Chyna Lane

Chyna Layne was raised in Jamaica, Queens, and East New York, Brooklyn, born to a Jamaican father and a Filipina mother. Her passion for acting was ignited at a young age by her late Uncle Neville’s storytelling. She began her professional training with the CityKids Repertory Company, where she performed alongside notable figures such as Robin Williams and Demi Moore. Layne further honed her craft at the Black Spectrum Theatre, where she received a full scholarship and an Audelco Award for Best Ensemble in the musical ‘A Trip to Nowhere.’ Her training continued with the African American Theater of Harlem, the Negro Ensemble Company, and the Atlantic Acting School.

Layne made her screen debut in the 2007 HBO made-for-television movie ‘Life Support,’ executive produced by Jamie Foxx and Queen Latifah. The same year, she took on a leading role and served as a producer in the independent drama film ‘A Deeper Love.’ Her filmography expanded with roles in ‘Cadillac Records’ (2008), ‘Precious’ (2009), ‘Life of Crime’ (2013), and ‘The First Purge’ (2018). On television, Layne has appeared in ‘Workaholics’ (2015), ‘Major Crimes’ (2016), ‘Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!’ (2021), ‘Tales’ (2022), and ‘Power Book III: Raising Kanan’ (2022).

From 2017 to 2019, Layne starred as Shemekka Epps in the Netflix comedy-drama series ‘She’s Gotta Have It,’ transitioning from a recurring to a main cast member in its second season. In 2023, she took on the lead role of Judge Zelma Jay Johnson and served as an executive producer for the Allblk legal drama series ‘Judge Me Not,’ a series loosely based on the life of Judge Lynn Toler. Chyna Layne is also a skilled martial artist, studying eskrima and wushu, and has performed her own stunts in action features such as ‘Shaolyn Jones’ and ‘The Chyna Layne Chronicles.’ She co-founded Lawrence Layne Productions with Rayan Lawrence, developing projects like the romantic feature ‘A Deeper Love’ and the thriller short ‘Blue Mountain Lake,’ where she made her screenwriting debut.