Khary Payton is an American actor and voice artist born on May 16, 1972 in Augusta, Georgia. He developed an early interest in performance, studying acting and directing at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre. Before moving to Hollywood, he spent several years performing in classical and experimental theatre in Texas.

Payton is widely recognized for his extensive voice work in animation. He is best known as the voice of Cyborg in the DC animated universe, a role he originated in the series Teen Titans in 2003 and has continued to play for nearly two decades, including in the spin-off series Teen Titans Go!, numerous films, and video games. In the acclaimed series Young Justice, he voices the hero Kaldur'ahm, also known as Aqualad.

His work as a voice actor spans several major Western animated productions that are heavily influenced by anime and Japanese storytelling styles. Payton provides the voice of Wasabi in Big Hero 6: The Series, a show based on the Marvel comics and the Disney film, which itself was inspired by Japanese culture and anime aesthetics. In the animated adaptation of the superhero comic Invincible, he voices the character Black Samson. He also voiced the character Creature in the 2000 anime film Blood: The Last Vampire. Payton took on the roles of Grimlock, Bisk, and the Anchorman in the series Transformers: Robots in Disguise, a franchise that originated in Japan. He voiced the Penguin King in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.

Beyond these roles, Payton has had recurring voice parts in many other animated series. He voiced Rafiki in The Lion Guard, Hex in the Ben 10 franchise, and has made guest appearances in shows such as Justice League, Codename: Kids Next Door, and Scooby-Doo. His voice acting is also prominent in the video game industry, with credits including Drebin in Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots, roles in the Batman: Arkham series, and as a voice in The Sims.

Parallel to his voice work, Payton has a successful live-action career. He is known for playing King Ezekiel on the long-running horror drama series The Walking Dead and had a recurring role as Dr. Terrell Jackson on the daytime soap opera General Hospital. In his early career, he was a winner of Showtime's first annual Kid Talent Quest in 1986. He also co-wrote, produced, and starred in the independent science fiction film Astronaut: The Last Push, which won multiple awards on the film festival circuit. For his work, Payton has received nominations from the Behind the Voice Actors Awards and the Saturn Awards.