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United States China Anne McClain has established herself as an accomplished actress and singer, known for her diverse roles across film and television and her musical contributions.
China Anne McClain, along with her sisters Sierra and Lauryn (as the McClain Sisters, later Thriii), signed a record deal with Hollywood Records in June 2011 to release music as both a solo artist and a group. This partnership facilitated the release of her debut solo single "Dynamite" and other tracks associated with her Disney Channel work.
China Anne McClain has had an extensive partnership with Disney Channel, starring in multiple successful projects. This includes her lead role as Chyna Parks in the television series "A.N.T. Farm" (2011-2014), where she also performed the theme song, and her role as Uma in the "Descendants" musical film franchise (2017-2024). She also contributed to the "Descendants: Wicked World" animated series and various Disney Channel music releases. She also had an uncredited cameo in "Jonas" (2010), and "Wizards of Waverly Place" (2011).
China Anne McClain participated as a celebrity contestant on ABC's reality competition show "Sing Your Face Off" in 2014, where she imitated famous singers and ultimately won the season.
McClain starred as Jennifer Pierce / Lightning in The CW's superhero drama series "Black Lightning" from 2018 to 2021, playing a significant role throughout the series' run.
China Anne McClain was part of the ensemble cast for the Netflix comedy film "Hubie Halloween," released in 2020.
August 25, 1998, saw the birth of China Anne McClain in Decatur, Georgia. Her family was artistically inclined; her father, Michael McClain, worked as a music producer, vocalist, writer, and sound engineer, notably producing a track for Solange Knowles. Her mother, Shontell, was a vocalist and songwriter. China Anne, along with her two older sisters, Sierra and Lauryn, formed a singing group. McClain’s career commenced at the age of seven when she was discovered by a music executive. This led to her auditioning for and securing the role of Alexis in the 2005 film “The Gospel.” Following this, she took on the role of China James in “Daddy’s Little Girls” in 2007, a movie that also featured her sisters. That same year, she began her long-standing role as Jazmine Payne in “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne,” a role she has reprised in later iterations of the series through 2025.
Her career continued to advance with her portrayal of Charlotte McKenzie in the 2010 film “Grown Ups” and its 2013 sequel, “Grown Ups 2.” A significant turning point in her career came in 2011 when she was cast as the lead, Chyna Parks, in the Disney Channel series “A.N.T. Farm,” a role that showcased both her acting and singing talents. She performed and composed the series’ theme song, “Exceptional.” During this period, she signed with Hollywood Records as a solo artist and as part of her sister group, then known as the McClain Sisters. Her single “Calling All the Monsters” from “A.N.T. Farm” achieved commercial success, charting on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2014, after “A.N.T. Farm” concluded, she won the NAMIC Vision Award for Best Performance – Actress of Comedy and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth. She also won ABC’s “Sing Your Face Off” where she impersonated various iconic singers.
More recently, McClain gained international recognition for her role as Uma, the villain in the Disney Channel films “Descendants 2” (2017), “Descendants 3” (2019), and “Descendants: The Rise of Red” (2024). Her song “What’s My Name” from “Descendants 2” achieved gold certification. From 2018 to 2021, she starred as Jennifer Pierce / Lightning in The CW’s superhero series “Black Lightning.” In 2020, her musical group with her sisters rebranded as Thriii. McClain maintains an active presence across multiple entertainment platforms, including music and acting, further diversifying her career.
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