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Who is Paula Jai Parker?
American actress Paula Jai Parker was born in Farmington, Michigan USA, on 19 August 1969, making Leo her zodiac sign. She has 98 acting credits, and is perhaps still known best for playing Lexus in the 2005 musical crime movie “Hustle & Flow”, which starred Terrence Howard and Ludacris, and was written and directed by Craig Brewer. It follows a Memphis pimp who’s trying to become a rapper, and the film won 25 of its 72 award nominations, including an Oscar win for Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song.
Paula’s currently shooting for three upcoming movies: “Temperature Rising”, “The Furry Fortune” and “Conundrum: Secrets Among Friends”.
Education and early life
Paula was raised in Farmington as an only child, by her mother Blythe Daner and father Bruce Paltrow; as she respects her parents’ privacy, Paula hasn’t shared many other details about them.
She became interested in dancing and acting while attending a local high school in Farmington, and appeared in a number of school plays; Paula also enjoyed playing volleyball with her peers and taking singing lessons.
She matriculated in 1987 and then enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D. C. from which she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1991; Paula then moved to New York City and began dancing at nightclubs.
Roles in TV series
Paula’s debut TV series role was playing a supporting character in several episodes of the 1992 drama “The Apollo Comedy Hour”, and the following year saw her star in all 10 episodes of the musical comedy “Townsend Television”.
In 1995 and 1996, she portrayed Monique in 13 episodes of the popular comedy “The Wayans Bros.”, which starred John Witherspoon and Shawn Wayans, and was created by Marlon Wayans; it follows the lives of two brothers, and the series was nominated for a Kids’ Choice Blimp Award for Favorite Television Actor (Marlon). The remainder of the ‘90s saw Paula appear in an episode or two of the comedy “The Parent ‘Hood”, the comedy “The Weird Al Show” and another comedy “Cosby”.
From 2001 through 2005, she voiced one of the lead characters Trudy Proud in all 52 episodes of the animated family comedy “The Proud Family”, which also starred Kyla Pratt and Tommy Davidson, and was created by Doreen Spicer and Bruce W. Smith. It follows the life of teenager Penny Proud, and the series won six of its 29 award nominations. The remainder of the 2000s saw Paula make a guest appearance in the crime action “CSI: Miami”, the crime mystery “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and the comedy “My Name Is Earl”.
From 2012 through 2019, she portrayed Lori in 27 episodes of the comedy “Family Time”, which today stars Angell Conwell and Omar Gooding, and was created by Bentley Kyle Evans; it follows the lives of members of the working-class family the Stallworths.
Some of Paula’s most recent TV series roles have been in the 2022 episode “The Escape Wheel” of the crime mystery “American Gigolo”, 19 episodes of the animated adventure comedy “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” since 2022 (voice role) and 37 episodes of the drama “A House Divided” since 2019.
Roles in movies
Paula’s debut film role was playing Tang in the 1994 science fiction “Cosmic Slop”, and the following year saw her play Joi in the critically acclaimed comedy “Friday”, which starred Ice Cube and Chris Tucker, and was directed by F. Gary Gray; it follows two marijuana smokers who have less than 24 hours to find $200 which they owe a local bully, and the film won one of its six award nominations. Some of Paula’s notable performances in the remainder of the decade were in the 1996 crime comedy “Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood”, the 1997 romantic comedy “Sprung” and the 1998 biographical musical “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”.
The year 2002 saw her portray Gracie in the crime mystery “High Crimes”, which starred Jim Caviezel and Morgan Freeman, and was directed by Carl Franklin. It follows a man who’s been arrested for killing nine villagers in El Salvador while working as a US Marine in 1988, while his criminal defense attorney wife’s now defending him; the movie was nominated for two awards. Some of Paula’s following notable performances were in the 2004 comedy “My Baby’s Daddy”, the 2006 thriller “The Genius Club” and the 2007 crime thriller “Cover”.
The year 2013 saw her play Gina Sanders in the drama “Life of a King”, which stared Cuba Gooding Jr. and Dennis Haysbert, and was written and directed by Jake Goldberger. It follows former convict Eugene Brown who’s opened a chess club for teenagers, and the film was nominated for two awards.
Some of Paula’s most recent movie roles have been in the 2022 family fantasy “A Miracle Before Christmas”, the 2023 action crime comedy “Kings of L. A.”, and the 2023 drama “Sasha Lanes”.
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Other credits
Paula produced and directed the 2017 drama movie “The White Sistas”, and is the producer and director of the upcoming short movies “Sonshine Church” and “Sonshine Church 2”.
Some of her recent talk-show appearances have been in “Melody Trice Special Events”, “The Big Scoop with Coop” and “Knew Amsterdam Radio”.
Awards and nominations
Paula’s won four of her nine award nominations: a 1995 CableACE Award for Actress in a Dramatic Series, for “Cosmic Slop”; a 2005 Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Comedic Performance, for “Hustle & Flow” and a 2016 Laughlin International Film Festival Award for Best Ensemble Cast, for her and her colleagues’ performance in “Last Call at Murray’s”.
Love life and marriage
Paula met American actor, screenwriter and producer Forrest Martin on the set of the 2005 movie “Hustle & Flow”; he had just earned his Master of Fine Arts degree and was hired as an intern. The two married in a private ceremony later in 2005, and Paula gave birth to their son Onederful Vanglorious Jaxon N’Krumah Martin in the following year.
Forrest has five acting credits, with some of these including the 2014 drama movie “Assistant Motives”, the 2017 drama film “The White Sistas”, and the 2019 episode “Boonie Comes Up” of the comedy series “Black Jesus”.
There are no other men whom Paula’s perhaps been with, that we know about; she’s married to Forrest Martin as of July 2023, and they have a son together.
Interesting facts and hobbies
Paula and famous American actor Matthew Perry were born on the exact same day.
She revealed in October 2020 that she’d spent some time being homeless, because she wasn’t getting enough work and was being ‘blackballed’ in Hollywood; she also revealed that both she and her husband were addicted to cocaine, but were able to overcome the addiction thanks to their faith in God.
Close to 100,000 people are following Paula on Instagram today, and she’s posted over 700 pictures and videos onto the network.
Many of Paula’s fans believe that she’s enhanced her breasts, but she’s yet to address the matter.
Viola Davis is one of Paula’s favorite actresses, and some of her favorite movies include “Fences”, “The Woman King” and “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom”.
Height, eyes and wealth
Paula’s age is 53. She has brown hair and eyes, is 5ft 2ins (1.57m) tall and weighs around 115lbs (52kgs).
Paula’s net worth’s been estimated at over $150,000 as of July 2023.
