Biography
Multiethnic actress Denyce Lawton, of African-American and Korean heritage, is best recognized for her four-season role on the six-time NAACP Best Comedy Series Award-winning show House of Payne (2006), produced by Tyler Perry.
Denyce was born and raised in the New Jersey towns of Belmar and Neptune, locations familiar to viewers of the series Jersey Shore (2009), before relocating to Washington, DC. She completed middle and high school in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Graduating at the top of her class while taking college courses during her senior year, she engaged in nearly every academic program and club available, serving as Vice President of her senior class. She participated in the Biotechnology Program for gifted students aimed at the medical field, the Future Teachers of America Club, the yearbook staff, the pom-pom squad, girls' basketball, and—most importantly—the drama club. After graduation, she pursued pre-med studies at the University of Maryland while also attending an early studies program at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University.
Denyce began her professional entertainment career as a background dancer on Broadway and later for recording artists including Ye, *NSYNC, Mya, Nelly, Jagged Edge, Ja Rule, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, and others. She held positions such as Assistant Vice President of Urban Promotions at Warner Brothers Records and later A&R Vice President at Priority Records in New York City. Additionally, she worked as a personal assistant to record executive Irv Gotti at Murder Inc. Records and as Assistant Junior Publicist at 20th Century Fox Pictures.
Her modeling career included work for brands such as Kemi Oil, FUBU, ADIDAS, Enyce, Karl Kani, and Baby Phat, while she gained acting experience through roles in New York City’s renowned "Shakespeare in the Park" series. Denyce also appeared in music videos for artists like Clay Aiken (“The Way”), 112 (“Peaches and Cream”), Nas (“One Mic”), and Jaheim (“Anything”). Her acting credits include TV series such as Castle (2009) and Entourage (2004), and feature films including The Dempsey Sisters (2013), Soul Plane (2004), and Act Like You Love Me (2013).
