CJ Perry

Catherine Joy “CJ” Perry was born on March 24, 1985, in Gainesville, Florida, and spent a significant part of her childhood in the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, where her father worked as a Christian missionary. This early international experience instilled in her a strong work ethic. From a young age, Perry pursued professional ballet, training at the Riga Choreography School and dancing with the Latvian National Ballet by age 14. At 17, she returned to the United States, training at prestigious dance institutions in New York City before enrolling at Florida State University, where she majored in dance and acting. While at FSU, she gained recognition as one of the “FSU Cowgirls,” which led to modeling opportunities with brands like RIDGID Tool and Red Bull.

Perry transitioned into entertainment, joining the girl group No Means Yes in 2009, recording a single and other tracks before the group disbanded a year later. She also worked as a backup dancer for prominent artists such as Keri Hilson, Nelly, Pink, and Usher. Her acting career began with roles in television shows like “The Game” and “Banshee,” and films including “Pitch Perfect” (2012) and “Pitch Perfect 2” (2015) for Universal. In 2013, Perry signed with WWE, adopting the ring name Lana and initially serving as the “social ambassador” for Alexander Rusev, managing him on NXT, SmackDown, and Raw until 2016. During this period, she developed a persona known for her Russian accent and anti-American rhetoric, generating significant audience reaction.

From 2016 to 2021, Lana transitioned into a more active in-ring wrestling role within WWE, participating in significant events such as WrestleMania 32, numerous Royal Rumble matches, and storyline rivalries. She also appeared in the WWE Studios film “Interrogation” (2016) alongside Adam “Edge” Copeland and was a main cast member for several seasons of E!’s reality series “Total Divas.” After her WWE release in 2021, Perry appeared in the sci-fi feature film “Cosmic Sin” (2021) and the thriller “Wifelike” (2022). In 2023, she debuted with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as “CJ,” managing her husband Miro and later Andrade El Idolo. In April 2025, Perry re-signed with WWE under a “Legends” contract, indicating a continued connection with the company.