Joan Marie Laurer
Joan Marie Laurer (stage name Chyna) 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."
133 acting credits
Acting · 133
Raw
1993
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996
3rd Rock from the Sun
1996
WWE Friday Night SmackDown
1999
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993
Pacific Blue
1996
Relic Hunter
1999
The Tyra Banks Show
2005
WWE Heat
1998
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
1998
Best Week Ever
2004
WWE Pay Per View
1985
Fear Factor
2001
WWE Tough Enough
2001
Tracker
2001
The Huntress
2000
Whose Line Is It Anyway?
1988
Biography: WWE Legends
2021
WWE Old School
1973
The Surreal Life
2003
Celebrity Deathmatch
1998
WWE This Is Awesome
2022
Gary & Mike
2001
Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew
2008
MADtv
1995
The Surreal Life: Fame Games
2007
Cougar Club
2007
WWE Survivor Series 2000
2000
Brown Sugar
2002
Vice Versa
2020
Reality Bites Back
2008
WWE: The Best of SmackDown - 10th Anniversary, 1999-2009
2012
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
2007
WWE WrestleMania XV
1999
I demoni dello sport
2025
On the Line
2001
Midnight Money Madness
2006
WWE WrestleMania X-Seven
2001
Beyond the Mat
1999
WWE Judgment Day 2001
2001
WWE King of the Ring 1998
1998
WWE WrestleMania XIV
1998
WWE St. Valentine's Day Massacre: In Your House
1999
White T
2013
WWE Royal Rumble 2001
2001
WWE WrestleMania 13
1997
Frank McKlusky, C.I.
2002
WWE King of the Ring 1999
1999
WWE: The History Of The Intercontinental Championship
2008
WWE Judgment Day 2000
2000
WWE SummerSlam 1997
1997
WWE Insurrextion 2000
2000
WWE Unforgiven: In Your House
1998
WWE: Monday Night War Vol. 1: Shots Fired
2015
WWE Royal Rumble 2000
2000
WWE Backlash 2000
2000
WWF Fully Loaded 2000
2000
WWE Greatest Wrestling Factions
2014
Illegal Aliens
2007
WWE SummerSlam 2000
2000
WWE Over the Edge: In Your House
1998
WWE Unforgiven 1999
1999
WWE No Mercy 2000
2000
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
2000
WWE Badd Blood: In Your House
1997
WWE WrestleMania 2000
2000
WWE: Cheating Death, Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story
2004
WWE No Way Out 2000
2000
WWE King of the Ring 2000
2000
WWE King of the Ring 1997
1997
WWE In Your House 16: Canadian Stampede
1997
WWE Armageddon 2000
2000
WWE Judgment Day: In Your House
1998
WWE In Your House 15: A Cold Day in Hell
1997
TKO
2007
WWE Ground Zero: In Your House
1997
Then, Now, Forever: The Evolution of WWE’s Women’s Division
2018
WWE Rebellion 1999
1999
Alien Tracker
2003
WWE Survivor Series 1999
1999
WWE Royal Rumble 1998
1998
WWE Fully Loaded: In Your House
1998
WWE Backlash: In Your House
1999
WWE Capital Carnage
1998
WWE D-Generation X: In Your House
1997
WWE Mayhem in Manchester
1998
WWE Unforgiven 2000
2000
WWE Over the Edge
1999
WWE SummerSlam 1998
1998
WWE No Mercy 1999
1999
WWE Royal Rumble 1999
1999
WWE Rebellion 2000
2000
Vice Versa: Chyna
2021
WWE SummerSlam 1999
1999
WWE No Way Out of Texas: In Your House
1998
WWF: The Rock - Know Your Role
1998
WWF: It's Our Time
1999
WWE Armageddon 1999
1999
WWE Fully Loaded 1999
1999
The Rock's Most Electrifying Matches
2020
Losing Control
2012
Robot Wars Grand Champions
2002
Mick Foley: Madman Unmasked
1999
WWF: Divas in Hedonism
2001
WWE No Mercy (UK) 1999
1999
Come Get Some: The Women of the WWF
1999
Hunter: Back in Force
2003
The Rock - The People's Champ
2000
101 Reasons Not To Be A Pro Wrestler
2005
Just Another Romantic Wrestling Comedy
2007
NJPW The Spiral
2002
WWE Hall of Fame 2019
2019
WWE One Night Only
1997
Best Of Raw • Volume Six
1997
WWF: D-Generation X
1998
Trantasia
2007
Out in the Ring
2022
TNA Sacrifice 2011
2011
WWE Liv Forever
2020
Lita: It Just Feels Right
2001
Wrestling with Chyna
—
Playboy: Joanie Laurer Nude
2001
Playboy: Joanie Laurer, Nude Wrestling Superstar
2002
YouShoot: Chyna
2011
Nothing Better Than Parody 5
2023
Avengers XXX: A Porn Parody
2012
Superheroes 2
2023
Nothing Better Than Parody 7
2024
She-Hulk XXX: An Axel Braun Parody
2013
1 Night in China
2004
Chyna Is Queen of the Ring
2012
Another Night in China
2009
Backdoor to Chyna
2011