Denyce Lawton is  an American actress known for the role of Dana in Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She began her career working as a background dancer in theater and for recording artists such as 'N Sync, Mýa, Nelly, Jagged Edge, Ja Rule, Sean Combs, and others.

Lawton served as Assistant Vice President of Urban Promotions at Warner Bros. Records, later working A & R at Priority Records in New York City, NY, USA. She also worked as a personal assistant to Record Executive Irv Gotti at The Inc. Records, and as an Assistant Junior Publicist at 20th Century Fox Films.

She appeared in several theatrical plays. She modelled for Kemi Oil, FUBU, ADIDAS, Enyce, Karl Kani and Baby Phat, and made some cameo appearances in several films, including Numb3rs, and Almost Home. She participated in the AZN Comcast Campaign and the Coors Light summer campaign. She also graced the covers of several magazines, including MAMI Magazine, Black Men, The Source, Today's Black Woman, BQE Magazine, Smooth, Edge Magazine, XXL, J’Adore, Smooth Girl, Daily News, Mass Appeal, and XXL Presents Eye Candy Magazine.

Denise-Marie Lawton was born on May 2, 1978 in Seoul, South Korea. She graduated from Largo High School in Largo, Maryland.