Joanie Laurer
Joan Marie Laurer was a former American professional wrestler, actress, bodybuilder and pornographic film actress who was under contract to Vivid Entertainment. Chyna first rose to prominence upon debuting in the professional wrestling promotion WWE in 1997, where she performed under the ring name Chyna and was billed as the "Ninth Wonder of the World" (André the Giant was already billed as the eighth). A member of the stable D-Generation X, she held the WWE Intercontinental Championship (the first female wrestler to do so) and WWE Women's Championship, and was the first female wrestler to participate in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring events. Since leaving the WWE in 2001, Chyna had wrestled sporadically, most notably with New Japan Pro Wrestling in 2002 and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2011. Laurer had a strained relationship with her family. She last saw her mother at the age of sixteen, and she claimed that her father never got over her decision not to join the FBI. She also alleged that her father took out several student loans in her name and without her knowledge, leaving her with $40,000 in debt. On an episode of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008, Laurer claimed to have a bad relationship with all of her family members, including her siblings. In September 2010, Laurer was hospitalized after overdosing on sleeping medication. As of February 2015, Laurer had reestablished a good relationship with her mother; her father died in May 2014. Laurer taught English in Japan. On February 9, 2015, during a WWE Network podcast with Steve Austin, Triple H mentioned that Chyna deserved to be in the WWE Hall of Fame but that problems with children Googling her prohibited it. After being in contact with Vince Russo she claimed in an interview that Triple H had hit her, which he later called a false statement. Death On April 20, 2016, Laurer was found dead at her home in Redondo Beach, California. She had been taking medication for anxiety and sleep deprivation. An official statement was posted to her Twitter account, saying "It is with deep sadness to inform you today that we lost a true icon, a real life superhero ... She will live forever in the memories of her millions of fans and all of us that loved her."
Known For
Credits
- 2023 · Biography: Chyna as Self (archive footage)
- 2022 · WWE This Is Awesome as Chyna (archive footage)
- 2021 · Untold: Crime & Penalties as Self - WWF Superstar (archive footage)
- 2021 · Biography: WWE Legends as
- 2020 · Vice Versa as Self (archive footage)
- 2019 · Trish & Lita – Best Friends, Better Rivals as Chyna
- 2012 · WWE: The Best of SmackDown - 10th Anniversary, 1999-2009 as Chyna (archive footage)
- 2008 · WWE: The History Of The Intercontinental Championship as Chyna (archive footage)
- 2008 · Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew as Self
- 2007 · Illegal Aliens as Rex
- 2007 · Cougar Club as Teddy Archibald
- 2006 · Midnight Money Madness as
- 2005 · The Tyra Banks Show as
- 2005 · 101 Reasons Not To Be A Pro Wrestler as Herself
- 2004 · Best Week Ever as
- 2003 · The Surreal Life as Self
- 2002 · Brown Sugar as Woman at Party (uncredited)
- 2002 · Frank McKlusky, C.I. as Freeda
- 2002 · Robot Wars Grand Champions as
- 2001 · Tracker as Rhee (as Joanie Laurer)
- 2001 · WWE Tough Enough as Chyna
- 2001 · Fear Factor as
- 2001 · WWE WrestleMania X-Seven as Chyna
- 2001 · WWE Royal Rumble 2001 as Chyna
- 2001 · Gary & Mike as Self (voice)
- 2000 · WWE SummerSlam 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · The Huntress as
- 2000 · WWE Backlash 2000 as Chyna (Valet)
- 2000 · Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion as Ava Zurich
- 2000 · WWE WrestleMania 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWE No Way Out 2000 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 2000 · WWE Royal Rumble 2000 as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE Survivor Series 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · Beyond the Mat as Self
- 1999 · WWE No Mercy 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE Unforgiven 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · Relic Hunter as Natasha Tripova
- 1999 · WWE Fully Loaded 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE King of the Ring 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE Over the Edge as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE No Mercy (UK) 1999 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1999 · WWE SmackDown as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE Royal Rumble 1999 as Chyna
- 1998 · WWE Judgment Day: In Your House as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · Whose Line Is It Anyway? as Self
- 1998 · WWE Heat as
- 1998 · WWE Heat as Chyna
- 1998 · WWE Heat as Chyna
- 1998 · WWE Fully Loaded: In Your House as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · Celebrity Deathmatch as
- 1998 · WWE WrestleMania XIV as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWE No Way Out of Texas: In Your House as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWE Royal Rumble 1998 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1997 · WWE D-Generation X: In Your House as Herself
- 1997 · WWE Badd Blood: In Your House as Chyna
- 1997 · WWE WrestleMania 13 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1996 · Sabrina, the Teenage Witch as Mary Jo Ponder
- 1996 · Pacific Blue as Tonya Sweet
- 1996 · 3rd Rock from the Sun as Janice
- 1995 · MADtv as Self
- 1993 · WWE Raw as Chyna (archive footage)
- 1993 · WWE Raw as Chyna
- 1988 · Whose Line Is It Anyway? as
- 1984 · AVN Awards as Self
- Future · Reality Bites Back as
- 2024 · Nothing Better Than Parody 7 as
- 2023 · Superheroes 2 as
- 2023 · Nothing Better Than Parody 5 as (archive footage)
- 2022 · Biography: D-Generation X as Herself (archive footage)
- 2022 · Out in the Ring as Chyna
- 2021 · Vice Versa: Chyna as Herself
- 2021 · Biography: Shawn Michaels as Self (archive footage)
- 2020 · The Rock's Most Electrifying Matches as Chyna
- 2019 · WWE Hall of Fame 2019 as Chyna
- 2015 · WWE: Monday Night War Vol. 1: Shots Fired as Chyna
- 2014 · WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions as Chyna
- 2013 · White T as Psychic
- 2013 · She-Hulk XXX: An Axel Braun Parody as She-Hulk
- 2012 · Chyna Is Queen of the Ring as Herself
- 2012 · Avengers XXX: A Porn Parody as She-Hulk
- 2012 · Losing Control as Barb
- 2011 · YouShoot: Chyna as Herself
- 2011 · Backdoor to Chyna as
- 2011 · TNA Sacrifice 2011 as Chyna
- 2009 · Another Night in China as Herself
- 2007 · WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary as Chyna
- 2007 · Trantasia as Self
- 2007 · TKO as
- 2007 · Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy as Roxanne
- 2007 · The Surreal Life: Fame Games as
- 2004 · 1 Night in China as Herself
- 2003 · Hunter: Back in Force as Brandy Rose
- 2003 · Alien Tracker as Ree
- 2002 · NJPW The Spiral as
- 2001 · WWF: Divas in Hedonism as Herself
- 2001 · WWE Judgment Day 2001 as Chyna
- 2001 · Playboy: Joanie Laurer Nude as
- 2000 · WWE Armageddon 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWE Rebellion 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWE Survivor Series 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWE No Mercy 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWE Unforgiven 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWF Fully Loaded 2000 as Chyna
- 2000 · WWE King of the Ring 2000 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 2000 · WWE Judgment Day 2000 as Chyna (Valet)
- 2000 · WWE Insurrextion 2000 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 2000 · WWF: The Rock - The People's Champ as Herself
- 1999 · WWE Armageddon 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · WWF: It's Our Time as Chyna
- 1999 · Mick Foley: Madman Unmasked as Herself
- 1999 · WWE Rebellion 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE SummerSlam 1999 as Chyna
- 1999 · Come Get Some: The Women of the WWF as Chyna
- 1999 · WWE Backlash: In Your House as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1999 · WWE WrestleMania XV as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWE Capital Carnage as Chyna
- 1998 · WWF: The Rock - Know Your Role as Herself
- 1998 · WWE SummerSlam 1998 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWF: D-Generation X as Chyna
- 1998 · WWE King of the Ring 1998 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWE Over the Edge: In Your House as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWE Unforgiven: In Your House as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1998 · WWE Mayhem in Manchester as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1997 · WWE One Night Only as Chyna
- 1997 · WWE Ground Zero: In Your House as Chyna
- 1997 · WWE SummerSlam 1997 as Chyna
- 1997 · WWE In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede as Chyna
- 1997 · Best Of Raw • Volume Six as
- 1997 · WWE King of the Ring 1997 as Chyna (Ringside)
- 1997 · WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell as Chyna (Ringside)
- Future · Wrestling with Chyna as Herself