# Lance Gross
**Lance Gross** (Lance Darnell Gross, born 1981) is an American actor, producer, and photographer best known for playing Calvin Payne on [Tyler Perry](https://www.edgepedia.org/tyler-perry)'s sitcom *House of Payne* (TBS, 2006–2012, later revived) and for winning four [NAACP Image Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/naacp-image-awards) as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for that role.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) • [2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/bio/3030343963/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981, Oakland, California; birth name Lance Darnell Gross[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) |
| Signature role | Calvin Payne on *Tyler Perry's House of Payne*, 2006 onward; 317 episodes listed by IMDb[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) |
| NAACP Image Awards | Won 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013 as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series; nominated again in 2011[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/bio/3030343963/) |
| Education | Bachelor of Arts in theater, Howard University, graduated 2004[3](https://www.revolt.tv/article/2020-10-12/68249/lance-gross-advocates-for-hbcus-and-explains-how-tyler-perry-uplifts-the-black-community-with-his-success) |
| Other series roles | Daniel Reynolds on *Sleepy Hollow* (2015–2016), Marcus Finley on *Crisis* (2014), Maurice Jetter on *Star* (2017–2019), Billy Colton on *MacGyver* (2017–2019)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) |
| Films | *Meet the Browns* (2008), *Our Family Wedding* (2010), *The Last Fall* (2012), *Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor* (2013), and the *Dutch* films (2021, 2024, 2025)[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lance_gross) |
| Side career | Creator, producer, and star of the MACRO digital series *I Turn My Camera On* (Essence), combining photography with celebrity interviews[5](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross) |
## Early life and training
Gross was born and raised in [Oakland, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/oakland-california). He appeared headed for a career as a professional track and field athlete before deciding to study acting at [Howard University](https://www.edgepedia.org/howard-university), where he earned a [Bachelor of Arts](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-arts) in theater and graduated in 2004.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) • [3](https://www.revolt.tv/article/2020-10-12/68249/lance-gross-advocates-for-hbcus-and-explains-how-tyler-perry-uplifts-the-black-community-with-his-success) IMDb's biographical notes record that he turned down the opportunity of becoming a professional track and field athlete to pursue acting.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/bio/) After Howard, he trained at The Ivanna Chubbuck Studio and the Tasha Smith Acting Studio.[8](https://www.buddytv.com/actors/lance-gross/)
Two encounters launched his career. While riding an elevator at the [BET Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/bet-awards), he crossed paths with the fashion designer Karl Kani, who became interested in the would-be actor and asked him to join a photo shoot, after which modeling jobs came his way.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) Gross also appeared in music videos for performers including [Mary J. Blige](https://www.edgepedia.org/mary-j-blige) and Rihanna.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) The second break came through director Tyler Perry, who was in attendance one night when Gross performed in a class taught by Perry's friend [Tasha Smith](https://www.edgepedia.org/tasha-smith). Perry kept in touch and, a few months later, offered Gross the role of Calvin Payne, the spoiled twenty-something son of Curtis and Ella Payne, on his new series *House of Payne*.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/)
## House of Payne and the Image Awards
*Tyler Perry's House of Payne* is a comedy series about a multigenerational, working-class family living under one roof; Gross is named among the principal cast alongside [Allen Payne](https://www.edgepedia.org/allen-payne), Cassi Davis, LaVan Davis, and Tyler Perry himself.[9](https://tylerperry.com/tyler/archive/all/house-of-payne/) His character Calvin is Pops and Ella's son, described in the show's synopsis as a wise-cracking college kid with no money.[9](https://tylerperry.com/tyler/archive/all/house-of-payne/)
Beginning in 2008, Gross was nominated for five NAACP Image Awards as Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) He won in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013 and was nominated in 2011.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/bio/3030343963/) According to BET's own press materials, he is the first actor to win four NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role.[5](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross) Perry's awards archive lists his nominations in the supporting-actor comedy category for 2009, 2011, and 2013 alongside his castmates.[10](https://tylerperry.com/tyler/awards/) When the franchise continued as *The Paynes* in 2018, Gross reprised Calvin Payne in three episodes, and he returned again for the later revival of *House of Payne*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/)
## Film career
Gross's television work led directly into Perry's features. He played Michael in *Meet the Browns* (2008), his first feature film, also directed by Perry.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) In *Our Family Wedding* (2010) he played Marcus Boyd, a young doctor engaged to [America Ferrera](https://www.edgepedia.org/america-ferrera)'s character Lucia, in an ensemble that included [Forest Whitaker](https://www.edgepedia.org/forest-whitaker) and [Regina King](https://www.edgepedia.org/regina-king); Gross described Marcus as a structured young man heading to Laos to volunteer for Doctors Without Borders.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) • [11](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/lance-gross-our-family-wedding/)
He then starred as an NFL player forced to choose between his career and true love in *The Last Fall* (2012), which he also executive produced.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) • [4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lance_gross) He returned to work with Perry in *Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor* (2013), playing Brice, a pharmacist whose wife is having an affair.[6](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/) On Rotten Tomatoes, *Meet the Browns* is his highest-rated film at 33 percent with critics and 90 percent with audiences, while *Our Family Wedding* sits lowest at 15 percent with critics.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lance_gross)
## Television beyond Perry
After *House of Payne* ended its original run in 2012, Gross moved through a series of recurring roles on network drama. He played Secret Service Agent Marcus Finley on the NBC drama *Crisis* in 2014, opposite [Dermot Mulroney](https://www.edgepedia.org/dermot-mulroney), Gillian Anderson, and [Rachael Taylor](https://www.edgepedia.org/rachael-taylor).[5](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross) On Fox's *Sleepy Hollow* he was FBI Agent Daniel Reynolds for 17 episodes across 2015 and 2016.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) He was a series regular as Maurice Jetter on Fox's musical drama *Star* (34 episodes, 2017–2019) while also recurring as Billy Colton on CBS's *MacGyver* remake (6 episodes in the same years).[5](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) Guest appearances include *Grey's Anatomy*, *Hawaii Five-0*, *Royal Pains*, *The Finder*, and a 2019 episode of Amazon's *Too Old to Die Young*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) • [12](https://www.metacritic.com/person/lance-gross/)
He also starred in television movies, playing Dino opposite [Lil Mama](https://www.edgepedia.org/lil-mama) in TV One's *When Love Kills: The Falicia Blakely Story* (2017), directed by Tasha Smith, and Steven Sealy in BET's *The Bobby Brown Story* (2018).[5](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross)
## Recent and upcoming work
Gross's output since 2020 has centered on film leads and the revival of his signature sitcom. He played Tyrique Chapman across 12 episodes of Fox's *Our Kind of People* (2021–2022).[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) He then took the title role of Benard "Dutch" James in the *Dutch* film series: *Dutch* (2021), *Dutch II: Angel's Revenge* (2024), and *Dutch III: International Gangster* (2025).[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lance_gross) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/) In 2025 he appeared as Anthony in *Sugar Baby*, on which he also served as executive producer, and as Linwood Simon in *Robin Roberts Presents: I Will Survive: The Gloria Gaynor Story*.[4](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lance_gross) • [13](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/credits/3030343963/) IMDb lists *The Heart of Life* (2027) among his upcoming credits.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/)
## Photography and I Turn My Camera On
Photography is Gross's second professional identity. He describes it publicly as a hobby focused on portraiture, saying he loves capturing the beauty of Black women and often shoots people who are not professional models; he premiered a photography series titled *I Turn My Camera On* at the ESSENCE Fest Centerstage in 2017.[14](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/lance-gross-twins/) He expanded the concept into the MACRO digital series *I Turn My Camera On* on Essence, in which he photographs and interviews celebrities in his studio; season one featured Michael B. Jordan, Omari Hardwick, and Kelly Rowland, and later episodes included King Bach, Pooch Hall, and Logan Browning.[5](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross) • [14](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/lance-gross-twins/) • [15](https://www.essence.com/videos/i-turn-my-camera-episode-3-lance-gross-king-bach)
## Personal life
Gross was engaged to actress and model Eva Marcille from December 25, 2008 until their split in March 2010.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/bio/) He has been married to Rebecca Mamie Jefferson since May 23, 2015, and the couple have two children, Berkeley Brynn Gross and Lennon Lorin Gross.[7](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/bio/) According to his TV Guide profile, Gross backs several charities: Artists for a New South Africa, active in both the United States and South Africa against HIV and AIDS; Girls with Gifts, which encourages young girls to pursue their interests in art, education, and entertainment; and the RuJohn Foundation, an organization based in Jamaica that supplies educational materials to rural schools there and in certain United States cities.[2](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/bio/3030343963/)
## References
1. [Lance Gross, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/)
2. [Lance Gross Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/bio/3030343963/)
3. [Lance Gross advocates for HBCUs and explains how Tyler Perry uplifts the Black community with his success, REVOLT](https://www.revolt.tv/article/2020-10-12/68249/lance-gross-advocates-for-hbcus-and-explains-how-tyler-perry-uplifts-the-black-community-with-his-success)
4. [Lance Gross Movies & TV Shows List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/lance_gross)
5. [Paramount Press Express: BET, Tyler Perry's House of Payne, Talent, Lance Gross](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/bet/shows/tyler-perrys-house-of-payne/talent/?view=lance-gross)
6. [Lance Gross: Actor, Model, Photographer, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/lance-gross/)
7. [Lance Gross Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2342614/bio/)
8. [Lance Gross, BuddyTV](https://www.buddytv.com/actors/lance-gross/)
9. [Tyler Perry's House of Payne, TylerPerry.com archive](https://tylerperry.com/tyler/archive/all/house-of-payne/)
10. [Tyler Perry Awards archive, TylerPerry.com](https://tylerperry.com/tyler/awards/)
11. [Lance Gross Preps For Wedlock In 'Our Family Wedding', ESSENCE](https://www.essence.com/celebrity/lance-gross-our-family-wedding/)
12. [Lance Gross, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/person/lance-gross/)
13. [Lance Gross List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/lance-gross/credits/3030343963/)
14. [Lance Gross Talks Wanting Twins And New Projects At ESSENCE Fest, ESSENCE](https://www.essence.com/entertainment/lance-gross-twins/)
15. [I Turn My Camera On, Episode 3: Lance Gross Talks With King Bach, ESSENCE](https://www.essence.com/videos/i-turn-my-camera-episode-3-lance-gross-king-bach)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Go to G*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license