Paula Jai Parker (born August 19, 1969) 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).
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. 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
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
| 1994
| Cosmic Slop
| Tang
| TV movie
|-
|rowspan=2| 1995
| Friday
| Joi
|
|-
| Tales from the Hood
| Sissy Johnson
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 1996
| Don't Be a Menace to South Central
| Drunk Party Girl
|
|-
| Get on the Bus
| Jamilia
|
|-
| 1997
| Sprung
| Adina
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 1998
| Always Outnumbered
| Melodie
| TV movie
|-
| Woo
| Claudette
|
|-
| Why Do Fools Fall in Love
| Paula King
|
|-
| 1999
| The Breaks
| Ann
|
|-
| 2001
| 30 Years to Life
| Stephanie
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2002
| High Crimes
| Gracie
|
|-
| Phone Booth
| Felicia
|
|-
| 2003
| Love Chronicles
| Sara
|
|-
|rowspan=4| 2004
| My Baby's Daddy
| Rolonda
|
|-
| She Hate Me
| Evelyn
|
|-
| Ray
| Ruth Brown
|
|-
| Konsequenz
| Baby
| Short
|-
|rowspan=3| 2005
| Hustle & Flow
| Lexus
|
|-
| The Proud Family Movie
| Trudy Parker-Proud (voice)
| TV movie
|-
| Animal
| Reecy
| Video
|-
|rowspan=2| 2006
| Idlewild
| Rose
|
|-
| The Genius Club
| Tatiana
|
|-
| 2007
| Cover
| Monica Wilson
|
|-
| 2010
| Confessions of A Lonely Wife
| -
|
|-
| 2011
| King of the Underground
| Elizabeth Gayle
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2013
| When a Woman's Fed Up
| Laticious
|
|-
| Life of a King
| Gina Sanders
|
|-
| Pastor Shirley
| Pastor Shirley
|
|-
|rowspan=5| 2014
| 4Play
| Linda
|
|-
| Patterns of Attraction
| Desiree Stewart
|
|-
| Act of Faith
| Shartruce
|
|-
| Assistant Motives
| Joyce Miller
|
|-
| You Me & Her
| Karen
| Short
|-
| 2015
| The Summoning
| Angela
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2016
| Last Call at Murray's
| Danice
|
|-
| She's Got a Plan
| Rhonda
|
|-
| Echo Park Blues
| CeCe McCoy
| Short
|-
| 2017
| The White Sistas
| Jordan White
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2018
| Taco Shop
| Eve
|
|-
| Hey, Mr. Postman!
| Ms. Kelly
|
|-
| 2020
| Blinders
| Evelyn
|
|-
| 2022
| A Miracle Before Christmas
| Martha
|
|-
|rowspan=3| 2023
| Kings of L.A.
| Mason
|
|-
| Sasha Lanes
| Ashanti
|
|-
| The Furry Fortune
| June
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2025
| Soul of a Sister
| Head Therapist
|
|-
| Don't Hang Up
| Elizabeth Holiday
| Short
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|
| The Apollo Comedy Hour
| Herself
| Main cast
|-
| 1993
| Townsend Television
| Herself
| Main cast
|-
|rowspan=2| 1994
| Soul Train
| Herself/Guest Host
| Episode: "CeCe Peniston/Outkast/Tashan"
|-
| Roc
| Jill
| Episode: "No Place Like Home"
|-
| 1995
| Pointman
| Udia
| Episode: "Silent Auction"
|-
| 1995–96
| The Wayans Bros.
| Mia
| Guest: Season 1, Recurring cast: Season 2
|-
|rowspan=4| 1997
| Riot
| Lisa
| Episode: "Homecoming Day"
|-
| The Parent 'Hood
| Sabrina
| Episode: "Wendell and I Spy"
|-
| The Weird Al Show
| Val Brentwood-Gal Spy
| Main cast
|-
| 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"
|-
|rowspan=2| 2005
| Lilo & Stitch: The Series
| Trudy Parker-Proud (voice)
| Episode: "Spats: Experiment #397"
|-
| 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"
|-
|rowspan=2| 2010
| The Mentalist
| Astrid
| Episode: "Red Sky at Night"
|-
| Fish Hooks
| Yolanda (voice)
| Episode: "Hooray for Hamsterwood"
|-
| 2011
| Funny or Die Presents
| Paula
| Episode: "Episode #2.6"
|-
|rowspan=2| 2012
| Let's Stay Together
| Sherry Steele
| Episode: "Inspect Me, Inspect Me Not"
|-
| The Exes
| Amelia
| Episode: "How Holly Got Her Groove Back"
|-
| 2012–19
| Family Time
| Lori
| Guest: Season 1, Recurring cast: Season 2–7
|-
| 2013
| The Soul Man
| Drew
| Episode: "Bride and Prejudice"
|-
| 2013–14
| True Blood
| Karen
| Guest: 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
|-
|rowspan=3| 2016
| Recovery Road
| Margarita Jean-Baptiste
| Recurring cast
|-
| Ray Donovan
| Sylvie Starr
| Recurring cast: Season 4
|-
| How to Get Away with Murder
| Yvonne
| Episode: "It's About Frank"
|-
| 2017
| NCIS: Los Angeles
| Ellie
| Episode: "Forasteira"
|-
|rowspan=2| 2019
| 9-1-1
| Judith Spivey
| Episode: "Triggers"
|-
| Black Jesus
| Teresa
| Recurring cast: Season 3
|-'
| 2019–22
| Crown Lake
| Headmistress Catherine Merriweather
| Recurring cast: Season 1–2, Main Cast: Season 3
|-
| 2019–23
| A House Divided
| Stephanie Sanders
| Main cast
|-
|rowspan=3| 2020
| Criminal Minds
| Captain Vivian Paige
| Episode: "Under the Skin"
|-
| Insecure
| Sheryl
| Episode: "Lowkey Feelin' Myself"
|-
| Etheria
| Karen
| Episode: "You Me & Her"
|-
|rowspan=3| 2021
| Them
| Hazel Emory
| Recurring cast: Season 1
|-
| Queen Sugar
| Celine
| Recurring cast: Season 6
|-
| Colin in Black & White
| Aunt Zora
| Episode: "Crystal"
|-
|rowspan=3| 2022
| Celebrity Family Feud
| Herself/Contestant
| Episode: "Episode #9.2"
|-
| All Rise
| Charlene Addison
| Episode: "It Ain't Over Till It's Over"
|-
| American Gigolo
| Diamond
| Episode: "The Escape Wheel"
|-
| 2022–present
|
| Trudy Parker-Proud (voice)
| Main cast
|-
| 2024
| The Block Trilogies
| The Host
| Recurring cast
|}
Music video
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Song
! Artist
|-
| 2001
| "Girls, Girls, Girls"
| Jay-Z
|}
Documentary
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
|-
| 2007
| Angels Can't Help But Laugh
|-
| 2008
| So You Want Michael Madsen?
|-
|rowspan=2| 2011
| Kiss and Tell: The History of Black Romance in Movie
|-
| Mama & Me
|}
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Awards
! Category
! Recipient
! Outcome
|-
| 1995
| CableACE Award
| CableACE Award for Best Actress in a Drama
| "Cosmic Slop"
|
|-
|rowspan=2| 2006
| Women Film Critics Circle
| Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Comedic Performance
|rowspan=2| "Hustle & Flow"
|
|-
| Screen Actors Guild Award
| Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
|
|-
| 2020
| Indie Series Awards
| Indie Series Award for Best Lead Actress — Drama
| "A House Divided"
|
|}