Chase Infiniti Payne (born May 1, 2000) is an American actress. Her accolades include a National Board of Review Award, in addition to nominations for two BAFTAs, a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award.
Infiniti first gained recognition for her performances in the legal thriller series Presumed Innocent (2024) and Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another (2025). The latter, which was her first leading role, brought Infiniti to greater attention, garnering her nominations for the BAFTA and Golden Globe for Best Actress. She earned continued praise for her leading role in the dystopian drama series The Testaments (2026–present), for which she earned a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
Early life Infiniti was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 1, 2000. She was named after the Batman Forever (1995) character Chase Meridian, played by Nicole Kidman, and Buzz Lightyear's catchphrase "To infinity and beyond" from Toy Story (1995), and she uses her middle name professionally. Her father, Keith, owns a construction company and her mother, Kim, is a homemaker; her father is African-American and her mother is white. She has a younger sister, Dolcé.
Infiniti attended the International School of Indiana, a language immersion private school in Indianapolis where she studied French. Infiniti first auditioned for a school musical at age 10. She later transferred to North Central High School where she was extensively involved in music and theatre program. She graduated in 2018. She then attended Columbia College Chicago, graduating in 2022. While in Chicago, she worked as a kickboxing trainer and co-founded the K-pop cover dance group Duple Dance Crew.
Career
In February 2023, Infiniti was announced as part of the cast in the Apple TV+ limited series Presumed Innocent. In February 2024, she joined the cast for Paul Thomas Anderson's film One Battle After Another, playing the daughter of a former revolutionary (Leonardo DiCaprio). Infiniti submitted a self-tape for the film while filming Presumed Innocent. During her callback, she participated in a karate class with Anderson observing; though she was the only beginner, he cast her immediately after the session. Her appearance in the film's trailer led Tyler, the Creator to cast her in his music video for "Darling, I". For One Battle After Another, Infiniti won the National Board of Review Award for Breakthrough Performance and received Best Actress nominations from the AACTA, Actor, BAFTA, Critics' Choice, Golden Globe Awards, but was ultimately snubbed of an Oscar nomination. She also received nominations for the BAFTA Rising Star Award and, alongside the film's ensemble cast, the Actor Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.
Infiniti is currently starring in the MGM production The Testaments, a sequel series to Hulu's The Handmaid's Tale. Showrunner Bruce Miller cast her after seeing her performance in Presumed Innocent and her K-pop dance covers, citing her versatility. The series premiered in April to critical acclaim, with Infiniti's performance earning her a Gotham TV Award and nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series.
In October 2025, Infiniti joined the cast of the coming-of-age drama The Julia Set.
On June 26, 2026, she starred in the music video for "Bad" by the K-pop boy band Ateez, in which she portrays a new human form of the Sopro, a spirit character significant to the band's lore. Infiniti is a longtime fan of Ateez.
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Director Notes 2025 One Battle After Another Willa Ferguson / Charlene Calhoun Paul Thomas Anderson 2026 The Julia Set Julia Niki Byrne Also executive producer
Television Year Title Role Notes 2024 Presumed Innocent Jaden Sabich Main role, 8 episodes 2026–present The Testaments Agnes MacKenzie / Hannah Bankole Main role, 10 episodes
Music videos Year Song Artist Role References 2025 "Darling, I" Tyler, the Creator 2026 "Bad" Ateez Sopro
Accolades On October 19, 2025, Infiniti was named one of Varietys "10 Actors to Watch" at the Newport Beach Film Festival. In December 2025, Infiniti was announced as one of BAFTA's "Breakthrough U.S." cohort, for her work in Presumed Innocent and One Battle After Another.
Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref. AACTA International Awards2026Best ActressOne Battle After Another Actor Awards 2026 Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Alliance of Women Film Journalists 2025 Best Women's Breakthrough Performance Best Stunt Performance Astra Film Awards 2026 Best Actress - Comedy or Musical Best Cast Ensemble Austin Film Critics Association 2025 The Robert R. "Bobby" McCurdy Memorial Breakthrough Award Black Reel Awards 2026 Outstanding Lead Performance Outstanding Breakthrough Performance British Academy Film Awards2026 BAFTA Rising Star Award Best Actress in a Leading RoleOne Battle After Another Chicago Film Critics Association2025 Most Promising Performer Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2026 Best Actress Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 2025 Best Actress Florida Film Critics Circle 2025 Pauline Kael Breakout Award Georgia Film Critics Association 2025 Best Actress Breakthrough Performance Best Ensemble Golden Globe Awards 2026 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy Gotham Awards 2025 Breakthrough Performer Gotham TV Awards 2026 Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama Series The Testaments Houston Film Critics Society 2026 Best ActressOne Battle After Another London Film Critics' Circle 2026 Breakthrough Performer of the Year NAACP Image Awards2026 Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture National Board of Review2026Breakthrough Performance New York Film Critics Online 2025 Breakthrough Performance Primetime Emmy Awards 2026 Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series The Testaments San Diego Film Critics Society 2025 Breakthrough PerformanceOne Battle After Another Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2026 Virtuoso Award Satellite Awards 2026 Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama St. Louis Film Critics Association 2025 Best Actress Best Ensemble Toronto Film Critics Association 2025 Outstanding Breakthrough Performance Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 2025 Best Actress Best Ensemble
References
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