Chene Lawson
Chené Lawson | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1999-present |
| Notable work |
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| Website | www |
Chené Lawson-Peissig (born February 28, 1971) is an American writer, podcaster, and actor.
Lawson was born in Chicago, Illinois. She later moved to Los Angeles, where she trained at The Groundlings theater.[1] In 2020, she wrote and hosted the speculative fiction podcast All Things Undone, which debuted at #7 on the Apple Podcasts Sci-Fi chart, and later reached #1. In 2023 the podcast won the Webby for Best Scripted Fiction Podcast. In 2025 Audible released the title as an audiobook, and then contracted Lawson to adapt two of N.K. Jemisin's short stories into an audiodrama, released in 2025 as Amorph. On television, she is best known for the role of Yolanda Hamilton,[2][3] the derelict mother of Devon Hamilton (Bryton James) on The Young and the Restless.
Podcasts
How to Destroy Everything (2023)
How to Destroy Everything is a documentary podcast hosted by Danny Jacobs and Darren Grodsky about Danny’s father, Richard Jacobs—a man whose relentless manipulation and schemes left a trail of lawsuits, scams, and shattered lives. Through interviews and investigation, the series uncovers how one person’s destructive behavior devastated families, communities, and ultimately his own son, who describes the podcast as follows:[4]
The true story of a man who wreaks havoc on a community: He taps phone lines, steals notary stamps, gets banned from restaurants, hacks emails, and forges signatures. He inspires a support group comprised solely of people he traumatized. In court, he references arcane British case law and submits literally thousands of motions to delay and obstruct, leaving anyone who stands in his way not only penniless but emotionally bankrupt and utterly destroyed. He was also my dad.
Awards and recognition
- Nominated for the iHeartRadio Podcast Award for best emerging podcast.[5]
- Webby Award Honoree for Best Documentary Podcast award.[6]
Credits[6]
- Production company: Aileron Podcast Studios
- Executive Producer & editor: Joel Peissig
- Creator/writer/director: Danny Jacobs & Chené Lawson
All Things Undone (14 episodes, 2020–2021)
In this speculative fiction podcast, an alternate history is imagined in which an 1850 solar eclipse fulfills an old prophecy, making enslaved Black people unkillable, and reversing society's power dynamic. Mirabelle, a now freed Black woman, receives visions indicating that the eclipse is a harbinger of "the re/evolution" of earth, but also, that if she and her people fail to complete the prophecy's requirement, the situation could reverse and become even worse than before. The podcast confronts the brutal realities of slavery while exploring how collective uprising can bring about change.[7][8]
Awards and recognition
- Winner of the 2023 Webby award for Best Scripted Fiction Podcast.[9]
- Awarded the Micheaux Film Festival Best Podcast award.[10]
- Presented at the Film Life Foundation’s inaugural Social Justice Now Film Festival (SJNFF).[11]
Credits[8]
- Production company: Aileron Podcast Studio
- Starring: Chené Lawson, JoNell Kennedy, Shannon Holmes, Christen Sussin, Oscar Jordan, Micheal Marcelio, Korbin Miles, Dick Terhune, Kyla Garcia, Ari Fromm, Daniel Lench, Jonathan Tanigaki, Abraham Vasquez, Joel Seales, Ronald Braxton, Dexter Herron, Jimmy Cox, Sean-Michael Lawson, Kevin Robertson, Shawn Carter Peterson, Krystal McCulloch, Taylor Booth, Leshay Boyce, Roxanna Ortega
- Executive Producer: Joel Peissig
- Written by: Chené Lawson
- Directed by: Joel Peissig and Chené Lawson
Audiobooks
- All Things Undone (Audible, 2025)[12]
- Narrated by Chené Lawson and full cast
- Written by Chené Lawson
- Amorph (Audible, 2025)[1]
- Written by N.K. Jemisin and Chené Lawson
- Narrated by full cast (including Chené Lawson)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas | Kitty |
| 2002 | 100 Women | Tanya |
| 2004 | Hittin' It! | |
| 2005 | Hola! (short) | |
| 2006 | Ogden: The Inappropriate Yoga Guy (short) | Laura |
| 2008 | The Great Buck Howard | Law Student |
| 2011 | The Inheritance | Ancestor Lily |
| 2009 | The Devil's Tomb | Beautiful Woman |
| 2018 | Wednesday (short) | Camille |
| 2021 | After Laughter (short) | Gertrude |
| 2022 | Finger (short) | Freya Burden |
| 2023 | Remedial (short) | Emilia Dobson |
| 2023 | A Rosary and a Diamond Ring (short) | Virginia |
Television
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Undressed | Lexy |
| 2000 | Ladies Man | Rachel |
| 2000 | Malcolm & Eddie | Leslie Sherman |
| 2001 | Providence | Singing Prostitute |
| 2002 | The Shield | Tyesha |
| 2002 | My Wife and Kids | Monica |
| 2004 | Punk'd | Self |
| 2005 | Entourage | Jenny |
| 2005–2024 | The Young and the Restless | Yolanda Hamilton |
| 2006 | Campus Ladies | Lisa |
| 2008 | Hollywood Residential | Self |
| 2015 | Not to Say | Dana |
| 2024 | Phoenix | Alina |
References
- ^ a b "Chené Lawson on "pioneering a new frontier" in audio". Audible Blog. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ "Scoop! Although Kristoff St. John's..." TV Guide. 1 February 2006. Retrieved 11 February 2011.
- ^ Kenneally, Tim (October 7, 2011). "'All My Children' Alum Melissa Claire Egan Moves to 'Young and the Restless'". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
- ^ "How_To_Destroy_Everything_Podcast". Aileron Films. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ Huston, Caitlin (2024-02-05). "2024 iHeartRadio Podcast Awards: Full List of Nominees Unveiled (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ a b "How To Destroy Everything". Webby Awards. 2024. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ Collins, Elena Fernández (2020-07-14). "15 Fiction Podcast Debuts: May 2020". Medium. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ a b "All Things Undone". All Things Undone. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ "All Things Undone". Apple Podcasts. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ "Hollywood stars show support for Black-owned Micheaux Film Festival; winners list". rollingout.com. 2021-05-16. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (2020-10-12). "Social Justice Now Film Festival Sets Spotlight Screenings, Drive-In Presentations Of 'Fruitvale Station' And 'Just Mercy'". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
- ^ "All Things Undone". Audible. 2025. Retrieved August 20, 2025.