Chyna | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Chyna at the2007 Scream Awards | |
| Born | Joan Marie Laurer (1969-12-27)December 27, 1969 Rochester, New York, U.S. |
| Died | April 17, 2016(2016-04-17) (aged 46) |
| Resting place | Ashes scattered into the Pacific Ocean[1][2] |
| Alma mater | University of Tampa |
| Occupations |
|
| Partners |
|
| Ring name(s) | |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[4][5][6] |
| Billed weight | 200 lb (91 kg)[3] |
| Billed from | Londonderry, New Hampshire[7] |
| Trained by | Killer Kowalski[3][8] Inoki Dojo |
| Debut | 1995[3][9] |
| Retired | 2011 |
| Signature | |
 | |
Chyna[10] (bornJoan Marie Laurer; December 27, 1969 – April 17, 2016) was an Americanprofessional wrestler,fitness model,bodybuilder,actress,adult actress andtelevision personality.
Chyna first rose to prominence in theWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF, nowWorld Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 1997, where she was billed as "The Ninth Wonder of the World"[11] (André the Giant was already billed as theeighth). A founding member of thestableD-Generation X as the promotion's first femaleenforcer, she held theWWF Intercontinental Championship (the only female performer they wrote to do so) twice and theWWF Women's Championship once.[6] She was also the first woman to participate in theRoyal Rumble match andKing of the Ring tournament, in addition to becoming number one contender to theWWF Championship.[12] She is considered one of the biggest stars of theAttitude Era.[13] With singles victories over several prominent male wrestlers – including multiple-time world championsTriple H,Kurt Angle,Chris Jericho andJeff Jarrett[14] – she left what WWE called "alasting legacy as the most dominant female competitor of all time".[12] After leaving the WWF in 2001, she wrestled sporadically, withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW) in 2002 andTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) in 2011. The latter was her final appearance in the ring.
Outside of wrestling, Chyna appeared inPlayboy magazine twice, plus numerous television shows and films. She was considered asex symbol. In 2005, she was a cast member onVH1'sThe Surreal Life, which led to several other celebrity reality appearances on the network, includingThe Surreal Life: Fame Games in 2007 andCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008. Chyna was also known for her tumultuous relationship with fellow wrestlerSean Waltman, with whom she made asex tape released commercially in 2004 as1 Night in China, which won a 2006AVN Award for Best-Selling Title. She starred in a further five pornographic titles, including AVN's 2012 Best Celebrity Sex Tape,Backdoor to Chyna.
In 2019, Chyna was posthumously entered into theWWE Hall of Fame as a member ofD-Generation X, making her the first woman to be inducted as a part of a group or team.[15]
Joan Marie Laurer was born inRochester, New York, on December 27, 1969. Her parents divorced when she was around four years old. She had three stepfathers and one stepmother. She said her first stepfather threatened suicide at one point,[16] while her biological father had a problem withalcoholism and once accidentally stabbed her mother in the thigh with abutcher knife.[17] From 1973 to 1983, she, her siblings and her mother moved several times.[17]
As a child, Laurer learned to play violin and cello.[18] She later said that in seventh grade she was sexually kissed by a much older teacher who worked at her school.[19] At 13, while attendingPenfield High School, she beganpurging after she ate.[20] She left home at 16 when her mother tried to force her into a drug rehabilitation facility and lived with her biological father.[21] That year, she began working out, and because her abdominal muscles were so strong, she did not feel any pain when she developed anovarian tumor.[19] She finished her last year of high school inSpain.[22]
Laurer attended theUniversity of Tampa,[23] graduating in 1992 with a major inSpanish literature.[24] She studied French and German there (she could converse in either language)[24] and said that during this time she was raped by two men after getting drunk at a party.[25] She was a member of theROTC.[23] She originally wanted to use her knowledge of foreign languages to work for theFederal Bureau of Investigation orDrug Enforcement Administration.[24] She subsequently joined thePeace Corps and was assigned toGuatemala.[26]
After returning from abroad, she held several jobs: a cocktail waitress in a strip club, singer in a band, and a 900-number chat line worker.[27] In her mid-to-late 20s, while living in theFlorida Keys, she took a six-week class to train as aflight attendant.[28] On the way to her first flight, she was in a car crash and spent four days in the hospital.[29] When she recovered, her sister Kathy helped her get a job sellingpagers; they both also worked asbelly dancers.[30]
After college, Laurer began to regularly enter fitness competitions. In 1996, she competed in the New York City regional level of the Fitness America competition.[31] Because of her large size compared to the other women, she usually finished in last place.[31]
Laurer trained atWladek "Killer" Kowalski'sprofessional wrestling school inMalden, Massachusetts.[8] Her first match was in 1995 against a male wrestler dressed as a woman.[9] While attending the school, she also worked for variousindependent promotions as Joanie Lee.[32][33] Some of her earliest matches were set up byThe Fabulous Moolah.[33][34]
Laurer metWorld Wrestling Federation (WWF) performersPaul "Triple H" Levesque (then known as Hunter Hearst Helmsley) andShawn Michaels after a professional wrestling show in 1996.[35][36] After watching tapes of her matches, they decided to bring her into the WWF as a bodyguard.[35][36]Vince McMahon, owner of the WWF, initially did not want her to join the company because he did not believe the audience would find a woman beating up men believable.[36][37] While waiting for the WWF's decision, Laurer was approached byWorld Championship Wrestling (WCW), who wanted her to be the sole female member of theNew World Order.[38] She initially accepted the offer, but later turned it down whenShane McMahon, Vince McMahon's son, informed her that she was about to be hired by the WWF.[38] However, Kowalski said that he got Laurer hired by the WWF after introducing her to Shane McMahon and telling him of WCW's interest in her.[39]
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Laurer made her WWF debut on February 16, 1997, atIn Your House 13: Final Four; her character emerged as aplant from a ringside seat, chokingMarlena whileGoldust was in the ring with Triple H.[40] The next night, she appeared on Raw and bearhugged Marlena. Her original role in the promotion was as the laconicenforcer/bodyguard for D-Generation X, which was founded by Shawn Michaels and Triple H. She often helped them (then, a risingvillain) cheat to win by physically interfering in matches by executing her trademarklow blow to the groin.[40] She was later given the ring name "Chyna", an intentionally ironic moniker;fine china is delicate and fragile, a sharp contrast to her character.[41] Offstage, however, the male wrestlers were hesitant at first to let a woman be seen overpowering them.[42]
During her time in D-Generation X, she was put in a romantic storyline withMark Henry, member of the rival stableNation of Domination.[43] It started in August 1998 afterThe Rock ordered Henry to kiss Chyna to humiliate her, during which she fought back.[44] Henry would chase her romantically, eventually threatening her with a storylinesexual harassment demand over one of her beatdowns if she didn't go to a date with him.[45] Chyna accepted and eventually reconciled with him, becoming his on-screen girlfriend and ally.[46] However, in January 1999, she revealed it was all a ruse to humiliate Henry.[47]
A week after her storyline with Henry, Chyna was the 30th entrant in theRoyal Rumble, becoming the first woman ever to enter theeponymous match. In the match she eliminated Mark Henry before being eliminated byStone Cold Steve Austin.[24][48] One day later, she turned heel by betraying Triple H and aligning herself with his enemiesVince McMahon andKane.[36] She teamed with Kane at theSt. Valentine's Day Massacrepay-per-view against former allies X-Pac and Triple H.[49] At WrestleMania XV, she turned on Kane in his match by attacking him with a chair, appearing to rejoin DX.[36][50] Chyna and Triple H, however, turned against DX later that evening when they helpedShane McMahon defeat DX member X-Pac.[50] The duo became part ofThe Corporation and later Shane McMahon'sCorporate Ministry. Following the dissolution of the Corporate Ministry, the villainous Chyna remained at Triple H's side.[36] They split up later that year.
In June 1999, Chyna became the first woman to qualify for theKing of the Ring tournament.[36] She was also the first woman to be the number one contender for theWWF Championship, but lost the spot toMankind beforeSummerSlam in August.[36] Later that year, she became afan favorite again during her long feud withJeff Jarrett. She challenged theBritish Bulldog to a match on the October 4, 1999, Raw, and defeated him.[51] AtUnforgiven, she had a match for theWWF Intercontinental Championship against Jarrett, which she lost.[52] She defeated Jarrett for the title atNo Mercy in his last WWF match, aGood Housekeeping match on October 17, in the process becoming the first and only woman to win the Intercontinental Championship.[53][54] She also gained the services of his valet,Miss Kitty. Laurer said that Jarrett demanded (and received) $300,000 from Vince McMahon to lose the title cleanly to a woman.[55] His contract had expired on October 16, and he was therefore not contractually obligated to appear on the pay-per-view.[56] If he had not appeared, the WWF would have been criticized forfalse advertising, and the title's lineage would have been broken.[57]
Chyna then feuded withChris Jericho over the belt, defeating him atSurvivor Series,[58] but losing the title to him atArmageddon.[59] They faced off again in a match on the edition of December 28 ofSmackDown!, whichended controversially with both wrestlers pinning each other. As a result, then "head of authority"Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley declared them co-champions.[60] At theRoyal Rumble, Jericho and Chyna defended the title againstHardcore Holly in aTriple Threat match to determine the Intercontinental Champion, which Jericho won.[61] Chyna's "co-champions" reign is no longer recognized by WWE and is now considered a continuation of Jericho's second Intercontinental reign.[62] Afterwards, Chyna briefly teamed with Jericho.
Not long after losing the Intercontinental title, Chyna became the onscreen girlfriend ofEddie Guerrero. Originally villains, they became fan favorites during the summer of 2000, with Guerrero dubbing her his "Mamacita".[63] They facedVal Venis and then-rookieTrish Stratus in anintergender tag team match atSummerSlam with the Intercontinental Championship on the line.[64] Chyna won the match, but lost the belt two weeks later to Guerrero in a Triple Threat match withKurt Angle.[65] They officially split in November 2000 after Chyna, in storyline, found Eddie cavorting in the shower with two other women.[66]
At the same time, Chyna posed nude forPlayboy magazine's November 2000 issue.[5] It was also worked into a WWF storyline (based, in part, on a real-life legal feud between the WWF and the socially conservativeParents Television Council),[67] in which it drew the ire of theRight to Censor (a group of morally conservative wrestlers). Shortly after, Chyna began a feud withIvory, a member of the Right to Censor, over theWomen's Championship. It culminated in a storyline at theRoyal Rumble where Chyna appeared to reinjure her neck while performing ahandspringback elbow.[68][69] To convince the audience she was injured,color commentatorJerry Lawler left the commentators' booth and entered the ring to check on her condition, something he had not done since thein-ring accident that killedOwen Hart in 1999.[68] When she returned from the "injury", she won the Women's Championship from Ivory atWrestleMania X-Seven in asquash match.[70] She also defended her title againstLita atJudgment Day in 2001.[71] She soon vacated the title, however, as it was her final WWF match.
She left the WWF on November 30, 2001, several months after she had been taken off of television.[72] Various accounts of her departure have circulated over the years. Behind the scenes, her former real-life boyfriend Paul "Triple H" Levesque began a relationship withStephanie McMahon; Chyna said the pair began seeing each other before she and Levesque had broken up.[73] In a 2002 interview withThe Baltimore Sun, Chyna indicated that the breakup with Levesque had nothing to do with her leaving WWF, stating she left to pursue an acting career.[74] At the time of Chyna's departure from WWFJim Ross, then Executive Vice President of Talent Relations, reported it was "mutually agreed" to let her WWF contract expire in order for her to explore other career options.[75] In a 2015 interview withVince Russo, Chyna said after a meeting with Vince McMahon about the Stephanie McMahon situation, she was sent home and later received a fax telling her that she was not needed anymore.[76] After Chyna's death, Chyna's sister Kathy reported the wrestler was offered a new WWF contract in 2001 with a minimum salary of $400,000 per year and the potential for substantially higher income via merchandising and pay-per-view appearances, but she refused to sign a contract for less than a base salary of $1 million per year.[73] Ross later confirmed this account, characterizing the demand for $1 million per year as "outrageous" and unrealistic, leaving WWF officials reluctant to negotiate with her despite her fan popularity.[73]
After the end of her WWF career in 2001, Chyna made her way to Japan in 2002 where she had a relatively brief but productive stint withNew Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW). Her first appearance was at the New Japan Thirtieth Anniversary Show, refereeing a bout between theSteiner Brothers andHiroshi Tanahashi andKensuke Sasaki.[72] On August 8, 2002, Chyna defeated woman boxer Chika Nakamura for Universal Fighting Arts Organization, beating Nakamura in the first round by TKO.[77] In September and October 2002, she wrestled several matches for the promotion.[72] After losing toMasahiro Chono on October 14, 2002, Laurer performed her final match on October 26, teaming with a fakeGreat Muta played by Troy Enders in a loss to Hiroshi Tanahashi andKenzo Suzuki. Despite working with the biggest names likeMasahiro Chono and Hiroshi Tanahashi, Chyna could not break out as a relevant player for NJPW.[72]
During the May 3, 2011, tapings of the edition of May 12 ofImpact!, Chyna made herTotal Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) debut, introduced by the returningSpike TV network consultantMick Foley. He introduced her as Kurt Angle's business associate (she had been previously referred to as his "Mistress") and tag team partner atSacrifice, where they would face Jeff Jarrett andKaren Jarrett. During the taping she also took part in a battle royal, where she eliminated Jeff.[78][79][80] At Sacrifice on May 15, Chyna submitted Karen for the win in the mixed tag team match.[81] She left TNA shortly after, making Sacrifice 2011 her final wrestling match.
Laurer modelednude forPlayboy in the November 2000 issue.[5] In 2002, following her departure from the WWF, she appeared in a second nude pictorial.[82] She also filmed aPlayboy adult documentary,Joanie Laurer Nude: Wrestling Superstar to Warrior Princess, which followed her on the set.[83]
In 2001, Laurer released her autobiography,If They Only Knew. It spent time onThe New York Times' bestseller list.[84]
Laurer appeared onThe Howard Stern Show in 2000, where she claimed she "made [an ass] out of [her]self."[85] She also appeared in three epidsodes of3rd Rock from the Sun as Janice, a police officer who briefly datedHarry Solomon, and in several commercials for Stacker. She was a presenter at theMTV Video Music Awards.[86]
In 2001, she was a guest on a special celebrity edition ofFear Factor.[82] She lost in the final round of the competition toCoolio.[87] She provided her voice for stop-motion animation renditions of herself inCelebrity Deathmatch andGary & Mike. The next year, she was reportedly considered for a part inTerminator 3: Rise of the Machines, but lost the role toKristanna Loken.[88] She hostedRobot Wars: Grand Champions in 2002,[74] and appeared on the celebrity game showHollywood Squares in 2003.[89]
Laurer appeared as Lulu inSevendust's music video for the song "Enemy" in 2003.[90]
In early 2005, she debuted onThe Surreal Life with housematesDa Brat,Jane Wiedlin,Adrianne Curry,Christopher Knight,Marcus Schenkenberg andVerne Troyer.[91] On the show, she drank heavily, appeared nude, and got into an argument with her ex, Sean Waltman.[91] She remained friends with Adrianne Curry after the show and made a brief cameo on her reality showMy Fair Brady.[92] She also appeared onThe Surreal Life: Fame Games, which began airing onVH1 in January 2007.[93] Filming took place in April 2006 inLas Vegas.[94] She was eliminated from the show in the seventh episode.[95]
Also in 2006, Laurer appeared inJust Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy andIllegal Aliens, the latter of which was the last movie featuringAnna Nicole Smith.[94] OnCristina's Court, a syndicated court-themed reality show, Laurer appeared in an episode originally airing July 14, 2007, in acivil dispute against a breeder ofteacup chihuahuas.Judge Perez ruled in her favor and awarded her $4,000.[96]
Laurer made heradult film debut with the 2004 video1 Night in China. Laurer andSean Waltman approachedRed Light District Video to distribute the homemade video, which was released in 2004. Laurer appeared in her second adult video,Another Night in China in 2009. In 2011, she starred in her first professional pornographic film forVivid Video,Backdoor to Chyna.[97] She also starred for Vivid asShe-Hulk in theirparody ofThe Avengers, released in May 2012.[98] A spinoff feature centered on the She-Hulk character,She-Hulk XXX, was released to video in April 2013.[99][100]
In one of her final YouTube videos before her death, she said that she'd had no ambitions to go into porn, but was "making lemonade out of lemons" after the video of her andX-Pac was released "without her permission".[101]
Laurer'sbreast implants were custom-made for her after her first implants were ruptured during a wrestling match.[102] She had also complained to her plastic surgeon that their largest implants did not suit her frame as she desired.[102] The custom implants became the model for the Chyna 2000s, now marketed to large-framed women and female bodybuilders.[87][102] Laurer said she paid $6,000 for them.[18]
From 1996 until 2000, Laurer dated fellow wrestlerPaul "Triple H" Levesque.[103] They initially hid their relationship from their co-workers because she felt people might think she "[slept] her way to the top".[104] They also lived together for some time.[4] There is some debate as to whether Levesque started his relationship withStephanie McMahon while still with Laurer. However, after Laurer's death, her sister Kathy Hamilton toldBleacher Report that while Levesque "was very good to Joanie", the couple disagreed about future family plans (Levesque wanted children and Laurer did not), and that Laurer's addictions and mental health problems also contributed to their breakup.[73]
Beginning in 2003, Laurer had a tumultuous relationship with fellow wrestlerSean Waltman. They were engaged for a period in 2003,[105] then broke up, then became engaged again, a pattern that continued for the next two years. In 2004, they released a sex tape which was filmed in 2003. Eager for a repeat success, the company that releasedParis Hilton'scelebrity sex tape obtained the footage, edited it, and released it under the name1 Night in China.[106] It sold over 100,000 copies, with Laurer and Waltman earning a share of the profits.[106] Laurer, however, maintained that she did not earn any money from the release.[94] In January 2005, she was arrested fordomestic assault after allegedly beating Waltman in front of his children.[105][107]
On February 8, 2007, a visibly upset Laurer appeared onLarry King Live to speak about her friendAnna Nicole Smith, who had died earlier that day. Laurer said that she "knew it was coming" because of how the media ridiculed Smith, and she drew parallels between the plight of Smith and herself. However, the wife of the CEO of Trim Spa, Monique Goen, stated that Smith did not consider Laurer a friend.[108]
After leaving the WWF, Laurer was unable to use the name "Chyna" because of its trademark.[87] She began using the name "Chyna Doll" for public appearances.[107] In November 2007, she legally changed her name to Chyna.[10]
She also had problems with substance abuse. She said that her "life was spinning out of control" around the time she made the sex tape.[94] In January 2005, Waltman said that she was battling drug and alcohol addiction, as well as mental illness.[107] Days after the domestic dispute between Waltman and Laurer, it was reported in theNew York Post that she had removed her clothes and jumped into afish tank in a New York nightclub.[107] That month, she made another appearance onThe Howard Stern Show, where she was described as "slurring her words, contradicting herself and launching into random tangents that were impossible to follow."[107] On the program, she said she did not want to do drugs anymore, but said that if a line ofcocaine was in front of her, she would do it.[107] After her appearance, she entered a facility specializing in depression recovery, and decided to stop drinking.[94] In early 2008, she appeared on the VH1 reality TV showCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, but said on the show that she did not consider herself an addict.[109] On December 27, 2008, she was rushed to the hospital after her birthday party, where she was found unconscious with cuts on her arms.[110]
Laurer had a strained relationship with her family. She last saw her mother at the age of 16, and she said that her father was never able to get over her decision not to pursue a career in law enforcement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.[4] She also alleged that her father took out severalstudent loans in her name without her knowledge, leaving her with $40,000 in debt.[16] On an episode ofCelebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew in 2008, Laurer said she had a bad relationship with all of her family members, including her siblings.[111] In September 2010, Laurer was hospitalized after overdosing on sleeping medication.[112] Laurer later re-established a good relationship with her mother; her father died on May 15, 2014.[113]
From early 2012 until mid-2015, Laurer taughtEnglish in Japan.[114] She converted tothe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while there.[115]
On April 20, 2016, Laurer was found dead at her home inRedondo Beach, California at the age of 46. Her manager Anthony Anzaldo was concerned when she did not post updates or content to her usualsocial media outlets for several days, and subsequently found her body in her apartment.[116] Initial police reports stated that she appeared to have died of either an accidental drug overdose or of natural causes. Anzaldo suggested that any overdose was accidental, saying that she was prescribed drugs, but tended to use them improperly.[116]
Her brain was donated to science to study the effects ofchronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).[117] However, the brain had naturally decomposed to a point where it could not be definitively determined whether Laurer had CTE.[118] A memorial service was held inLos Angeles on June 22, 2016. Among the attendees were wrestlersMelina Perez,[119]Rob Van Dam,Sean Waltman and Johnny Mantell; actorsC. Thomas Howell andBarry Williams;Dennis Hof, owner of theBunny Ranch; and singersCoolio andBaby Bash, who also performed during the memorial.[120][121] Chyna was cremated[122] and her ashes were scattered into thePacific Ocean.[2][123]
A report of her autopsy was released in December 2016 which determined that she died on April 17 of an overdose of alcohol, combined with the anxiety drugsdiazepam andnordazepam, painkillersoxycodone andoxymorphone, and sleeping aidtemazepam.[116][124][125]
Numerous commentators have credited Chyna as being influential to women's wrestling and one of the biggest stars of WWF'sAttitude Era.[126][127][128][129] Commentator and former WWE officialJim Ross called her, "the distinctive athlete [who] was to WWE whatRonda Rousey has been to UFC",[75] whileE! News said that she accomplished more in her near-decade career than any other woman.[129] Others praised her as afeminist icon who defiedgender norms;[130][131] Dawn Heinecken, a professor of women's and gender studies at theUniversity of Louisville, wrote in 2004 that "She was demonized as a feminist who challenged male dominance ... Her latest, and most popular incarnation was that of a sex symbol".[127] She was the first woman to compete in theRoyal Rumble match and is the only woman to have held theWWE Intercontinental Championship.[126] Luke Winkie ofSports Illustrated listed her as the 79th greatest wrestler of all time,[132] while WWE named her the fourth greatest "Female Superstar in Modern WWE History" in 2021.[133]Beth Phoenix credits her with "breaking down doors" in the industry, andKimber Lee credits Chyna as her motivation for entering wrestling.[126][134] In 2017, WWE Hall of FamerTammy Sytch said Chyna should be inducted into the Hall of Fame, stating: "I believe she really opened up the doors for women's wrestling; not forDivas, but for the women's wrestling industry. She was wrestling men and it was believable because she was such a big personality, such a huge human being, and she should be rewarded for what she did."[135]
[She] absolutely, definitely deserves to be in there. It'd be tough to pick a female that was more impactful on the business. She did something that was completely so out of left field that it wasn't even being considered when we first brought it up for her to come in. ... it wasn't an easy thing, and against all odds she did all of that. She earned everybody's trust. She won over the fans. She won over the boys. She did all of it.
The day following her death, a post on WWE.com expressed sadness about it[137] and featured a video of her winning the Women's Championship.[138] After years without acknowledging Laurer, WWE played a posthumous tribute video on the April 25 episode ofRaw.[139] A short memorial article was also published onHoward Stern's official website, lamenting her death and describing her as "fan favorite [with a] great sense of humor about herself."[140]
Columnist Mike Mooneyham ofThe Post and Courier stated after Chyna's death that it was "an oft-asked question" as to when she would be inducted into theWWE Hall of Fame.[128] Jim Ross said that Chyna had an "overwhelming desire" to be inducted during her lifetime.[75] On February 9, 2015, during aWWE Network podcast withStone Cold Steve Austin, Paul Levesque mentioned that Chyna deserved to be in the Hall of Fame but that her career in pornography prohibited it.[127] In interviews shortly after her death, Levesque said that she "definitely warranted" a place in the Hall of Fame and Stephanie McMahon said she was sure Chyna would be inducted but did not know what year it would happen.[141][142]
Chyna was announced as an inductee into theWWE Hall of Fame class of 2019 on February 18, 2019, as part of D-Generation X. Levesque spoke toESPN of the "complexities" he mentioned on the 2015 Austin podcast, but after describing her in-ring accomplishments he said she "100 percent deserves" the honor. Although she was being inducted as part of a group, Levesque said that she deserved to be inducted a second time as well for her individual career.[136] Shawn Michaels also endorsed the idea of her being inducted a second time, stating: "Of all the people in this group, and D-Generation X as a whole is deserving, but I don't think there's anybody that would argue that [Chyna] is not the most deserving of [an induction]."[143]
On April 20, 2017, atrailer was released forWrestling with Chyna, a special documentary featuring Chyna's life from almost her very beginning, to after she left the wrestling business, to her last days of life.[144] On June 16, 2021,Vice TV aired the documentary with exclusive interviews from friends and family members and her manager Anthony Anzaldo.
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Beyond the Mat | Herself | Documentary |
| Chyna & Triple H: It's Our Time | |||
| 2000 | Chyna Fitness: More Than Meets the Eye | Fitness Video | |
| 2001 | Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion | Ava Zurich | Feature Film |
| On the Line | One of Rod's dates | ||
| 2002 | Frank McKlusky, C.I. | Freeda | |
| Joanie Laurer Warrior Princess | Herself | ||
| 2003 | Hunter: Back in Force | Brandy Rose | Direct to Video |
| Romp | Lulu | Short | |
| 2005 | 101 Reasons Not to Be a Pro Wrestler | Herself | Documentary |
| 2006 | Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy | Roxanne | Direct to Video |
| 2007 | Illegal Aliens | Rex | |
| Cougar Club | Teddy Archibald | ||
| 2011 | Losing Control | Barb | Feature Film |
| 2012 | A Night at the Silent Movie Theater | Sexy Drummer | |
| 2013 | White T | Psychic |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Pacific Blue | Frank Finlay | "One Kiss Goodbye" |
| 1999 | The Martin Short Show | Herself | #1.44 |
| 2000 | 3rd Rock from the Sun | Janice | "This Little Dick Went to Market" "The Big Giant Head Returns Again: Part 1 and 2" |
| Pacific Blue | Tonya Sweet | "Kidnapped" | |
| Mad TV | Herself | #6.5 | |
| MTV Cribs | "Laurer,Tony Hawk, andUsher" | ||
| 2001 | Celebrity Deathmatch | "Where Is Einstein's Brain?" | |
| Gary & Mike | "Road Rage" | ||
| Fear Factor | "First Celebrity Fear Factor" | ||
| 2001–2002 | Tracker | Rhee | "Pilot" / "Remember When" |
| 2002 | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Mary Jo Ponder | "Driving Mr. Goodman" |
| The Nick Cannon Show | Herself | "Nick Takes Over Fitness" | |
| Relic Hunter | Natasha Tripova | "Antianeirai" | |
| Whose Line Is It Anyway? | Herself | #5.8 | |
| Celebrity Boxing 2 | |||
| The Anna Nicole Show | "The Anna Nicole Show Holiday Special" | ||
| 2005 | The Surreal Life | Series role | |
| 2006 | My Fair Brady | "Love On the Rocks (Therapy Part 1)" | |
| 2007 | The Surreal Life: Fame Games | Series role | |
| 2008 | Celebrity Rehab | Series role |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1 Night in China | Herself |
| 2009 | Another Night in China | Herself |
| 2011 | Backdoor to Chyna | Herself |
| 2012 | Avengers XXX: A Porn Parody | She-Hulk |
| 2012 | Chyna Is Queen of the Ring | Herself |
| 2013 | She Hulk XXX: A Porn Parody | She-Hulk |
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | WWF Attitude | — |
| WWF WrestleMania 2000 | — | |
| 2000 | WWF SmackDown! | Cover Athlete |
| WWF No Mercy | — | |
| WWF SmackDown! 2: Know Your Role | Cover Athlete | |
| 2019 | WWE 2K20 | — |
| 2021 | WWE 2K Battlegrounds | — |
| 2022 | WWE 2K22 | — |
| 2023 | WWE 2K23 | — |
| 2024 | WWE 2K24 | |
| 2025 | WWE 2k25 |
Chyna's star shines at The Showcase of the Immortals when she dethrones Ivory as Women's Champion.
Media related toJoan Marie Laurer at Wikimedia Commons
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