# Paula Jai Parker

Paula Jai Parker (born August 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is best known for her supporting roles in the films Friday (1995), Sprung (1997), Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998), Phone Booth (2002), Hustle & Flow (2005), and Idlewild (2006). Parker is also known for her voice role as Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel animated comedy series, The Proud Family (2001–2005), which she reprised in the 2005 television film The Proud Family Movie, and its 2022 reboot, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

## Early life

Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Parker went to Shaker Heights High School but then graduated from Cleveland Heights High School due to racism in Shaker. For college she moved to Washington, D.C. to study at Howard University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, she moved to New York City and played a number of clubs. From 1992 to 1993, she performed on the FOX comedy program The Apollo Comedy Hour, filmed live at the legendary Apollo Theater, and later was cast member on the short-lived sketch show, Townsend Television.

## Career

In 1995, Parker made her film debut in the F. Gary Gray urban comedy Friday. In the same year, she earned a Cable ACE Award for her role in the HBO anthology presentation, Cosmic Slop. Later that year, Parker returned to television in the WB sitcom, The Wayans Bros. opposite Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in several short-lived shows, including CBS sitcom The Weird Al Show (1997), and David E. Kelley's ABC comedy-drama, Snoops (1999).
During the 1990s, Parker had supporting roles in a number of films. She has appeared in the 1995 horror anthology Tales from the Hood, Spike Lee's Million Man March drama Get on the Bus (1996), the urban comedy Sprung (1997), the Jada Pinkett Smith starring romantic comedy Woo (1997), and the Frankie Lymon biography, Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998). In the early 2000s, Parker co-starred in 30 Years to Life, High Crimes, Phone Booth, and My Baby's Daddy. In 2004, she played a role in the comedy-drama, She Hate Me, and appeared as Ruth Brown in biographical film Ray. Her breakthrough was in the 2005 independent drama Hustle & Flow starring Terrence Howard. She later was cast opposite Howard in musical film Idlewild (2006).
From 2001 to 2005, Parker voiced the matriarch Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel animated comedy series, The Proud Family and its 2005 film The Proud Family Movie. She also played the iutstanding role of Billie Holiday on the episode of Touched by an Angel in 2000, and later guest-starred on The Shield, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, My Name Is Earl, and The Mentalist. She co-starred in the 2007 thriller film Cover starring Aunjanue Ellis, and in later years worked in low-profile independent movies.
From 2013 to 2014, Parker had a recurring role in the HBO series True Blood during the show's seventh and final season. In 2014, she was cast as one of five leads on the TV One reality series, Hollywood Divas. In 2015, Parker was cast in the recurring roles on the Amazon drama Hand of God, as well as Freeform series, Recovery Road. In August 2016, she released an extended play album entitled "Paula Jai & Friends", which featured the single "Going Down".

## Personal life

Parker married Forrest Martin in 2004. The couple met on the set of Hustle & Flow, where Forrest, who had just graduated with a Master of Fine Arts, was working as an intern. She almost passed on shooting the critically acclaimed movie and only took the part at the urging of her manager. They have one son.

## Discography

* Paula Jai & Friends (2016)

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1994 | Cosmic Slop | Tang | TV movie |
| 1995 | Friday | Joi | |
| 1995 | Tales from the Hood | Sissy Johnson | |
| 1996 | Don't Be a Menace to South Central | Drunk Party Girl | |
| 1996 | Get on the Bus | Jamilia | |
| 1997 | Sprung | Adina | |
| 1998 | Always Outnumbered | Melodie | TV movie |
| 1998 | Woo | Claudette | |
| 1998 | Why Do Fools Fall in Love | Paula King | |
| 1999 | The Breaks | Ann | |
| 2001 | 30 Years to Life | Stephanie | |
| 2002 | High Crimes | Gracie | |
| 2002 | Phone Booth | Felicia | |
| 2003 | Love Chronicles | Sara | |
| 2004 | My Baby's Daddy | Rolonda | |
| 2004 | She Hate Me | Evelyn | |
| 2004 | Ray | Ruth Brown | |
| 2004 | Konsequenz | Baby | Short |
| 2005 | Hustle & Flow | Lexus | |
| 2005 | The Proud Family Movie | Trudy Parker-Proud (voice) | TV movie |
| 2005 | Animal | Reecy | Video |
| 2006 | Idlewild | Rose | |
| 2006 | The Genius Club | Tatiana | |
| 2007 | Cover | Monica Wilson | |
| 2010 | Confessions of A Lonely Wife | - | |
| 2011 | King of the Underground | Elizabeth Gayle | |
| 2013 | When a Woman's Fed Up | Laticious | |
| 2013 | Life of a King | Gina Sanders | |
| 2013 | Pastor Shirley | Pastor Shirley | |
| 2014 | 4Play | Linda | |
| 2014 | Patterns of Attraction | Desiree Stewart | |
| 2014 | Act of Faith | Shartruce | |
| 2014 | Assistant Motives | Joyce Miller | |
| 2014 | You Me & Her | Karen | Short |
| 2015 | The Summoning | Angela | |
| 2016 | Last Call at Murray's | Danice | |
| 2016 | She's Got a Plan | Rhonda | |
| 2016 | Echo Park Blues | CeCe McCoy | Short |
| 2017 | The White Sistas | Jordan White | |
| 2018 | Taco Shop | Eve | |
| 2018 | Hey, Mr. Postman! | Ms. Kelly | |
| 2020 | Blinders | Evelyn | |
| 2022 | A Miracle Before Christmas | Martha | |
| 2023 | Kings of L.A. | Mason | |
| 2023 | Sasha Lanes | Ashanti | |
| 2023 | The Furry Fortune | June | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992–93 | The Apollo Comedy Hour | Herself | Main cast |
| 1993 | Townsend Television | Herself | Main cast |
| 1994 | Soul Train | Herself/Guest Host | Episode: "CeCe Peniston/Outkast/Tashan" |
| 1994 | Roc | Jill | Episode: "No Place Like Home" |
| 1995 | Pointman | Udia | Episode: "Silent Auction" |
| 1995–96 | The Wayans Bros. | Mia | Guest cast (season 1), recurring cast (season 2) |
| 1997 | Riot | Lisa | Episode: "Homecoming Day" |
| 1997 | The Parent 'Hood | Sabrina | Episode: "Wendell and I Spy" |
| 1997 | The Weird Al Show | Val Brentwood-Gal Spy | Main cast |
| 1997 | Cosby | Tanya | Episode: "The Two Hilton Lucases" |
| 1998 | NYPD Blue | Cara Wilson | Episode: "Speak for Yourself, Bruce Clayton" |
| 1999 | Snoops | Roberta Young | Main cast |
| 2000 | Touched by an Angel | Billie Holiday | Episode: "God Bless the Child" |
| 2001–05 | The Proud Family | Trudy Parker-Proud (voice) | Main cast |
| 2003 | Gadget & the Gadgetinis | Jeanette Sir (voice) | Episode: "The General's Daughter" |
| 2004 | The Shield | Desirae | Episode: "Cracking Ice" |
| 2005 | Lilo & Stitch: The Series | Trudy Parker-Proud (voice) | Episode: "Spats: Experiment #397" |
| 2005 | CSI: Miami | Deana Walters/D-Nasty | Episode: "Shattered" |
| 2006 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Julia Beltran | Episode: "Toe Tags" |
| 2007 | Side Order of Life | Stargell Grant | Recurring cast |
| 2008 | My Name Is Earl | Sylvia | Episode: "Orphan Earl" |
| 2009 | Fear Itself | Patty Orwell | Episode: "Something with Bite" |
| 2010 | The Mentalist | Astrid | Episode: "Red Sky at Night" |
| 2010 | Fish Hooks | Yolanda (voice) | Episode: "Hooray for Hamsterwood" |
| 2011 | Funny or Die Presents | Paula | Episode: "Episode #2.6" |
| 2012 | Let's Stay Together | Sherry Steele | Episode: "Inspect Me, Inspect Me Not" |
| 2012 | The Exes | Amelia | Episode: "How Holly Got Her Groove Back" |
| 2012–19 | Family Time | Lori | Guest cast (season 1), recurring cast (seasons 2–7) |
| 2013 | The Soul Man | Drew | Episode: "Bride and Prejudice" |
| 2013–14 | True Blood | Karen | Guest cast (season 6), recurring cast (season 7) |
| 2014 | Front Seat Chronicles | Rachel | Episode: "See You in Court" |
| 2014–16 | Hollywood Divas | Herself | Main cast |
| 2015 | Hand of God | Ida Congdon | Recurring cast (season 1) |
| 2016 | Recovery Road | Margarita Jean-Baptiste | Recurring cast |
| 2016 | Ray Donovan | Sylvie Starr | Recurring cast (season 4) |
| 2016 | How To Get Away with Murder | Yvonne | Episode: "It's About Frank" |
| 2017 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Ellie | Episode: "Forasteira" |
| 2019 | 9-1-1 | Judith Spivey | Episode: "Triggers" |
| 2019 | Black Jesus | Teresa | Recurring cast (season 3) |
| 2019–22 | Crown Lake | Headmistress Catherine Merriweather | Recurring cast (seasons 1–2), main cast (season 3) |
| 2019–23 | A House Divided | Stephanie Sanders | Main cast |
| 2020 | Criminal Minds | Captain Vivian Paige | Episode: "Under the Skin" |
| 2020 | Insecure | Sheryl | Episode: "Lowkey Feelin' Myself" |
| 2020 | Etheria | Karen | Episode: "You Me & Her" |
| 2021 | Them | Hazel Emory | Recurring cast (season 1) |
| 2021 | Queen Sugar | Celine | Recurring cast (season 6) |
| 2021 | Colin in Black & White | Aunt Zora | Episode: "Crystal" |
| 2022 | Celebrity Family Feud | Herself/Contestant | Episode: "Episode #9.2" |
| 2022 | All Rise | Charlene Addison | Episode: "It Ain't Over Till It's Over" |
| 2022 | American Gigolo | Diamond | Episode: "The Escape Wheel" |
| 2022–present | The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder | Trudy Parker-Proud (voice) | Main cast |

### Music video

| Year | Song | Artist |
| 2001 | "Girls, Girls, Girls" | Jay-Z |

### Documentary

| Year | Title |
| 2007 | Angels Can't Help But Laugh |
| 2008 | So You Want Michael Madsen? |
| 2011 | Kiss and Tell: The History of Black Romance in Movie |
| 2011 | Mama & Me |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Awards | Category | Recipient | Outcome |
| 1995 | CableACE Award | CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Drama | "Cosmic Slop" | Won |
| 2006 | Women Film Critics Circle | Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Comedic Performance | "Hustle & Flow" | Won |
| 2006 | Screen Actors Guild Award | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | "Hustle & Flow" | Nominated |
| 2020 | Indie Series Awards | Indie Series Award for Best Lead Actress — Drama | "A House Divided" | Nominated |