China Anne McClain

At 26 years old, China Anne McClain has this physical status:

China Anne McClain (born August 25, 1998) is an American actress and singer.

She is a member of the sister girl group McClain.

McClain's career began in 2005 when she was seven years old, acting in the film The Gospel (2005).

She also played China James in Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls (2007), along with Idris Elba and her two sisters.

However, she became nationally known after 2007, when she joined the cast of the series Tyler Perry's House of Payne as Jazmine Payne.

In 2010, she co-starred in Grown Ups (2010) as Charlotte McKenzie.

McClain became internationally known after starring in the Disney Channel original television series A.N.T.

Farm, landing the role as Chyna Parks, from 2011 to 2014.

Disney released the soundtrack of the television series A.N.T.

Farm on October 11, 2011. McClain sings six songs and two solos with her sisters on the soundtrack, which debuted in the Billboard 200 at number 29 with 14,000 copies sold in its first week.

On the soundtrack, McClain sang her version of Taio Cruz's "Dynamite." The release containing the song "Calling All the Monsters" reached the eighty-sixth spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

McClain was a co-star in the 2013 sequel Grown Ups 2.

In 2014, she appeared on the reality singing competition series, ABC's Sing Your Face Off and was the youngest contestant on the show, winning the show's only season.

McClain starred as Gabby Harrison in the Disney Channel original movie How to Build a Better Boy (2014) with Kelli Berglund.

She also appears as the main villain Uma in the Disney Channel Original movie Descendants 2 (2017), playing Ursula's daughter and continued playing the role in Descendants 3. In 2018, McClain began portraying Jennifer Pierce in The CW superhero series Black Lightning.

She also returned to her character (Jazmine Payne), as a recurring cast member in OWN's Tyler Perry’s The Paynes.

Early life

China Anne McClain was born on August 25, 1998 and raised in Decatur, Georgia. Her father, Michael McClain, is a music producer who produced a track on Solange Knowles' debut album Solo Star (2002). Her mother, Shontell, is a songwriter and former screenwriter. She has two older sisters, Sierra and Lauryn, who are also actresses and singers, and has a younger brother, Gabriel.

Personal life

In 2014, Lauryn and China created a YouTube channel where they posted singing videos, challenges, tags, and Q&As. Sierra appeared in several of the channel's videos. As of August 2020, the channel has approximately 701,000 subscribers and 29 million views. They have since renamed the channel Thriii.

As of 2011, she resided in Los Angeles. McClain cites her parents as her biggest influences.

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Career

McClain was discovered in 2005 by a music executive who heard her singing and encouraged director Rob Hardy to audition her for his 2005 film The Gospel. McClain appeared in the Disney Channel Original Movie Jump In! After catching Tyler Perry's interest, she (2007) and won a role but decided against appearing in Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2007–present) as Jazmine Payne. In the years to come, Disney spent time with McClain, booking many guest appearances. Sierra and Lauryn, two sisters who are also actresses, appeared in the film Daddy's Little Girls (2007) with her sister Sierra and Lauryn, who are also actors and played her older sisters.

McClain appeared in many other television series and films, including Hannah Montana (2009) with future co-star Sierra McCormick, NCIS (2009), and the film Hurricane Season (2009). With future co-stars McCormick and Jake Short, McClain booked the leading role in the Disney Channel pilot Jack and Janet Save the Planet in 2009. The pilot was not picked up and never broadcast. Charlotte McKenzie, Chris Rock's daughter and Maya Rudolph's daughter, appeared in the film Grown Ups (2010). McClain appeared on Disney Channel show Jonas (2010) as Kiara, as Kiara, and on the show's soundtrack album, "Your Biggest Fan" appeared alongside Nick Jonas.

McClain guest appeared on Wizards of Waverly Place (2011) in February 2011. In May, McClain was named for Best Performance – Actress of Comedy – for her appearance as Jazmine Payne. McClain appeared in the Disney Channel series A.N.T. later this year, Chyna Parks was the lead role. Disney penned Farm, which Disney arranged for her. "Exceptional" was performed and written by the singer. McClain produced a preview of Taio Cruz's "Dynamite," for which the music video earned more than 1 million views in less than a week after its release on YouTube. In a PrankStars episode (2011), she appeared. In 2011, she performed "Calling All the Monsters" in a Disney Channel Halloween special. McClain and her sisters, also known as the McClain Sisters, signed with Hollywood Records on June 14, 2011.

The A.N.T. On October 11, 2011, McClain's version of "Dynamite" and her original song "Calling All the Monsters" were among other songs performed by her on the show and new songs performed by several of her fellow cast members, as well as two songs performed by the McClain Sisters. The soundtrack for the movie was well-received, peaking at number 29 on the US Billboard 200 in 2011, peaking at number 2 on the US Top Soundtracks, with 14,000 copies sold within the first week of release. McClain's "Calling All the Monsters" was released to iTunes on September 28, 2011. On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, "Calling All the Monsters" charted at number 86, and the first week of its introduction, it received 25,000 downloads in just a week. McClain earned a J-14 Teen Icon Award nomination for Icon of Tomorrow in the same month.

McClain spoke with then First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House on November 10, 2011, boosting the Joining Forces campaign, which honors America's military families and children, as well as Veterans Day. McClain appeared at the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival in Chicago on November 19, 2011. On the 85th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (2011), she performed her song "Unstoppable" on November 24, 2011. McClain and her siblings, Sierra and Lauryn, performed their version of "Jingle Bell Rock" at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade in December.

McClain performed her song "Unstoppable" on February 2012 and appeared in So Random! She was nominated for Outstanding Achievement by a Youth in the United Nations Youth Award later this month for her role as Chyna Parks in A.N.T. Farm. McClain appeared on Better With U Tour in Houston on March 4, 2012, she and her sister Bellain were the first acts to perform alongside her sisters. The McClain Sisters performed their new song "Reise," which was included in the Disneynature film Chimpanzee, at the Mall of America on March 11, 2012. The album was first released on March 23, 2012. During an episode of Austin & Ally, the music video premiered on March 25, 2012. It was also a featured song on Disney's Friends for Change.

McClain performed the theme tune for the first three seasons of the Disney Channel children's television series Doc McStuffins, which premiered on March 23, 2012, and later that year as Tisha McStuffins, the main character's cousin. McClain and her siblings appeared at the 2012 White House Easter Egg Roll on April 9, 2012. McClain received a nomination for another J-14 Teen Icon Award as an Iconic Triple Threat in September. In December, it was revealed that she had been nominated for yet another NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Contribution by a Youth for A.N.T. Farm. In 2012, Billboard selected her as the sixth best-selling artist for digital children's songs.

McClain was one of the 2013 Radio Disney Music Awards presenters. Charlotte McKenzie reprised her role in the 2013 sequel Grown Ups 2. A.N.T. was announced on Twitter on December 27, 2013. After its third season, the farm will be closed. On March 21, 2014, the series's finale aired. On the same day, it was revealed that the McClain Sisters had left Hollywood Records. The McClain Sisters shortened their name to simply McClain, according to their last names.

McClain said in the BYOU magazine's March/April 2014 issue, it was "bittersweet" that A.N.T Farm was closing down, but that she and her siblings would continue to concentrate on doing music. McClain received both the NAMIC Vision Award for Outstanding Performance by a Youth in 2014 and the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Achievement by a Youth in the series.

McClain's appearance on ABC's Sing Your Face Off (2004) announced in April 2014 that he would compete as one of the celebrity contestants. She appeared on stage from May to June of that year, appearing as many well-known artists: Rihanna, Tina Turner, Michael Jackson, Alicia Keys, James Brown, and Whitney Houston; she was named in the show's first and only season. McClain appeared in the Disney Channel television film How to Build a Better Boy (2014) alongside Kelli Berglund and released the single "Something Real" in the film in August. McClain received a Gold medal at the National Association for Outstanding Achievement by a Youth for her efforts. McClain hosted Arthur Ashe Kids' Day in August 2014 and performed with her sisters. McClain guest appeared on R.L. in November 2014. The Haunted Hour in Stine's "Argh V" takes place on the episode "Argh V" in "Argh V."

McClain appeared in FOX's Bones (2015), playing Kathryn Walling. On the soundtrack for the Disney Channel Original Movie Descendants, McClain sang "Night is Young." Descendants: Wicked World (2015). Freddie, Dr. Facilier's daughter, was the daughter of the actress. Lauryn McClain, her sister, narrated the story for season two. In the 3D computer-animated action-drama film Bilal: A New Breed of Hero (2015), McClain played Ghufaira. She went on to perform as Lyra in the English version of The Night Shift, and appeared in a voice role. At the Disney Parks Presents: A Descendants Magical Holiday Celebration, McClain performed her cover of "This Christmas" on November 25, 2016.

In April 2017, she was named an award presenter at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. Variety named Jennifer Pierce as one of the "10 TV Stars to Watch in 2017" for her role as Jennifer Pierce in her then-upcoming 2018 television series Black Lightning. Descendants 2 premiered in July, in which she played the villain Uma, Ursula's daughter. With 500,000 units sold on November 10, 2017, the film's single "What's My Name" from the film reached the top on several Billboard charts and was named gold. Sheena on K.C. appeared as Sheena. Meg appeared in Lifetime's Ten: Murder Island (2017), which she also produced, undercover (2017).

McClain started playing Jennifer Pierce on The CW in January 2018, and she reprised her role as Jazmine Payne on The Paynes (2018). She reprised her role as Uma in the television short film Under the Sea: A Descendants Short Story later this year. She appeared in the action thriller film Blood Brother in November, opposite Trey Songz and Ron Killings. During a season two episode of Black Lightning, McClain performed her original song "Young Guns."

McClain reprised her role as Uma in Descendants 3 in August 2019. On February 20, it was announced that Tyler Perry's House of Payne would be revived on BET. Her girl group renamed Thriii in June 2020 and appeared at Radio Disney Presents ARDYs Summer Playlist. Tyler Perry's House of Payne will premiere in September 2, 2020, according to a tweet on August 20. McClain appeared in Hubie Halloween later this year.

McClain left Black Lightning in March 2021, and her role with Laura Kariuki was recast. McClain did not appear in the series's finale, however, she did reprise her role later in the series.

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