Tonya (Everybody Hates Chris)

Infobox character
name = Tonya
image -->
colour = orange
born = 1973 (age 12, set in the series, 1986)
35 (in 2008)
Race= African-American
residence = Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York
occupation = Ballerina (1986–present)
portrayer = Imani Hakim
family = Julius Rock (father)
Rochelle Rock (mother)
Chris Rock (oldest brother)
Drew Rock (older brother)
Extended Family members
Gene (grandfather)
Maxine (grandmother)
Michael (uncle)
Mousey (aunt)
Charlotte (aunt)
Louis Rock (uncle)
first = Everybody Hates the Pilot

Tonya (born 1973 [In a season one episode of "Everybody Hates Chris", the Tonya character states that she is 9 years old, when in real-life Imani Hakim, the actress who plays Tonya, is actually 12 years old.] ) is a supporting character from the American sitcom, "Everybody Hates Chris." Tonya is played by teenage actress, Imani Hakim. The show is based on the teenage years of Emmy Award winning comedian, Chris Rock. The Tonya character is loosely based on Chris Rock's actual sister, Tonya Rock.

Character Background

On the show, currently set in 1986, Tonya is the 12-year old younger sister of older brothers: 15-year old Chris (main character–born in 1969), and 13-year old Drew (born 1971). Tonya was born in the housing projects in 1973 and is the last (the third child), and the only daughter in the Rock family, her parents are realtor-employed Rochelle, and newspaper delivery man Julius. In many episodes, Tonya is sort of imtimidating, conniving, and selfish, who usually tattles on her brother, Chris (or Drew) most of the time. When Chris turned 13 years old in 1982, the family had moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York. Originally scripted in the first few episodes of the series debut, Tonya is able to get "anything" from her father, Julius (as told by the narrator Chris Rock himself), and would do anything to get her way. In one particular episode of the first season, when Chris was playing Atari at his friend, Greg's house, Tonya could not find Chris to blame for her own mischief, and these mischiefs was overlooked by her mother, Rochelle.

Another particular episode was when Drew was instructed not to sit in his own father's recliner chair, he accidentally broke it, and when Julius comes to find out who broke the chair, Tonya had took the blame, and made Drew took intimitdating things: tying her shoe up, making him change to the channel on their TV, etc. However, Drew had set the record straight when he said if he gets a beating by Julius, then Tonya would get a beating by Rochelle. As the conniving, lying sister in many episodes, however in the series' third season, Tonya starts to become more mature and sometimes not tattle on her own brothers. However in another episode, when blaming Drew for hitting her (he only tapped her on the hand.) many times and getting him in more trouble, Tonya however got in trouble when she called Rochelle, and Rochelle–in the flesh saw that Drew did not hit her, in the series' running gag, what happens when Rochelle takes Tonya off upstairs in private, as well as the other characters in the series.

Pet peeves

Tonya has many pet peeves in the series:
* Is a big fan of Billy Ocean, and cites him as doing/creating the moonwalk (not Michael Jackson, claiming he stole the moonwalk) and she thinks he will become a superstar (like Michael Jackson today) and Michael Jackson will be forgetten. This "gag" ended after Season 3. Tonya now is a fan of Danny Glover.
*Tattles on Chris and Drew, whenever they have not done something wrong.
*Is able to get anything out from her father, Julius
*Calls her mother, "MAMA", (Rochelle) whenver she has a problem, or wants to get Chris and Drew in even more trouble.
*Acts inappropriately when Chris is forced to take her somewhere.
*Blames Chris for her mischief (burn her goldfish, bowling with the kitchen dishes, etc.)