Paula Jai Parker

Paula Jai Parker (born August 19, 1969) is an American actress, comedian, director and singer-songwriter. She has had number of supporting roles in films, including 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 of Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel animated comedy series, The Proud Family (2001–2005).
== Early life ==
Parker was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Washington, D.C. in 1987 to study at Howard University.[1] After graduating with a Bachelor of 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.[2]
== Career ==
In 1995, Parker made her film debut in the F. Gary Gray urban comedy Friday. In same year, she earned a Cable ACE Award for her role in the HBO anthology presentation, Cosmic Slop.[3] 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).[1]
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), Jada Pinkett Smith starring romantic comedy Woo (1997), the Frankie Lymonbiography, 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.[1] In 2004, she played the lesbian woman in the LGBT 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).[4]
From 2001 to 2005, Parker voiced the matriarch Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel animated comedy series, The Proud Family.[5] She also voiced her role in the 2005 film The Proud Family Movie. She also played the 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.[4]
From 2013 to 2014, Parker had the recurring role in the HBO series, True Bloodduring show' seventh and final season. In 2014, she was cast as one of five leads on the TV One reality series, Hollywood Divas.[6] In 2015, Parker was cast in the recurring roles on the Amazon drama Hand of God, and Freeform series, Recovery Road.[7] In August 2016, she released an extended play 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.[8] Paula almost passed on shooting the critically acclaimed movie and only took the part at the urging of her manager.[citation needed] They have one son, Onederful.[9]
== Discography ==
* Paula Jai & Friends (2016)
== Filmography ==
=== Film ===
Year	Title 	Role 	Notes
1994	Cosmic Slop 	Tang 	Television film
CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Drama
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	Riot 	Lisa 	Segment "Homecoming Day"
1997	Sprung 	Adina 	
1998	Always Outnumbered 	Melodie 	
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 	
2005	Hustle & Flow 	Lexus 	Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Comedic Performance
Nominated — Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2005	The Proud Family Movie 	Trudy Parker-Proud	Voice
2005	Animal 	Reecy 	
2006	Idlewild 	Rose 	
2006	The Genius Club 	Tatiana 	
2007	Cover 	Monica Wilson 	
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	You Me & Her 	Karen 	Short film
2014	Act of Faith 	Shartruce 	
2015	The Summoning 	Angela 	
2015	The White Sistas 	Jordan White 	Also director
2015	Taco Shop 	Eve 	
2015	Last Call at Murray's 	Danice 	
2015	Assistant Motives 	Joyce Miller 	
2016	She's Got a Plan 	Rhonda 	
2018	Conundrum:Secrets among friends 	Victoria 	
2018	Hey, Mr. Postman! 	Ms. Kelly 	
2018	Sasha Lanes 	Ashanti 	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1992–1993 	The Apollo Comedy Hour 	Performer 	Series regular
1993 	Townsend Television 	Performer 	Series regular
1994 	Roc 	Jill 	Episode: "No Place Like Home"
1995 	Pointman 	Udia 	Episode: "Silent Auction"
1995–1996 	The Wayans Bros. 	Monique 	Series regular, 13 episodes
1997 	The Parent 'Hood 	Sabrina 	Episode: "Wendell and I Spy"
1997 	The Weird Al Show 	Val Brentwood-Gal Spy 	Series regular, 13 episodes
1997 	Cosby 	Tanya 	Episode: "The Two Hilton Lucases"
1998 	NYPD Blue 	Cara Wilson 	Episode: "Speak for Yourself, Bruce Clayton"
1999–2000 	Snoops 	Roberta Young 	Series regular, 13 episodes
2000 	Touched by an Angel 	Billie Holiday 	Episode: "God Bless the Child"
2004 	The Shield 	Desirae 	Episode: "Cracking Ice"
2001–2005 	The Proud Family 	Trudy Parker-Proud 	Voice, 51 episodes
2005 	Lilo & Stitch: The Series 	Trudy Parker-Proud 	Voice, Episode: "Spats: Experiment #397"
2005 	CSI: Miami 	Deana Walters 	Episode: "Shattered"
2006 	CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Julia Beltran 	Episode: "Toe Tags"
2007 	Side Order of Life 	Stargell Grant 	Recurring role, 7 episodes
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"
2012 	Let's Stay Together 	Sherry Steele 	Episode: "Inspect Me, Inspect Me Not"
2012 	The Exes 	Amelia 	Episode: "How Holly Got Her Groove Back"
2013 	The Soul Man 	Drew 	Episode: "Bride and Prejudice"
2012–2014 	Family Time 	Lori 	Recurring role, 6 episodes
2013–2014 	True Blood 	Karen 	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2014–present	Hollywood Divas 	Herself 	Reality series
2015 	Hand of God 	Ida Congdon 	Recurring role, 2 episodes
2016 	Recovery Road 	Margarita Jean-Baptiste	Recurring role, 6 episodes
2016 	Ray Donovan 	Sylvie Starr 	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2016 	How To Get Away with Murder 	Yvonne 	Episode: "It's About Frank"
2017 	NCIS: Los Angeles 	Ellie 	Episode: "Forasteira"
2018 	Black Jesus 	Teresa 	Recurring role, 3 episodes