(Photo by Chad Buchanan/Getty Images)
Carl Anthony Payne is best known for his role as “Cole Brown” on the Fox network TV series Martin and his recurring role as Theo Huxtable’s best friend Cockroach on the NBC series The Cosby Show. Payne also played Reynaldo St. James on the BET series The Game and the super music producer L.A. Reid in a BET miniseries.
After the shows went into syndication, Carl kept himself quite busy in the entertainment industry even after the series came to its end in 1997, taking gigs in “Jack & Jill,” “Rock Me, Baby,” “Clunkers,” and “For Richer or Poorer.”
Although “Martin” has been the most successful project on which Carl has worked so far, there was one negative thing that affected his job at the time: his relationship with the “Bad Boys” star Martin Lawrence.
During a conversation that Carl Anthony Payne II had with This Is 50 back in 2015, he pointed out that he and the rest of the cast of the show were like a family, and that “families fight” sometimes.
He added that, initially, he did not have any problems with Martin. He said the set of “Martin” was a great place to work for a long time. However, when his issues with Martin started, it became “not so great.” Since the star of the show began mistreating him and picking on him “real hard,” Carl “developed an issue.”
“We had issues,” Payne confessed. “[Martin] had issues with himself, really. I think he was battling his own demons. I wish him nothing but the best. He’s better now.”
With two of his main roles being seen worldwide, Payne gets a lot of feedback from fans. “Entertainment is the way people have gotten through rough times like the great depression. I get so many messages from people who tell me ‘Man, you don’t know how your character helped me get through stuff'”.
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It is because of comments like those and his religious background that Payne decided to pay it forward. Every year, his company makes it a mission to provide as many people in need so they target the homeless in Atlanta who may have depression or mental issues.
“I do a lot of outreach to the homeless and I guarantee that there is a lot more people who are unaccounted for who suffer from depression. But doing something for them is better than doing nothing,” explains Payne.
Now, at age 53, Payne says, “Let’s understand that a lot of comedians comedy comes from pain. They also are playing characters…
… the majority of the time you see them, so you rarely see their true self. You never truly know what a person is going through.”
“For me, meditation helps. You can meditate in the bathroom, in the car–whatever’s comfortable for you,” Payne goes on to say. “Also, compartmentalizing and prioritizing helps. You have to be aware that someone’s negative energy doesn’t impact you.”
Payne continues to direct and produce music videos, web series and short films, all while doing tours across the country as a stand up comic.
“Everybody’s happy place is somewhere different. But everyone usually feels happier when they are healthy. So eat right, exercise, move around. You start to feel better once you start taking steps to being healthy. Once you look better, you feel better.”
Here’s one of his most memorable roles https://youtu.be/vq3uK3i4_gA
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