She walked into a karate class as a beginner and walked out with the lead role in one of the biggest films of 2025. She was 24 years old. Now, at 25, Chase Infiniti has Academy Award nominations, a Louis Vuitton ambassadorship, and two more major projects in the pipeline — and most people still have no idea where she came from.
Chase Infiniti Age and Quick Facts
Chase Infiniti was born on May 5, 2000, in Indianapolis, Indiana. She is 25 years old as of May 2026. Her full legal name is Chase Infiniti Payne, and she uses her middle name professionally.
| Detail | Information |
| Full Name | Chase Infiniti Payne |
| Date of Birth | May 5, 2000 |
| Age (2026) | 25 |
| Star Sign | Taurus |
| Birthplace | Indianapolis, Indiana |
| Education | Columbia College Chicago (BFA Musical Theatre, 2022) |
| Debut Role | Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+, 2024) |
| Breakout Film | One Battle After Another (2025) |
| Character | Willa Ferguson / Charlene Calhoun |
| Director | Paul Thomas Anderson |
| Co-Stars | Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, Teyana Taylor |
| Parents | Keith Payne (construction company owner), Kim Payne (homemaker) |
| Upcoming | The Testaments (Hulu, 2026), The Julia Set |
Who Is Chase Infiniti?
Chase Infiniti is a 25-year-old American actress from Indianapolis who went from musical theater stages to standing opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in her feature film debut.
She is best known for playing Willa Ferguson in Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another (2025), a role that earned her nominations for an Actor Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe.
Before that, she made her screen debut in Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent (2024). She has since been cast in The Testaments, the Hulu sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, and the coming-of-age drama The Julia Set.
How She Got Her Name
Chase Infiniti’s name is one of the most searched facts about her — and the story behind it is genuinely fun. Her parents, Keith and Kim Payne, were not in the film industry.
They were just two movie lovers who watched Batman Forever and fell in love with Nicole Kidman’s character, Chase Meridian. They decided their child would be named Chase regardless of anything else.
Then came the middle name. They watched Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear’s “To infinity and beyond!” sealed it. Chase Infiniti Payne. She has described the origin as both hilarious and strangely prophetic — her parents accidentally named her for a Hollywood career they never planned.
She said on the Today show in October 2025 that it was “really crazy” how her completely non-entertainment parents somehow predicted her path.
Her Real Parents — Setting the Record Straight
Multiple internet searches link Chase Infiniti’s name to celebrity parents, particularly Kerry Washington. This is false. Chase has confirmed clearly that her parents are Keith Irvin Payne, who runs a construction and remodeling company in Indianapolis called ARHI Bldg & Remodeling, and Kim Payne, her mother and homemaker who first took her to musicals as a child.
Keith was a drummer in a jazz band when Chase was growing up. He has accompanied her to award shows, including the 2026 Golden Globes and the 57th NAACP Image Awards.
When asked at the Globes to name her favorite dad given that she had played the daughter of multiple famous actors on screen, she said it was her real one — Keith — without hesitation. Neither parent has any connection to the entertainment industry prior to their daughter’s rise.
Chase Infiniti’s Early Life and Education
Chase grew up in Indianapolis in a household that her father later described as “creative-forward.” Music was always playing. She attended the International School of Indiana, a private language immersion school where she studied French.
Chase later transferred to North Central High School, where theater and music became her focus. She graduated from North Central in 2018 and moved to Chicago to pursue a BFA in Musical Theatre at Columbia College Chicago.
She graduated in 2022. During her time in Chicago, she worked as a kickboxing trainer — physical work that would later prove directly relevant to her film career — and co-founded a K-pop cover dance group called Duple Dance Crew.
Her senior showcase was seen by a talent manager. That led to an agent. The auditions started shortly after.
The Audition That Changed Everything
In 2023, while filming Presumed Innocent, Chase noticed an email in her inbox about a mysterious, unnamed project. She submitted a self-tape and moved on without thinking much of it. The project turned out to be Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another. Multiple callbacks followed.
The final step was a four-day karate intensive in Los Angeles with Anderson watching. Chase was the only beginner in the room. At the end of the four days, Anderson told her — casually, almost as an afterthought — that she had the part.
The Role of Willa Ferguson
Willa Ferguson is the daughter of a former revolutionary named Bob, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and his partner, played by Teyana Taylor. When Willa goes missing after being targeted by a military leader, Bob and his former radical group reunite to find her.
But Willa is not simply a plot device — she is the emotional and physical center of the film. She is a purple belt in martial arts and fully capable of handling herself.
Chase spent months training in karate and MMA to earn that portrayal. Her prior work as a kickboxing instructor gave her a baseline, but the character required far more. Her performance drew consistent praise from critics, with many describing her as the film’s emotional anchor despite the stacked ensemble around her.
Working Alongside Hollywood Legends
Chase has talked openly about the experience of stepping onto set opposite DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Benicio del Toro, and Regina Hall. She told Deadline in December 2025 that she could not have imagined three years earlier being in those rooms with those people, calling the experience “unbelievable.”
She also shared a telling detail about her early obsession with Catch Me If You Can during high school — a film starring DiCaprio. Seeing him in person for the first time was, she said, a “crazy full-circle moment.” She has credited every role with teaching her something about herself, and described herself as still very much a student at 25.
Award Season and Recognition in 2026
The recognition for One Battle After Another came quickly and from every direction. Chase received nominations for Best Actress in a Leading Role at the BAFTAs, Best Actress in a Motion Picture (Musical or Comedy) at the Golden Globes, and Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role at the Actor Awards.
She was named the 2026 ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Starlet and was named a Louis Vuitton brand ambassador in January 2026. Variety had already named her one of its Actors to Watch prior to the film’s release.
For context, her Oscar nomination — which Variety reported was being actively campaigned for in the lead actress category — would have placed her in rare company. Very few actors have received Academy recognition for their feature film debut. The list of precedents includes Julie Andrews for Mary Poppins and Barbra Streisand for Funny Girl.
What Chase Infiniti Is Doing in 2026
Chase’s schedule in 2026 is not slowing down. She spent months in Toronto filming The Testaments, the Hulu sequel series to The Handmaid’s Tale, set 15 years after the events of the original. She plays Agnes, a character previously known as Hannah. The series features Ann Dowd returning as Aunt Lydia and premiered on Hulu in 2026.
She has also joined the cast of The Julia Set, a coming-of-age drama directed by Niki Byrne. The film stars Christopher Briney, Gillian Anderson, and Jason Isaacs. Chase plays the title role — Julia, a gifted young mathematician admitted to an elite academic program.
Her Tyler, the Creator appearance also happened in this period. After seeing her in the One Battle After Another trailer, Tyler cast her in his music video for “Darling, I,” extending her cultural presence beyond film and television.
She has spoken publicly about Broadway remaining a long-term goal. She has said she knows it will happen, just not when. For now, she describes herself as comfortable being a student, learning from every project, and still figuring out who she is at 25.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Chase Infiniti?
She is 25 years old, born May 5, 2000, in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Who are Chase Infiniti’s parents?
Her parents are Keith Payne, who owns a construction company, and Kim Payne, a homemaker. Neither has any entertainment industry background.
Is Chase Infiniti related to Kerry Washington or any other celebrity?
No. This is a persistent internet rumor with no factual basis. Her parents are Keith and Kim Payne, private individuals from Indianapolis.
How did Chase Infiniti land her role in One Battle After Another?
She submitted a self-tape for an anonymous project, went through multiple callbacks, completed a four-day karate intensive with Paul Thomas Anderson watching, and was cast immediately after.
What is Chase Infiniti working on in 2026?
She stars as Agnes in The Testaments on Hulu, is part of the cast of The Julia Set, and appeared in Tyler, the Creator’s music video “Darling, I.”
Conclusion
Chase Infiniti is 25 years old, named after a Batman villain and a Toy Story catchphrase, raised in Indianapolis by two people who had never worked in Hollywood a day in their lives. She went from kickboxing instructor to karate beginner to BAFTA-nominated actress in under three years, and she still describes herself as a student. The trajectory is extraordinary, and she is only getting started.
