China Anne McClain facts for kids

Quick facts for kids China Anne McClain
McClain at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1998-08-25) August 25, 1998 (age 26) Decatur, Georgia, U.S.
Other names	China McClain
Occupation	Actress singer
Works	Discography
Relatives	Sierra McClain (sister) Lauryn McClain (sister)
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop
Instruments	Vocals, violin
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Hollywood
Associated acts	Thriii

China Anne McClain (born August 25, 1998) is an American actress and singer. She started her acting career at just seven years old. She appeared in the movie The Gospel (2005) and later in Daddy's Little Girls (2007).

Many people know her as Jazmine Payne from the TV show Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She also played Charlotte McKenzie in the movies Grown Ups and Grown Ups 2. She became famous worldwide for her role as Chyna Parks in the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm.

She is also well-known for playing Uma, Ursula's daughter, in the Disney movies Descendants 2, Descendants 3, and Descendants: The Rise of Red. In the superhero show Black Lightning, she starred as Jennifer Pierce, also known as Lightning.

Besides acting, China is a talented singer. She was part of a group with her sisters called the McClain Sisters. She sang popular songs for her shows, like "Dynamite" and "Calling All the Monsters" for A.N.T. Farm. Her song "What's My Name" from Descendants 2 was a big hit.

Early Life

China Anne McClain was born on August 25, 1998, in Decatur, Georgia. Her family is very musical and creative. Her father, Michael McClain, is a music producer. Her mother, Shontell, is a songwriter.

China has two older sisters, Sierra and Lauryn, who are also actresses and singers. Together, they formed the music group Thriii. She also has a younger brother named Gabriel.

Acting and Music Career

Early Roles and First Steps

China's career started in 2005 when a music executive heard her sing. This led to her first movie role in The Gospel. Soon after, she caught the eye of director and producer Tyler Perry. He cast her as Jazmine Payne in his show Tyler Perry's House of Payne.

She also appeared in the movie Daddy's Little Girls with her real-life sisters. Over the next few years, she had guest roles in shows like Hannah Montana and NCIS. In 2010, she played the daughter of Chris Rock's character in the comedy movie Grown Ups.

Disney Stardom with A.N.T. Farm

In 2011, China became the star of her own Disney Channel show, A.N.T. Farm. She played Chyna Parks, a musical prodigy in a special high school program. Disney created the show just for her. She even sang the theme song, "Exceptional."

For the show, she recorded a cover of the song "Dynamite" and an original Halloween song, "Calling All the Monsters". Both songs were very popular. The A.N.T. Farm soundtrack album was a success and appeared on the Billboard charts.

During this time, China and her sisters signed a record deal with Hollywood Records as the McClain Sisters. They performed their song "Rise" for the Disneynature movie Chimpanzee.

McClain performing at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.

Becoming a Villain in Descendants

After A.N.T. Farm ended in 2014, China took on new and exciting roles. In 2017, she joined the cast of Descendants 2 as Uma, the daughter of the sea witch Ursula. Uma became a fan-favorite villain.

Her song from the movie, "What's My Name", was a huge hit. It climbed several Billboard music charts and sold over 500,000 copies. She returned as Uma in Descendants 3 (2019) and Descendants: The Rise of Red (2024). She also voiced a character named Freddie in the animated series Descendants: Wicked World.

Superhero and Other Projects

In 2018, China starred in the superhero TV series Black Lightning. She played Jennifer Pierce, a teenager who develops electricity-based superpowers and becomes the hero Lightning. The show ran for four seasons.

She also appeared in the Netflix movie Hubie Halloween in 2020. That same year, she and her sisters renamed their band to Thriii. They continue to make music together.

Personal Life

China and her sisters started a YouTube channel where they post videos of them singing, doing fun challenges, and answering fan questions. Their channel, now called Thriii, has hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

She is also very popular on the social media app TikTok. She posts creative videos, including makeup looks and short messages. China has said that her parents are her biggest inspirations in life.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: China Anne McClain para niños