Toney Chem was born and raised in the Midwest and participated in small community theaters in his town and other surrounding towns. His first major role in theater was when he was 12 and played Edmund in a community production of "The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe". Since then, he consistently participated in most theater productions in his town until he moved to New York City in 2004 at 18 years old to go to an acting school and pursue his acting career.