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Walker Stalker Con: A chat with Khary Payton

By Tracey Phillipps

Actor Khary Payton speaks with Undead Walking contributer Tracey Phillipps at Walker Stalker Con AtlantaPhoto credit: Carter Phillipps
Actor Khary Payton speaks with Undead Walking contributer Tracey Phillipps at Walker Stalker Con AtlantaPhoto credit: Carter Phillipps /
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Khary Payton — winning smile, winning personality!

Walker Stalker Con Atlanta was a whirlwind of excitement. One of my highlights was the opportunity to speak with The Walking Dead‘s Khary Payton, who plays King Ezekiel.

First things first, Khary politely corrected me on the pronunciation of his name.  It is pronounced “Car-ee”, not “Care-ee”.  So now you know how to greet him when YOU meet him at Walker Stalker Con.

Undead Walking had the opportunity to ask Mr. Payton a question at his table. After careful consideration, I settled on an inquiry about the dynamic between the King Ezekiel actor and his CGI companion, Shiva. And then a bit of hilarity ensued!

I asked Khary what it felt like relating on screen to a CGI tiger?

He promptly asked “What do you mean CGI? Who told you that? There’s no CGI.”

Right, wink-wink. (Full disclosure, he actually had me for a second thinking I had it all wrong!)

Khary continued on with his charade explaining how he would get settled at his mark in the scene and once he was ready then he would say the tiger could come in.

I commented “So it sounds like you are the one running the show here? You are calling the shots in this relationship.”

“That’s right!” he beamed flashing a big smile.

And I was smiling right back at him.  His fun personality is contagious.

Ezekiel and Shiva. The Walking Dead Season 7 trailer. AMC
Ezekiel and Shiva. The Walking Dead Season 7 trailer. AMC /

Clearly, Khary has a lot of fun insisting that Shiva is an actual living, breathing tiger on set.  He professed it again as a guest on Talking Dead right after episode 2 of season 7 where his character King Ezekiel was introduced.

I suspect Khary will keep campaigning for us to agree that he is working with a real tiger.  I mean, his character is convincing a whole community that he should be treated as a king, after all.

Truthfully, I am sure Shiva is very real to him, no matter her form.  His performance is proof of that. I for one saw a very believable kinship on screen.

Next: The Walking Dead: a recap of The Well

If you are at a Walker Stalker Con where Khary Payton is scheduled to be a guest, I whole-heartedly recommend that you meet him!

The next Walker Stalker Con will be held in Charlotte, NC Dec. 17 & 18.

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