What is LaVan Davis?
{{Infobox person | name = LaVan Davis | image =LaVan Davis 2018.jpg | caption = Man Talk: The Quiet Storm, 2018 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1966|9|21}} | birth_place = [[Atlanta, Georgia]] | nationality = American | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = Actor, comedian, singer | years_active = 1998–present | spouse = | domesticpartner = }} '''LaVan Davis''' (born September 21, 1966) is an American [[singing|singer]], [[comedian]], and [[actor]] best known for his starring role as [[Curtis Payne]] on the [[TBS (U.S. TV channel)|TBS]] [[comedy-drama]] ''[[Tyler Perry's House of Payne]]'' and on the [[Oprah Winfrey Network|OWN]] [[comedy-drama]] ''[[The Paynes|Tyler Perry's The Paynes]]''.<ref name=tbs>{{cite web| title =Tyler Perry's House of Payne| publisher =TBS| url =http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,76384,00.html| access-date =2008-08-17| archive-date =2008-11-21| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20081121121145/http://www.tbs.com/stories/story/0,,76384,00.html| url-status =dead}}</ref> Davis has also played many roles in [[Tyler Perry]]'s various productions. ==Career== Davis' acting career began in 2004 with his first role as Leroy in the film, ''[[Mindbenders (film)|Mindbenders]]''.<ref name=tbs/> In 2005, he made a guest appearance in a two episodes of ''[[Everybody Hates Chris]]'' as a preacher. The following year, Davis was cast as the cranky patriarch of the Payne family, Curtis Payne, in the [[TBS (American TV channel)|TBS]] sitcom ''[[Tyler Perry's House of Payne]]''. Davis worked with Perry again in two of his feature films including ''[[Daddy's Little Girls]]'' in 2007 and ''[[Meet the Browns (film)|Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns]]'' in 2008. In addition to his work in films and television, Davis has also appeared in the stage plays ''[[Why Did I Get Married? (play)|Why Did I Get Married?]]'' as Poppy, and ''[[Madea Goes t