Chase Infiniti Is No Ordinary Newcomer

Chase Infiniti has the kind of life story that would make her unbeatable in a game of two truths and a lie. Go ahead, take a guess: She made her acting debut alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and Ruth Negga in Apple TV’s Presumed Innocent; she’s part of a K-pop dance crew; and she’s named after two Hollywood blockbusters. The twist? None of those statements are lies. And here’s another: Infiniti has just made her big-screen debut alongside an ensemble of acting heavyweights.

In Paul Thomas Anderson’s blockbuster film One Battle After Another, which opened on September 26, everyone’s scrounging for relief from something—political oppression, fear of apprehension, or, in the case of Infiniti’s character Willa, her paranoid stoner dad (Leonardo DiCaprio), who dampens her plans to go to a school dance. Zoom in and all you see is a normal, plaid skirt-and-leather-jacket-clad teen eager to enjoy her youth; zoom out, and strife is swelling around Willa’s world. Truth is, her character is no ordinary school dance-attending teen; she’s the daughter of two resistance activists (and members of a group called French 75), her mother, Perfidia (played by Teyana Taylor), and her father, Bob, who, after Perfidia disappears, commits to a life on the run with his daughter.

The idea of “normal” feels incredibly distant for Willa in the film, and it’s just as elusive for the 25-year-old in real life. “I’ve told people this before, but it was such a happy accident that I ended up here,” she says. Very few actors make their debut opposite Gyllenhaal and Negga in a critically acclaimed series. Even fewer manage to add Leonardo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, Regina Hall, Benicio del Toro, and Teyana Taylor to their list of castmates in their very first feature film. In hindsight, her parents’ naming her after two blockbusters—Batman Forever and Toy Story—feels less coincidental and more prophetic. “My parents saw Batman Forever and thought Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian was one of the most badass women that they had ever seen,” Infiniti explains. “And then my middle name comes from Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear catchphrase: ‘To infinity and beyond.’” (Her last name is Payne, but she doesn’t use it professionally.)

“I have thought a lot about the meaning of Chase Infiniti,” she continues. “Because growing up, I heard jokes where they’re like, ‘You’re chasing infinity and blah, blah.’” But after a while, the quips became a guiding principle. “I don’t want things to hold me back or to stop me. I am pushing myself creatively and chasing greatness. I am always trying to better myself and better my craft, and meet people who are like-minded people I can learn from and observe and have great conversations with.”

Observation was also her gateway into acting. Infiniti grew up in Indianapolis and often attended plays with her family, where she studied characters who piqued her interest. Hairspray and Grease were standouts; Zendaya became an inspiration—an actress who not only looked similar, but embodied possibility. “I remember being like, this girl looks like me. She is mixed. She is singing, acting, dancing, doing the thing that I want to do just in a different format that I didn’t even think about,” Infiniti says.

Her early gigs veered away from bubbly musicals and into the depths of drama, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. “One of the best parts about my job is that I get to put on the shoes of people who I either have similarities with or have a completely opposite situation from me,” she says. Infiniti saw flashes of herself playing Jaden in Presumed Innocent; while Willa in One Battle After Another presented an entirely different challenge. “I never could have imagined that I would be training in mixed martial arts for four months straight and be able to hold my own and maintain stamina throughout the film,” she says. “But I loved the opportunity to train and to physically exert myself onscreen.”

Infiniti’s star-turning performance in the film culminates in a high-speed chase where her physicality is put to the test. She says she’ll never forget how it felt to master the difficult fight choreography, or bond with her castmates, who she says became a “strong family” on set. She’s also taking a mantra with her—one that comes from del Toro’s character, Sensei Sergio St. Carlos. “Ocean waves,” he reminds DiCaprio’s Bob during a police chase—keep steady, calm, even in the storm. “I try to remember to breathe,” Infiniti says. “The thing I try to do the most is remind myself that I’m capable of doing everything. I’ve been given these opportunities. I’m so grateful for them—I can handle it, and the people around me know I can handle it. I ground myself and remind myself that I’m here for a reason. I’m not here by accident. I did the work and will continue to do so.”

Denée Benton, and I’ve said this in everything and anything. I saw her in Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812. I swear that show changed something in me—her performance changed something in me. She’s such a beautiful performer onstage and on camera, and anything that she does, I’m like, I have to at least check it out.

Grease. Catch Me If You Can. I remember I was also obsessed with the movie Hairspray for a really long time. I also distinctly remember seeing La La Land in theaters when I was 16 or 17, and I feel like something changed in my brain when I saw that. And Fantastic Mr. Fox is another one that sticks out in my brain that made me be like, “I would love to do this someday, if I ever get the opportunity.”

Zendaya.

Denée Benton and Zendaya.

The Daniels [Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert]. But there are so many directors I would love to work with. I’d love to work with the greats. If any of them would love to see me in anything, I would just be honored to get an audition.

I learned the value of trusting yourself and trusting your teammates, because we are on a team and we are all working towards the same goal. Actually, I’ll say trusting the importance of trusting yourself. And then also observing what great, gentle leadership looks like, whether it be from Paul Thomas Anderson or from Leonardo DiCaprio. The two of them were incredible leaders and guides on that film.

“You have nothing to prove and everything to show.”

I grew up watching High School Musical, so Zac Efron and Corbin Bleu. I was also obsessed with One Direction at one point.

There were a couple of nos that I got while auditioning early on that really affected me. But I have an incredible team and support system. I remember calling my agent after a couple of them, and she gave me an amazing pep talk. I also think a touch of reality was very necessary for me in those moments; that is when I really started to find myself and do the great work that I’ve always wanted to do, whether it be in a self-tape or in life.

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THE BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMERS OF 2025