Charlotte Ayanna
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Ayanna is an American
actress and former Miss Teen USA
.
, but moved to Vermont
at an early age. She had a troubled childhood, spending thirteen years in foster homes after her mother, Emma, was judged to be mentally unfit to look after her and her two siblings. In 1994, at age 17, she was adopted
into a foster home. She has since become a spokeswoman for foster children.
. Charlotte co-authored a book
titled Lost in the System, published in 1996, detailing her childhood and subsequent rise to Miss Teen USA. She later changed her last name to "Ayanna", meaning "blessed
" in Cherokee
.
Following her pageant victory, she made guest appearances on television shows including Weird Science
and Entourage
. She also appeared in the music video
for fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martín
's hit She's All I Ever Had
.
Her film roles include Jawbreaker
(1999), The Rage: Carrie 2
(1999), Dancing at the Blue Iguana
(2000), Kate & Leopold
(2001), Training Day
(as Ethan Hawke
's wife), and Love the Hard Way
(2003) with Adrien Brody
. She also starred with Sean Patrick Flanery
as the sexy
vampiress in the horror-made-for-DVD
movie The Insatiable
(2007). She also appeared partially nude on Love the Hard Way
.
(2001) tied with Kajol
for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
actress and former Miss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA 1993
Miss Teen USA 1993, the eleventh Miss Teen USA pageant, was televised live from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, Mississippi on 10 August 1993....
.
Early life
Ayanna was born in San Juan, Puerto RicoSan Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan , officially Municipio de la Ciudad Capital San Juan Bautista , is the capital and most populous municipality in Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 395,326 making it the 46th-largest city under the jurisdiction of...
, but moved to Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
at an early age. She had a troubled childhood, spending thirteen years in foster homes after her mother, Emma, was judged to be mentally unfit to look after her and her two siblings. In 1994, at age 17, she was adopted
Adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting for another and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities from the original parent or parents...
into a foster home. She has since become a spokeswoman for foster children.
Career
Her first national exposure was in 1993, when she became Miss Teen USAMiss Teen USA
Miss Teen USA is a beauty pageant run by the Miss Universe Organization for girls aged 14–19. The reigning titleholder is Danielle Doty of Texas....
. Charlotte co-authored a book
Book
A book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
titled Lost in the System, published in 1996, detailing her childhood and subsequent rise to Miss Teen USA. She later changed her last name to "Ayanna", meaning "blessed
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
" in Cherokee
Cherokee language
Cherokee is an Iroquoian language spoken by the Cherokee people which uses a unique syllabary writing system. It is the only Southern Iroquoian language that remains spoken. Cherokee is a polysynthetic language.-North American etymology:...
.
Following her pageant victory, she made guest appearances on television shows including Weird Science
Weird Science (TV series)
Weird Science is a mid-1990s American comedy series made for television, based on the 1985 film of the same name.-Plot:The series follows the adventures of Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly , two socially inept high school students in an unspecified town in California...
and Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
. She also appeared in the music video
Music video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for fellow Puerto Rican Ricky Martín
Ricky Martin
Enrique "Ricky" Martín Morales , better known as Ricky Martin, is a Puerto Rican and Spanish pop singer and actor who achieved prominence, first as a member of the Latin boy band Menudo, then as a solo artist since 1991.During his career he has sold more than 60 million album copies worldwide...
's hit She's All I Ever Had
She's All I Ever Had
"She's All I Ever Had" is the second single taken from the multiplatinum first English-language album by Ricky Martin, called simply Ricky Martin. It was released on June 15, 1999...
.
Her film roles include Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker (film)
Jawbreaker is an American black comedy satire film, directed by Darren Stein. It was released February 19, 1999. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as a...
(1999), The Rage: Carrie 2
The Rage: Carrie 2
The Rage: Carrie 2 is the 1999 sequel to the 1976 horror film classic Carrie. Directed by Katt Shea, the film starred Emily Bergl, Mena Suvari, Jason London and Amy Irving.-Plot:...
(1999), Dancing at the Blue Iguana
Dancing at the Blue Iguana
Dancing at the Blue Iguana is an American drama film, released in 2000, directed by Michael Radford about the lives of strippers in an adult club...
(2000), Kate & Leopold
Kate & Leopold
Kate & Leopold is a 2001 romantic-comedy fantasy that tells a story of a duke who travels through time from New York in 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in the modern New York...
(2001), Training Day
Training Day
Training Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
(as Ethan Hawke
Ethan Hawke
Ethan Green Hawke is an American actor, writer and director. He made his feature film debut in 1985 with the science fiction movie Explorers, before making a supporting appearance in the 1989 drama Dead Poets Society which is considered his breakthrough role...
's wife), and Love the Hard Way
Love the Hard Way
Love the Hard Way is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Peter Sehr. It is about the story of a petty thief who meets an innocent young woman and brings her into his world of crime while she teaches him the lessons of enjoying life and being loved....
(2003) with Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody
Adrien Brody is an American actor and film producer. He received widespread recognition and acclaim after starring in Roman Polanski's The Pianist . Winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2003 at age 29, he is the youngest actor to do so...
. She also starred with Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery
Sean Patrick Flanery is an American actor known for such roles as Connor MacManus in The Boondock Saints, Greg Stillson in The Dead Zone and for portraying Indiana Jones in The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, as well as Bobby Dagen in Saw 3D.He is currently known for his role as Sam Gibson on The...
as the sexy
Physical attractiveness
Physical attractiveness refers to a person's physical traits which are perceived to be aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from the two; for example, humans may regard the young as attractive for various...
vampiress in the horror-made-for-DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
movie The Insatiable
The Insatiable
The Insatiable is an American vampire horror film released on DVD in 2006, starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Charlotte Ayanna, and Michael Biehn....
(2007). She also appeared partially nude on Love the Hard Way
Love the Hard Way
Love the Hard Way is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Peter Sehr. It is about the story of a petty thief who meets an innocent young woman and brings her into his world of crime while she teaches him the lessons of enjoying life and being loved....
.
Filmography
- Weird ScienceWeird Science (TV series)Weird Science is a mid-1990s American comedy series made for television, based on the 1985 film of the same name.-Plot:The series follows the adventures of Gary Wallace and Wyatt Donnelly , two socially inept high school students in an unspecified town in California...
(3 episodes, "Dead Can Dance", "Puppet Love" and "Phantom Scampi", 1995–1996) .... Annie / Jessie / Wendy - Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210Beverly Hills, 90210 is an American drama series that originally aired from October 4, 1990 to May 17, 2000 on Fox and was produced by Spelling Television in the United States, and subsequently on various networks around the world. It is the first series in the Beverly Hills, 90210 franchise...
(1 episode, "Here We Go Again", 1996) .... Beth Rawlings - The Steve Harvey ShowThe Steve Harvey ShowThe Steve Harvey Show is an American sitcom that aired for six seasons from August 25, 1996 to February 17, 2002 on The WB Television Network. It was created by Winifred Hervey and directed by Stan Lathan.-Synopsis:...
(1 episode, "Pool Sharks Git Bit", 1996) .... Jody - The Secret World of Alex MackThe Secret World of Alex MackThe Secret World of Alex Mack is an American television series that ran on Nickelodeon from October 8, 1994 to January 15, 1998, replacing Clarissa Explains It All on the SNICK line-up. It also aired on YTV in Canada and NHK in Japan, and was a popular staple in the children's weekday line-up for...
(2 episodes, "The Understudy" and "Without Feathers", 1996–1997) .... Hannah Mercury - Trojan WarTrojan War (film)Trojan War is a 1997 romantic comedy directed by George Huang. It stars Will Friedle, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Marley Shelton.-Plot:High school student Brad has had an unrequited crush on a classmate named Brooke for years. After she asks him to come over one night to tutor her, she ends up...
(1997) .... Nina (as Charlotte Lopez) - Telling YouTelling YouTelling You, also known as Love Sucks, is a 1998 comedy - romance film with some drama elements. The film was directed by Robert DeFranco and distributed by Miramax...
(1998) .... Allison Fazio (as Charlotte Lopez) - ProfilerProfiler (TV series)Profiler was an American crime drama that aired on NBC from 1996 to 2000. The series follows the exploits of a criminal profiler working with the fictional FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force based in Atlanta, Georgia....
(1 episode, "Cravings", 1998) .... Kristen - JawbreakerJawbreaker (film)Jawbreaker is an American black comedy satire film, directed by Darren Stein. It was released February 19, 1999. The film stars Rose McGowan, Rebecca Gayheart, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school. Charlotte Ayanna has a non-speaking cameo role as a...
(1999) .... Elizabeth "Liz" Purr (as Charlotte Roldan) - The Rage: Carrie 2The Rage: Carrie 2The Rage: Carrie 2 is the 1999 sequel to the 1976 horror film classic Carrie. Directed by Katt Shea, the film starred Emily Bergl, Mena Suvari, Jason London and Amy Irving.-Plot:...
(1999) .... Tracy Campbell - Dancing at the Blue IguanaDancing at the Blue IguanaDancing at the Blue Iguana is an American drama film, released in 2000, directed by Michael Radford about the lives of strippers in an adult club...
(2000) .... Jessie and performer of SEX A.M. and Amazing GraceAmazing Grace"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton , published in 1779. With a message that forgiveness and redemption are possible regardless of the sins people commit and that the soul can be delivered from despair through the mercy of God,... - Stealing TimeStealing TimeStealing Time is a 2001 drama involving the uniting of four friends reuniting a year after college, each of them now dealing with their own problems...
(2001) .... Samantha "Sam" Parkes - Love the Hard WayLove the Hard WayLove the Hard Way is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Peter Sehr. It is about the story of a petty thief who meets an innocent young woman and brings her into his world of crime while she teaches him the lessons of enjoying life and being loved....
(2001) .... Claire Harrison - Training DayTraining DayTraining Day is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Antoine Fuqua, written by David Ayer, starring Denzel Washington and Ethan Hawke. The film follows two LAPD narcotics detectives over a 24-hour period in the gang neighborhoods of South and East Los Angeles.The film was a box office success and...
(2001) .... Lisa - Kate & LeopoldKate & LeopoldKate & Leopold is a 2001 romantic-comedy fantasy that tells a story of a duke who travels through time from New York in 1876 to the present and falls in love with a career woman in the modern New York...
(2001) .... Patrice - SpunSpunSpun is a 2002 American crime dramedy directed by Jonas Åkerlund, and starring Jason Schwartzman, Brittany Murphy, Mickey Rourke, Mena Suvari, John Leguizamo, Patrick Fugit, Eric Roberts, Chloe Hunter, and Debbie Harry. It is Åkerlund's début as a feature-film director, having already become known...
(2002) .... Amy - EntourageEntourage (TV series)Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
(1 episode, "Date Night", 2004) .... Joanne - Once Upon a Wedding (2005) .... Margarita
- Push (2006) .... Lisa
- The ThirstThe Thirst (film)-Plot:Recovering drug addicts Maxx and Lisa are persuaded by vampire clan leader Darius to give up their humanity and join him as vampires. They do so, but then give up the vampire's blood addiction - the Thirst. After enduring the withdrawal symptoms, the couple turns against the band of...
(2006) .... Macey - No. 6 (2006) .... Mila
- The InsatiableThe InsatiableThe Insatiable is an American vampire horror film released on DVD in 2006, starring Sean Patrick Flanery, Charlotte Ayanna, and Michael Biehn....
(2007) .... Tatiana - Errand boy (2010) .... Candi (completed)
- Rain from Stars (2010) .... Nora (post-production)
Awards and nominations
In 2002 she won the Best Actress award at the Valenciennes International Festival of Action and Adventure Films for Love the Hard WayLove the Hard Way
Love the Hard Way is a 2001 crime drama film directed by Peter Sehr. It is about the story of a petty thief who meets an innocent young woman and brings her into his world of crime while she teaches him the lessons of enjoying life and being loved....
(2001) tied with Kajol
Kajol
Kajol Devgn , better known as Kajol, is an Indian film actress appearing in Hindi films. She is regarded as one of India's most successful and talented female actors....
for Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (2001).