Chandler Kinney

Chandler Kinney is an American actress and singer from Sacramento, California. She is best known for playing Willa, the zombie cheerleader, in Disney's Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise and Tabby Haworthe in HBO Max's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022–2024). With over a dozen film and TV credits, she has moved between cheerfully spooky Disney musicals and darker teen horror, building a reputation for sharp, grounded performances. Kinney also writes and produces, and she released the single "My Mind" in 2020. Fans appreciate her blend of sweetness and grit, and her social media presence reflects a creative, down-to-earth personality. [edit]

Kinney grew up in a quiet area just outside Los Angeles, where her family moved when she was one year old. She started dancing at age three, training in tap, jazz, and hip-hop at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy, the Kirov Academy of Ballet, and the Los Angeles Ballet Academy. At age ten, she began martial arts and earned her first-degree black belt at thirteen. Her acting career started with a Gap commercial that led to a commercial agent and acting classes. Her first professional role was in the 2012 film Battlefield America. She landed guest spots on Disney Channel's Girl Meets World and K.C. Undercover, and Nickelodeon's The Haunted Hathaways. In 2014, she performed in a Joss Whedon piece called "When I Speak." She was homeschooled and briefly attended UCLA as a psychology major before leaving to focus on acting. [edit]

Kinney's first major role came in 2015 as Catherine Dillman on Amazon's Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street. From 2016 to 2019, she played Riana Murtaugh on Fox's Lethal Weapon. Her breakout arrived in 2018 when she joined Disney's Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise as Willa, a zombie cheerleader. She returned for the sequels Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 2 (2020) and Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 3 (2022), the latter earning an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Children's or Young Teen Program. In 2021, she was cast as Tabby Haworthe in HBO Max's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, a horror-tinged reboot. The show ran for two seasons before cancellation in 2024. In 2025, she appeared in the Legally Blonde prequel series Elle. She also voiced characters in The Ghost and Molly McGee and Robot Chicken. [edit]

Kinney is often described as the "upgrade to the girl next door", responsible, trustworthy, and an overachiever. She is known for genre-spanning performances, from zombie cheerleader to amateur sleuth. Her social media voice is creative, passionate, and wholehearted. Fans appreciate her grounded personality and her ability to balance lighthearted Disney roles with darker horror material. She does not have an official fandom name, but she engages regularly with followers on Instagram and Twitter. [edit]

Chandler Kinney stands as the 28th most famous person in Disney, a ranking that holds steady from the previous cycle within the iFANN Global Fame Rankings. This placement reflects her successful pivot from the cheerful spookiness of the Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise to the darker, grittier teen horror of Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin. Her career trajectory has been tracked through global attention across media coverage and consumption signals worldwide, cementing her status as a versatile talent who balances lighthearted musicals with intense dramatic roles. While she commands significant digital space on TikTok with millions of followers, her fanbase remains an organic community rather than an organized entity with a designated title. There is no formal fandom name documented for Kinney; instead, her audience engages directly through her personal social media voice, characterized by casual greetings and interactive content like viral dance challenges. Unlike stars with structured fan clubs or specific monikers, Kinney's supporters connect through shared appreciation for her grounded personality and genre-spanning performances. She recently expanded her influence beyond acting with her appointment as the first-ever Chief Aura Officer for hello® in June 2026, a strategic move that highlighted her connection with Gen Z branding without generating the chaotic, myth-making incidents often associated with legendary celebrity moments. Her presence on Dancing with the Stars further solidified her public profile, yet the narrative around her remains rooted in professional achievement rather than folklore-worthy crowd reactions.[edit]

Chandler Kinney began dancing at age three, training extensively in tap, jazz, and hip-hop before earning a first-degree black belt in martial arts by the time she turned thirteen. A product of homeschooling, she studied at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy and later enrolled in psychology at UCLA before leaving to pursue her acting career full-time. Her professional debut arrived early through a commercial for Gap, followed by a selection to perform in Joss Whedon's 2014 piece When I Speak. Beyond her artistic pursuits, she co-founded Chandler's Friends with her mother to assist disadvantaged youths. In recent years, her legend has grown through high-profile corporate milestones and television appearances rather than street-shutting crowds. Notably, she was appointed the inaugural Chief Aura Officer for the brand hello® in mid-2026, a unique title designed to strengthen Gen Z connections. Her participation in Season 33 of Dancing with the Stars featured a memorable Hair Metal Night Jive performance that garnered viewer interest. These events mark her transition from child star to multifaceted influencer, defined by her ability to navigate both family entertainment and adult-oriented projects while maintaining a direct relationship with her audience.[edit]

Kinney was born in Sacramento, California. She has two older brothers. Her mother's name is Taryn. The family moved closer to Los Angeles when she was one year old, and she grew up in a quiet area with hills and horses. She and her mother founded Chandler's Friends, a nonprofit that supports disadvantaged youths. As of 2026, Kinney lives in Los Angeles and has no children or pets publicly documented. [edit]

Kinney has worked closely with Milo Manheim and Kylee Russell in the Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise. She starred alongside Ashley Boettcher in Gortimer Gibbon's Life on Normal Street. On Lethal Weapon, she acted opposite Damon Wayans and Seann William Scott. Debbie Allen was her dance mentor at the Debbie Allen Dance Academy. [edit]

No public romantic relationships have been documented for Chandler Kinney. She has not been linked to any partners, and no dating history, engagements, or marriages have been reported. As of 2026, she is presumed single based on the absence of any confirmed partnerships. [edit]

iFANN currently estimates Chandler Kinney's net worth at $1.8 million as of 2026. Her financial standing is built primarily on acting salaries derived from a diverse portfolio including her recurring role on Fox's Lethal Weapon (2016–2019), the Disney Z-O-M-B-I-E-S franchise, and her lead performance in HBO Max's Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin (2022–2024). Additional revenue streams include her music releases, such as the 2020 single My Mind, alongside credits earned through writing and producing. No specific salary figures, endorsement deals, or real estate holdings have been publicly reported.[edit]