ANNIE-GRACE
PAYNE

Hey there! I’m Annie-Grace Payne (you can call me Annie-Grace or AG) and I’m a New York based actress working in film/tv and theatre. 

 

How I got here is a very adorable tale. When I was in the second grade, a production of The Wizard of Oz came to my hometown. They invited kids from a local dance studio to join the show as munchkins for one night only. Enter me: a local dance studio kid. I was a very shy kid. I preferred for no one to look at me or notice me. So imagine the terror I felt when I walk into dance class one day and the teacther asks me to sing my ABC’s right then and there. In front of everyone. I was not that kind of girly pop. And yet, for whatever magical reason, that usual sense of fear subsided. There was a louder voice in my head telling me that this was important and I needed to be brave and just go for it. So I did it. Stepped out of my comfort zone for the very first time and went for it. It wasn’t until after everyone else shuffled into class and faced their ABCs riddle, that I learned that all of this was a surprise audition to be a munchkin in The Wizard of Oz. Those who decided not to sing did not get to participate, but those who did got to be in the musical. And the rest as they say, is history.

 

Now I'm living out the dream my younger self discovered that day. And I'm forever grateful for it. I'm passionate about telling stories that start conversation, inspire change, and make people feel connected. The cherry on top is when I can make someone laugh :) Some highlights include the Off-Broadway play Shadows that premiered at A.R.T./New York Theatres, the Brick Wall short film that played at the New York Shorts International Film Festival, and The Time of Nick AEA Original Workshop. Check out more of what I've been up to below!

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