The World Is Chyna’s Canvas

Chyna’s Words Of Wisdom: “Against all odds. Fall back on nothing. Pursue what you love.�

Our Model Of The Day

 

Where She’s From: Lovely actress Chyna Layne, a Scorpio, was born in the Philippines, where her father met my mom while serving in the army.

“We moved to Jamaica, Queens where I was raised as well as East New York, Brooklyn. My sister, Caprice, always taught me not to let anyone else’s negative actions have a negative effect on me,” she tells The Black Star.

Chyna studied at different repertory companies, including the CityKids Repertory Company under Alex Atkinson and Jamal Joseph. She also studied at the Black Spectrum Theater, Negro Ensemble Company and the African-American Theater of Harlem.
 
“CityKids gave me my professional start as a kid and I just kept honing my craft, taking in everything I could from different theater programs,” she explains. “I’ve also studied at the Atlantic Acting School.”


Where She’s At:
“I am being recognized as a skilled and versatile actress. Having done over 30 indie films and it feels great that my hard work is beginning to pay off,” Chyna says. “I want my first name to be written in the same sentence as the greats:  Sidney, Denzel, Halle, Diahann, Cicely, Hatte…I want to produce and star in films that are important and life-changing, especially to the Black community.”

“Sometimes, it’s hard to relive painful memories from my past in order to become emotionally involved in a character’s difficult life,” the talented actress continues, when asked about challenges. “I wouldn’t know how to stop crying or I would go home and continue crying long after the scene has been wrapped. Then one day, I was speaking with a writer about how emotionally draining acting can be. She told me that I should look at these moments as being therapeutic rather than draining. Now, I’m crying all the time. Apparently, I have a lot of issues,” she adds, with a laugh.

Chyna has scored numerous accomplishments, including playing the role of the young Jamaican woman named Deyah Kingston, who is HIV-positive in the HBO film, Life Support, with Queen Latifah. She recently produced her first feature, A Deeper Love. 

“It’s a faith-based film about love and how we, sometimes, find ourselves through love,” she explains. “It was written by Darrell Smith and also stars my acting partner, Rayan Lawrence. I’ve done four hilarious commercials for Dr. Miracle Hair Relaxer and have a Dunkin Donuts commercial directed by Zach Braff that will be airing soon. Out of thousands nationwide, I placed top 20 in the TNT Dramatic Auditions Competition. I’ve done over 30 independent films to date and I’m proud of them all.”
 
So how does this talent who is definitely going places prepare to step out?

“I love Gucci and Christian Dior shoes because they’re both funky, sexy and unique. When it comes to jeans, I like ‘em funky with just the right amount of holes. So, I wear Rock n Republic, True Religion and Antik,” she tells The Black Star. “My stylist, Ionia Lee has turned me into a complete lady. So, my past red carpet dresses have included Jean Paul Gaultier, Stella McCartney and BCBG Max Azria. I wear Pleasures perfume by Estee Lauder during the winter because I love that it smells like real flowers. And, the guys love it. During the summer, I wear something tropical by Escada.”

“We run tings – tings nuh run we,” is a sentence that captures Chyna’s essence.

Chyna’s Words Of Wisdom: “Against all odds. Fall back on nothing. Pursue what you love.”
Chyna’s Secrets Of Success: “I pray for understanding and thank God for the good and the bad. I have a strong circle of family and friends who keep me grounded – and are not in the entertainment industry. I know that no love that I ever experience on screen could ever be greater than the love I have from my family and friends at home.”

Chyna’s Favorite Three Movies: “Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Darrell Smith’s A Deeper Love, and Claudine.”
Chyna’s Favorite Three Books: “The Bible; The Bondswoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts, Henry Louis Gates, Jr.; and, This Angel Has Wings by Caprice Bush.”
Three Leaders That Have Most Inspired Chyna: “Harriet Tubman; Barack Obama; and, my mom, Sharon Bush.”
The First Three Things Chyna Would Do As President: “Bring all of our soldiers home from Iraq; allocate more money to education rather than defense; and, strengthen legislation that supports pro-choice.”
Chyna’s Five Favorite Musicians And Songs: “Tracy Spencer – Tender Kisses;
En Vogue – Hold On; Janet Jackson – Control; Mariah Carey – Breakdown; and, Mona Lisa – You Can’t Be Wasting My Time.”

A Short Chyna Story: “My mom, Sharon Bush, is such an amazing person and orator.  When she speaks, she moves mountains.  When she sets a goal, she achieves it.  My sister, Caprice Bush, was tragically taken away from us on July 10, 2003 while waiting on a median, trying to cross Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens, New York with her friend, Sharon Rivers. 
As she has worked as an organizer for ACORN Housing and had run for City Council in the past, my mom is no stranger to politics. She’s been fighting for Queens Boulevard to be re-engineered for pedestrian safety. On July 10, 2007, the city unveiled the renaming of 78th Avenue and Queens Boulevard to Sharon Michele Rivers and Caprice Antoinette Bush Memorial Way. It was the step in the right direction for New York City to apologize and begin the mending process but she still continues her relentless fight to prevent more deaths on Queens Boulevard.  She’s a mother to four but a hero to all.”

To find out more about this multi-talented beautiful actor please contact her publicist Sharra Dade of 3-D Platform, Inc. at [email protected]  also visit www.chynalayne.com and www.myspace.com/chynalayne

 

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