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
Years active	2005–present
Labels	Hollywood
Associated acts	Thriii

China Anne McClain (born August 25, 1998) is a talented American actress and singer. She started her career at just seven years old. China Anne is well-known for her roles in popular TV shows and movies. These include Jazmine Payne in Tyler Perry's House of Payne and Chyna Parks in the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm. She also played Uma in the Disney Channel Descendants movies. Later, she starred as Jennifer Pierce / Lightning in The CW superhero series Black Lightning.

China Anne also has a successful music career. She began singing with her sisters, Sierra and Lauryn, in a group called Thriii. She has released popular songs like "Calling All the Monsters" and "What's My Name".

Early Life and Family

China Anne McClain was born on August 25, 1998. She grew up in Decatur, Georgia. Her dad, Michael McClain, is a music producer. Her mom, Shontell, writes songs.

China Anne has two older sisters, Sierra and Lauryn. They are also actresses and singers. She also has a younger brother named Gabriel.

China Anne's Acting Journey

Starting Out: From The Gospel to House of Payne

China Anne was discovered in 2005 when a music executive heard her sing. This led to her first movie role in The Gospel (2005). She then caught the eye of director Tyler Perry. He cast her as Jazmine Payne in his TV series Tyler Perry's House of Payne (2007–present).

She also appeared in the movie Daddy's Little Girls (2007) with her sisters. They played her older sisters in the film. China Anne also had roles in shows like Hannah Montana (2009) and NCIS (2009). In 2010, she played Charlotte McKenzie in the movie Grown Ups. She sang with Nick Jonas for the song "Your Biggest Fan" on the Jonas L.A. soundtrack.

Becoming a Disney Star: A.N.T. Farm

In 2011, China Anne got the main role of Chyna Parks in the Disney Channel series A.N.T. Farm. Disney even created the show especially for her! She sang and wrote the show's theme song, "Exceptional."

For the show, she recorded a cover of "Dynamite". Its music video got over a million views in less than a week. She also performed the popular song "Calling All the Monsters" for a Disney Channel Halloween special.

On June 14, 2011, China Anne and her sisters, known as the McClain Sisters, signed with Hollywood Records. The A.N.T. Farm soundtrack was very successful. It included her songs "Dynamite" and "Calling All the Monsters." "Calling All the Monsters" even reached number 86 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart!

McClain performing at the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.

In 2011, China Anne met with then First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House. They talked about the Joining Forces initiative, which supports military families. She also performed at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade.

In 2012, China Anne and her sisters opened for Big Time Rush on their tour. They also performed their song "Rise" for the Disneynature film Chimpanzee. China Anne also sang the theme song for the Disney Channel show Doc McStuffins.

A.N.T. Farm ended after its third season in 2014. China Anne won several awards for her role in the series, including the NAMIC Vision Award and the NAACP Image Award.

Beyond Disney: Descendants and Black Lightning

In 2014, China Anne competed on ABC's Sing Your Face Off. She won the show by performing as famous singers like Rihanna and Michael Jackson. She also starred in the Disney Channel movie How to Build a Better Boy (2014).

In 2015, China Anne sang "Night is Young" for the soundtrack of the Disney Channel movie Descendants. She also voiced Freddie in the animated series Descendants: Wicked World.

In 2017, China Anne played the villain Uma in Descendants 2. Uma is the daughter of Ursula. Her song "What's My Name" from the movie became very popular. It was even certified gold, meaning it sold 500,000 copies!

From 2018 to 2021, China Anne starred as Jennifer Pierce / Lightning in The CW superhero series Black Lightning. She also returned to her role as Jazmine Payne in The Paynes (2018). In 2019, she played Uma again in Descendants 3. In 2020, she was in the Netflix comedy Hubie Halloween.

China Anne's Music Career

China Anne started her music journey in 2005 with her sisters, Sierra and Lauryn. Their group was first called 3mcclaingirls, then the McClain Sisters, and now Thriii.

Her first professional song was "Your Biggest Fan" with Nick Jonas in 2010. In 2011, she signed with Hollywood Records as a solo artist and with her sisters. Her first solo song was "Dynamite". It reached number 2 on the US Kid Digital Songs chart. Her second song, "Calling All the Monsters", reached number 1!

In June 2020, her sister group officially changed their name to Thriii. They continue to make music together.

Personal Life

In 2014, China Anne and her sister Lauryn started a YouTube channel. They posted singing videos, challenges, and Q&As. Sierra also appeared in many videos. The channel is now called Thriii.

China Anne also has a popular TikTok account. She shares makeup transformations, cosplaying, and short Christian messages. She has over 17 million followers!

She lives in Los Angeles. China Anne says her parents are her biggest inspirations.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

See also

• Thriii
• List of YouTubers

Awards and Nominations