Paula Jai Parker Biography

| birth_place = Cleveland, Ohio | occupation = Actress, Comedian | years_active = 1992–present | spouse = Forrest Martin (2005–present) }} Paula Jai Parker (born August 19, 1969) is an American actress and comedian. She is best known of her roles in the films Hustle & Flow, Friday, Idlewild, Why Do Fools Fall in Love, Phone Booth, She Hate Me, The Genius Club, and as the voice of matriarch Trudy Proud on the Disney Channel animated sitcom The Proud Family.

Biography

Parker was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, but moved to Washington, D.C. in 1987 to study at Howard University. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree, she moved to New York City and played a number of clubs. Her reputation as a comedian earned her a place on the FOX comedy program "The Apollo Comedy Hour," filmed live at the legendary Apollo Theater. She left the show after one year to pursue a film career, taking memorable roles in the F. Gary Gray urban comedy Friday and earned a Cable ACE Award for her role in the HBO anthology presentation, Cosmic Slop.

Career

Parker returned to television in 1995 in the WB television series The Wayans Bros. opposite Shawn and Marlon Wayans. Throughout the 1990s, she appeared in several short-lived shows, including 1997's The Weird Al Show and David E. Kelley's Snoops in 1999. Between television projects, she appeared in a number of films, including the Million Man March docudrama Get on the Bus (1996), the urban comedy Sprung (1997), the Frankie Lymon biography, Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998), the ensemble comedy 30 Years to Life (2001), Cover (playing a woman who is married to a bisexual man), and as a lesbian in the LGBT comedy-drama, She Hate Me (2004).

In 2000, Parker voiced the sophisticated matriarch Trudy Proud in the popular animated series The Proud Family. The series became a success, and has continued to be produced by Disney and gain a positive standing among television critics. Between voice sessions, Parker has continued to take supporting roles in films, though she has become typecasted as urban characters, especially prostitutes (she portrayed such characters in 2002's "High Crimes", 2003's Phone Booth and 2005's Hustle & Flow). A Proud Family film was released directly to DVD in late 2005. She also starred in My Baby's Daddy as the trashy Rolanda. Parker was also featured in the television series Touched by an Angel. Parker played the role of Billie Holiday on the episode entitled "God Bless the Child" which is a song by Billie Holiday.

In 2006, Parker starred in the feature film The Genius Club for writer/director Tim Chey. She plays a genius with an I.Q. of 229 who must solve the world's problems in one night.

Paula Jai Parker appeared in music video "I Belong to You" by singer Rome and in music video "Follow My Lead" by 50 Cent featuring Robin Thicke. In 1999, she made a cameo appearance in the music video "I Really Like It" by Harlem World with Tracy Bingham and Tia and Tamera Mowery. In 2001, Parker appeared in the music video for "Girls, Girls, Girls" by rapper and business mogul Jay-Z with fellow actresses Tamala Jones and Carmen Electra.

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. Paula almost passed on shooting the critically acclaimed movie and only took the part at the urging of her friends.

They have one son.

Filmography

• Tales From the Hood (1995)
• Friday (1995)
• Get on the Bus (1996)
• Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood (1996)
• Sprung (1997)
• Woo (1998)
• Why Do Fools Fall In Love (1998)
• The Breaks (1999)
• High Crimes (2002)
• Love Chronicles (2003)
• Phone Booth (2003)
• 30 Years to Life (2003)
• Playas Ball (2003)
• My Baby's Daddy (2004)
• She Hate Me (2004)
• Animal (2005)
• Hustle & Flow (2005)
• Idlewild (2006)
• The Genius Club (2006)
• Cover (2007)
• Paranoia (2013)

Television Work

• The Apollo Comedy Hour (1992)
• Townsend Television (1993)
• NYPD Blue (1993)
• Roc (1994)
• Comsic Shop (1994)
• Pointman (1995)
• The Wayans Bros (1995-1996)
• The Weird Al Show (1997)
• Riot (1997)
• The Parent 'Hood (1997)
• Cosby (1997)
• Snoops (1999-2000)
• Touched by an Angel (2000)
• The Proud Family (2001-2005)
• The Shield (2004)
• CSI: Miami (2005)
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2006)
• Lilo & Stitch: The Series (2005-2007)
• Side Order of Life (2007)
• My Name Is Earl (2008)
• Fear Itself (2009)
• Let's Stay Together (2012)

Awards and nominations

• NAACP Image Awards: 1995, Outstanding actress in a comedy Friday (nominated)
• NAACP Image Awards: 1996, Outstanding actress in a comedy Friday (nominated)
• Independent Spirit Awards: 1998, Outstanding actress in a motion picture Why Do Fools Fall in Love (winner)
• NAACP Image Awards: 2002, Outstanding actress in an animated series The Proud Family (nominated)
• Black Reel Awards: 2002, Outstanding actress in an animated series The Proud Family (nominated)
• Black Reel Awards: 2002, Outstanding actress in an animated series The Proud Family (nominated)
• Screen Actor Guild Awards: 2002, Best Parential Guildance unit for an animated comedy The Proud Family (nominated)
• Screen Actor Guild Awards: 2004, Best Actress She Hate Me (winner)
• Black Reel Awards: 2004, Outstanding actress in a drama pitcure Phone Booth (nominated)
• Screen Actor Guild Awards: 2004, Outstanding actress in an animated series The Proud Family (winner)
• Screen Actor Guild Awards: 2004, Outstanding actress in an animated series The Proud Family (nominated)
• NAACP Image Award: 2005, Outstanding actress in an animated series The Proud Family (nominated)
• NAACP Image Awards: 2005, Outstanding actress Hustle & Flow (winner)
• NAACP Image Awards: 2005, Best actress Hustle & Flow (winner)
• NAACP Image Awards: 2005, Best actress Hustle & Flow (winner)
• Black Reel Awards: 2006, Outstanding actress Idlewild (nominated)
• Black Reel Awards: 2006, Outstanding actress The Genius Club (nominated)
• Black Reel Awards: 2006, Best actress (nominated)
• Screen Actor Guild Awards: 2006, Best actress (nominated)