Charlotte Ayanna | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charlotte Lopez[1] |
| Other names | Charlotte Roldan |
| Occupations | Actress, beauty queen |
| Years active | 1995–2012, 2023–present |
| Beauty pageant titleholder | |
| Title | Miss Vermont Teen USA 1993 Miss Teen USA 1993 |
| Hair color | Brown |
| Eye color | Blue |
Charlotte Ayanna (born Charlotte Lopez) is an American actress, author and former beauty queen who wonMiss Teen USA 1993.
Charlotte Lopez was born inSan Juan, Puerto Rico, but moved toVermont at an early age. She had a troubled childhood, spending sixteen years in foster homes after her mother, Emma, was judged to be mentally unfit to look after her children.[2]
In 1994, at age 17, she wasadopted into afoster home.[1][3]
Her first national exposure was in 1993, when she becameMiss Teen USA.[4]
Following her pageant career, she worked with author Susan Dworkin to write a book,Lost in the System (1996), about her experiences as a foster child and pageant winner.[5]
Ayanna then transitioned into acting, making guest appearances on episodes of various television series, including three episodes ofWeird Science and one episode ofEntourage. Her first acting credit, after changing her name to Charlotte Ayanna, was her appearance in an October 1998 episode ofProfiler. She also appeared in themusic video for fellow Puerto RicanRicky Martín's hit "She's All I Ever Had".[citation needed]
Her film roles include: a brief appearance as dead high schooler Liz Purr inJawbreaker (1999);The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999); astripper inDancing at the Blue Iguana (2000);Love the Hard Way (2003) withAdrien Brody; and a sexyvampiress in the horrordirect-to-video movieThe Insatiable (2007). Her last known acting role was in the filmChristmas in Compton (2012). Penultimately she was inRain from Stars, filmed in 2010 but not released until 2013.
After her pageant career ended and her book had been published, she chose to change her surname from Lopez to Ayanna, which she states means "blessed" inCherokee.[4][6]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Trojan War | Nina | |
| 1998 | Telling You | Allison Fazio | |
| 1999 | Jawbreaker | Elizabeth "Liz" Purr | |
| 1999 | The Rage: Carrie 2 | Tracy | |
| 2000 | Dancing at the Blue Iguana | Jessie | |
| 2001 | Stealing Time | Samantha "Sam" Parkes | a.k.a.Rennie's Landing |
| 2001 | Love the Hard Way | Claire Harrison | |
| 2001 | Training Day | Lisa | |
| 2001 | Kate & Leopold | Patrice | |
| 2002 | Spun | Amy | |
| 2005 | Once Upon a Wedding | Margarita | |
| 2006 | Push | Lisa | |
| 2006 | The Push | Macey | |
| 2006 | No. 6 | Mila | Short film |
| 2006 | The Insatiable | Tatiana | Direct-to-video |
| 2010 | Errand boy | Candi | Short film |
| 2012 | Christmas in Compton | Ginger | |
| 2013 | Rain from Stars | Nora | Completed in 2010 |
| TBA | The American Way |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995–1996 | Weird Science | Annie/Jessie/Wendy | 3 episodes |
| 1996 | Beverly Hills, 90210 | Beth Rawlings | Episode: "Here We Go Again" |
| 1996 | The Steve Harvey Show | Jody | Episode: "Pool Sharks Git Bit" |
| 1996–1997 | The Secret World of Alex Mack | Hannah Mercury | 3 episodes |
| 1998 | Profiler | Kristen | Episode: "Cravings" |
| 2004 | Entourage | Joanne | Episode: "Date Night" |
In 2002 she won the Best Actress award at the Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films forLove the Hard Way (2001) tied withKajol forKabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001).[citation needed]
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