young Justice (voice)
• Justice League (voice)
• Invincible (voice)