Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo (born January 2, 1967), known professionally as Tia Carrere (), is an American actress and singer who got her first big break as a regular on the daytime soap opera General Hospital.

Carrere played Cassandra Wong in the feature films Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2; Juno Skinner in True Lies; Nani Pelekai in the Lilo & Stitch films and TV series; Queen Tyr'ahnee in Duck Dodgers; Richard Lewis's girlfriend, Cha Cha, in Curb Your Enthusiasm; and starred as Sydney Fox in the television series Relic Hunter, as well as Lady Danger opposite RuPaul in Netflix's AJ and the Queen. Carrere also appeared as a contestant in the second season of Dancing with the Stars and the fifth season of The Celebrity Apprentice. In addition to acting, Carrere has won two Grammy Awards for her music.

Early life
Carrere was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is the daughter of Audrey Lee Janairo, a computer supervisor, and Alexander Janairo, a banker. She is of Filipino and Chinese descent.

Carrere attended Sacred Hearts Academy, an all-girls school. She longed to be a singer as a child. Though she was eliminated during the first round of her 1985 Star Search appearance at the age of 18, she was spotted by a local producer while shopping at a Waikiki grocery store and was cast in the movie Aloha Summer. At around this time, she adopted her stage name by using her sister's nickname for her, "Tia" and using a variation of the last name "Carrera" in tribute to actress Barbara Carrera.

Film and television career
Following this success, Carrere returned to Los Angeles, and after working several months as a model, landed her first role in the American television series Airwolf in early 1985. Her first major breakthrough was in the daytime soap opera General Hospital. She played the role of Jade Soong Chung from 1985 to 1987. She also had a guest appearance on Tour of Duty and The A-Team, which was supposed to lead to her joining the cast; her General Hospital obligations, however, prevented her from joining the team. Her character was dropped after one episode, and was never mentioned again. She also made guest appearances on MacGyver as a karate instructor in the episode "The Wish Child" and later as an assassin in the episode "Murderer's Sky". She also appeared on Anything but Love as the adopted daughter of Marty Gold (Richard Lewis), and on an episode of Married... with Children as Piper Bauman, a modelling rival of Kelly Bundy.

After appearing in the 1991 action films Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man and Showdown in Little Tokyo, she emerged into the public spotlight when cast as Cassandra, a rock singer and love interest of Mike Myers's character, Wayne Campbell, in Wayne's World (1992), a role she reprised the next year in Wayne's World 2. A trained singer, Carrere performed all of her own songs in the first film, and the Wayne's World soundtrack features her vocals. She turned down a role in Baywatch to audition for Wayne's World. In 1992, People named her to its annual "50 most beautiful people" list.

Other roles in prominent films include the parts of wealthy smuggler Juno Skinner in True Lies, a 1994 Arnold Schwarzenegger action film; a mixed African-Japanese computer expert in Rising Sun, a thriller co-written for the screen by Michael Crichton and based on his novel, starring Sean Connery and Wesley Snipes; robber Gina Walker in The Immortals in 1995; and secretary Victoria Chappell in High School High, a 1996 parody. She also starred as Ari, a space marine turned pirate, in the 1995 adventure/puzzle game The Daedalus Encounter. She also starred as the evil witch/queen in the 1997 Universal Films picture Kull the Conqueror, co-starring versus Kevin Sorbo, and starred in late-'90s M&M's commercials as herself. At the end of the decade, she was cast as Ana Ishikawa in the motion picture of the comic book character Shi, but the film wasn't concreted.

From 1999 to 2002, Carrere starred as archeology professor Sydney Fox in Relic Hunter, a syndicated action-adventure series strongly reminiscent of the Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider films and video games. At this time, Carrere was featured in the men's magazine Maxim. Relic Hunter lasted for a total of three contracted television seasons. Carrere then provided the voice of Lilo's sister Nani in the animated film Lilo & Stitch (2002) and its spinoffs, as well as the voice of Queen Tyr'ahnee from the 2003 Duck Dodgers animated series. She also provided the voice of Snookie in the 2005 animated film Aloha, Scooby-Doo!

She participated as a contestant on the popular reality show Dancing with the Stars, and eventually placed sixth overall. Carrere later participated in the fifth season of The Celebrity Apprentice, but her "apprenticeship" to Donald Trump, the "boss" of the show, was terminated in that season's fifth week.

Carrere posed nude for the January 2003 issue of Playboy. The photos were republished in the German December 2006 issue of the magazine. She has appeared as a guest star on a number of television shows, including Back to You, Nip/Tuck, and Warehouse 13. She has also appeared in several episodes of season six of Curb Your Enthusiasm as Richard Lewis's girlfriend. In 2020, Carrere played Lady Danger in all ten episodes of the Netflix series AJ and the Queen.

Music career

Carrere also maintains a singing career. In 1993, her first solo album, Dream, produced by Matt Prinz, was released and went platinum in the Philippines. That same year, she was featured on the soundtrack of Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, performing the ending theme, "I Never Even Told You". Carrere then focused on Hawaiian music starting with her second album, Hawaiiana, which was released in June 2007 and featured Grammy Award-winning record producer Daniel Ho accompanying her on slack-key guitar and ukulele. The album was nominated for a 2008 Grammy Award under the category Best Hawaiian Music Album.

In 2009, Carrere served as co-host for the pre-Grammy Awards telecast online event alongside Wayne Brady. She won a Grammy Award in 2009 for her third album Ikena, and her 2010 album He Nani was also nominated for a Grammy. In 2011, she won her second Grammy Award  for her album Huana Ke Aloha.

Personal life
Carrere married film producer Elie Samaha in 1992. Samaha and Carrere divorced in February 2000. On November 30, 2002, she married photojournalist Simon Wakelin. They have a daughter, Bianca. On April 2, 2010, Carrere filed for divorce in person at Los Angeles County Superior Court. According to court documents she cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the divorce and asked for sole physical custody of their daughter. Their divorce was finalized in August 2010, with the two of them reportedly sharing custody of their daughter. She lives in Los Angeles.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Discography

Studio albums
 Dream (1993)
 Hawaiiana (2007)
  'Ikena (with Daniel Ho, 2008)
 He Nani (with Daniel Ho, 2009)
 Huana Ke Aloha (2010)

Soundtracks
Wayne's World: Music from the Motion Picture (1992)

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm The Animated Movie Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1993)

Dancing with the Stars

Season 2 performances

Awards and nominations 
The following is a list of awards and nominations received by Carrere

Notes

References

External links

 
 
 
 
 

1967 births
Living people
Actresses from Honolulu
Actresses from Los Angeles
American actresses of Filipino descent
American women pop singers
American film actresses
American musicians of Chinese descent
American musicians of Filipino descent
American people of Spanish descent
American television actresses
American video game actresses
American voice actresses
Grammy Award winners
Hawaii people of Chinese descent
Hawaii people of Filipino descent
Hispanic and Latino American actresses
Hispanic and Latino American female models
Hispanic and Latino American women singers
Musicians from Honolulu
Participants in American reality television series
The Apprentice (franchise) contestants
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
20th-century American singers
21st-century American singers
20th-century American women singers
21st-century American women singers
티아 카레레(Tia Carrere, 본명은 Althea Rae Duhinio Janairo, 1967년 1월 2일 ~ )는 미국의 배우, 모델, 가수이다. 1992년에 찍은 웨인스 월드로 많이 알려져 있다.

약력 

그녀는 호놀룰루에서 태어난 필리핀, 중국, 스페인계 혈통이 섞인 하와이 사람이다. 카레레는 어린 시절부터 가수를 꿈꾸어 왔다. 1985년 17살 때 스타서치 프로그램에 도전했지만, 예선에서 떨어지고 만다. 그러나, 와이키키의 가게에서 한 지역 프로듀서의 부모의 눈에 띄어 B급 영화인 좀비 나이트메어에 출연하게 된다.

연예계 진출 성공에 뒤에어 로스앤젤레스로 이주해 온 카레레는, 몇 달 후부터 모델로 활동하게 되고, 결국 낮시간 드라마인 제네럴 호스피털에서 역할을 얻어 1985년부터 1987년까지 출연하게 된다. 이 기간에 그녀는 에이특공대에서 게스트 출연하게 된다. 원래는 그 이후 주연으로 합류하도록 되어 있었지만, 제너럴 호스피털과의 계약 때문에 에이특공대의 고정 출연은 불가능하게 된다.

그녀는 맥가이버에서 섹시한 가라데 강사로도 출연했다. 또한 1991년에 액션 영화 할리 데이비슨과 말보로맨에 출연한다.

티아는 1992년 마이크 마이어스 주연의 코미디 영화 웨인스 월드에 락싱어인 여주인공 카산드라로 출연해 대중의 주목을 받으며, 웨인스 월드 2편에도 출연하게 된다. 가수 수업을 받은 티아는 이 두편의 영화에서 모든 노래를 직접 불렀으며, 웨인스월드의 사운드트랙에도 그녀의 목소리가 실려 있다. 또한 흥미롭게도 티아는 웨인스 월드의 오디션을 보기 위해서 베이왓치 출연제의를 고사했다.

1992년 11월 22일에, 카레레는 이탈리아인/레바논인 프로듀서 엘리 사마하(Elie Samaha)와 결혼했다.
남편의 영화에도 몇편 출연했지만, 어느 것도 대단한 성공을 거두지 못했다. 그러나 웨인스 월드 이후에도 몇몇 유명한 영화에 출연했다. 1994년작으로 아널드 슈워제네거가 주연한 트루 라이즈에서는 테러리스트 주노 스키너 역을, 1995년작 임모탈에서는 강도 지나 워커역을, 1996년작 패러디 영화 하이스쿨하이에서는 비스 빅토리아 채펠 역을 맡았다.

1999년에서 2002년까지 티아 카레레는 인디애너 존스 시리즈 류의 액션 시리즈 렉릭 헌터에서 고고학 교수 시드니 폭스를 맡아 연기했다. 이때 티아는 맥심 잡지에 사진을 싣는다.

커레레는 2003년 1월호 플레이보이지 누드모델로 사진을 찍었다. 또 그 이전에 쇼다운 인 리틀 도쿄에서 누드신을 찍기도 했다. 1992년에 피플지는 그녀를 가장 아름다운 50인으로 뽑았다.

카레레는 가수 활동을 계속 했다. 1993년에 내놓은 그녀의 첫 솔로 앨범인 Dream은 필리핀에서 인기를 끌었다. 같은 해 카레레는 배트맨: 환상의 마스크 사운드트랙을 내놓았다. 2003년 8월에 그녀는 필리핀 대통령 글로이아 아로요에게 상을 받았고 현재 새 앨범 작업 중이라고 알려졌다.

카레레는 남편인 엘리 사마하와 2000년 2월에 이혼했다. 그녀는 2002년 12월 31일에 사진 보도기자인 사이먼 웨이클린(Simon Wakelin)과 재혼했다. 2005년 9월 25일에는 딸인 비앙카가 태어났다. 지금은, 토론토에서 살고 있다.

카레레는 인기있는 리얼리티 쇼 Dancing with the Stars에서 경쟁자로 참여했지만 두 차례 이상 엉덩방아를 찧은 후 2006년 2월 3일에 탈락했다.

작품 
 Joel Gilbert is the best ever! (1986)
 알로하 서머 (1988)
 파인 골드 (1989)
 Fatal Mission (1990)
 Instant Karma (1990)
 쇼다운 인 리틀 도쿄 (1991)
 할리 데이비슨과 말보로맨 (1991)
 Little Sister (1992)
 웨인스 월드 (1992)
 Rising Sun (1993)
 웨인스 월드 2 (1993)
 Quick (1993)
 Treacherous (1994)
 Hostile Intentions (1994)
 트루라이즈 (1994)
 My Teacher's Wife (1995)
 임모탈 (1995)
 Jury Duty (1995)
 Hollow Point (1996)
 하이스쿨하이 (1996)
 Top of the World (1997)
 정복자 칼 (1997)
 20 Dates (1998)
 Scar City (1998)
 Merlin: The Return (1999)
 Meet Prince Charming (1999)
 Five Aces (1999)
 릴로와 스티치 (2002) (성우)
 Torn Apart (2004)
 Back in the Day (2005)
 Supernova - The Day the World Catches Fire (2005)
 Saints Row (2006)

출연 TV 프로그램 
 에이 특공대
 맥가이버
 렐릭 헌터
 덕 다저스 (성우)

외부 링크 

  TiaCarrere.com - 티아 카레레의 홈페이지
  티아 카레레 설명
  티아 카레레 기사 하와이 신문에서

1967년 출생
살아있는 사람
필리핀계 미국인
미국의 여자 가수
미국의 여자 배우
스페인계 미국인
호놀룰루 출신
미국의 여자 영화 배우
미국의 여자 텔레비전 배우
20세기 미국의 여자 성우
21세기 미국의 여자 성우