Mya Harrison on AllMovie

Born in Baltimore, MD, R&B vocalist Mýa Harrison (also frequently credited by her first name alone) grew up in the Washington, D.C., area and broke through to superstardom in her late teens with a single effort -- the 1998 eponymous debut Mýa. The album quickly went platinum, swept up a massive fan base for the chanteuse, and spawned several immensely popular singles including "It's All About Me," "Movin' On," and "My First Night With You." Harrison's foray into movies began on a subtle and low-key note, with contributions to the soundtracks for the films Bulworth (1998) and The Rugrats Movie (1998); a follow up to the Mýa album, Fear of Flying, emerged in 2000 and also went platinum. In 2002, Harrison took her on-camera film bow with a small role (as Mona) in Rob Marshall's blockbuster musical Chicago (that year's Best Picture winner) opposite Queen Latifah, Richard Gere, and Renée Zellweger. Unsurprisingly, the next few roles for Harrison traded off of her Chicago contribution by displaying the young woman's passion for footwork; these included the dance-themed efforts Shall We Dance? (2004) and Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights (2004). Harrison then tackled a small role opposite Louis Gossett Jr. and Vivica A. Fox in the AIDS-themed social-issues drama Cover (2007).