Photo of Chyna
Acting

Chyna

Profession
Acting
Born
December 27, 1969 · Rochester, New York, USA
Died
April 20, 2016

Biography

Chyna (born as Joan Marie Laurer) was an American professional wrestler, fitness model, bodybuilder, actress, adult actress, and television personality. Born in Rochester, New York, Chyna first rose to prominence in the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1997, where she was billed as "The Ninth Wonder of the World" (André the Giant was already billed as the eighth). A founding member of the stable D-Generation X as the promotion's first female enforcer, she held the WWF Intercontinental Championship twice and the WWF Women's Championship once. She was also the first woman to participate in the Royal Rumble match and King of the Ring tournament, in addition to becoming number one contender to the WWF Championship. She is considered one of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era. With singles victories over several prominent male wrestlers – including multiple-time world champions Triple H, Kurt Angle, Chris Jericho and Jeff Jarrett – she left what WWE called "a lasting legacy as the most dominant female competitor of all time". After leaving the WWF in 2001, she wrestled sporadically, with New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2011. The latter was her final appearance in the ring. Outside of wrestling, Chyna appeared in Playboy magazine twice, plus numerous television shows and films. She was considered a sex symbol. In 2005, she was a cast member on VH1's The Surreal Life, which led to several other celebrity reality appearances on the network, including The Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007 and Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008. Chyna was also known for her tumultuous relationship with fellow wrestler Sean Waltman. In November 2007, she legally changed her name to Chyna and from early 2012 until mid-2015, she taught English in Japan. In 2019, Chyna was posthumously entered into the WWE Hall of Fame as a member of D-Generation X, making her the first woman to be inducted as a part of a group or team.

Known for

Sabrina, the Teenage Witch poster
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Series · 1996 · ★ 7.8
3rd Rock from the Sun poster
3rd Rock from the Sun
Series · 1996 · ★ 7.5
Celebrity Deathmatch poster
Celebrity Deathmatch
Series · 1998 · ★ 7.5
Whose Line Is It Anyway? poster
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Series · 1998 · ★ 7.9
Raw poster
Raw
Series · 1993 · ★ 6.8
WWE Friday Night SmackDown poster
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
Series · 1999 · ★ 7.4
Relic Hunter poster
Relic Hunter
Series · 1999 · ★ 6.8
Late Night with Conan O'Brien poster
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Series · 1993 · ★ 7.3
MADtv poster
MADtv
Series · 1995 · ★ 7.1
Brown Sugar poster
Brown Sugar
Film · 2002 · ★ 6.7
Beyond the Mat poster
Beyond the Mat
Film · 1999 · ★ 7.3
Pacific Blue poster
Pacific Blue
Series · 1996 · ★ 5.3

Filmography