Paula Jai Parker Bio
Paula Jai Parker is an American actress, comedian, director, and singer-songwriter. Her films credits include 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). 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 briefly appeared on the Wayans Brothers show with Shawn Wayans.
Paula Jai Parker Age | Family
Paula was born on 19 August 1969. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. Jai is 49 years old. Details of her parents and siblings names are not available as of now.
Paula Jai Parker Education | Career
Paula moved to Washington, D.C. in 1987 to study at Howard University. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and moved again to New York City to play in a number of clubs. he performed on the FOX comedy program The Apollo Comedy Hour, filmed live at the legendary Apollo Theater. Jai was later cast as a member on the short-lived sketch show, Townsend Television. She made her film debut in 1995 as 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. Parker returned to television in the WB sitcom, The Wayans Bros. 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). 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 Lymon biography, Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998).
Parker had co-starred roles 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). Parker voiced the matriarch Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel animated comedy series, The Proud Family.
Parker had the recurring role in the HBO series, True Blood during 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”.
Paula Jai Parker Husband | Children
Parker is married to Forrest Martin. 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. The pair married in 2004. They have one son, Onederful.
Paula Jai Parker Movies | Tv Shows
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 |
Paula Jai Parker Net Worth
Parker is an American actress and comedian who has a net worth of $150 thousand dollars.
Paula Jai Parker Height
Parker height is 5ft 2 or 157.5 cm tall.
Paula Jai Parker 90s | Young
Paula Jai Parker Friday
Parker portrays Joi in Friday which is a 1995 American stoner comedy film directed by F. Gary Gray in his directorial debut. It stars Ice Cube, who co-wrote the film with DJ Pooh, and Chris Tucker. The film details roughly 16 hours in the lives of unemployed Craig Jones (Cube) and Smokey (Tucker), who must pay a drug dealer $200 by 10:00 p.m.
Paula Jai Parker Proud Family
Paula is Trudy Proud on the Disney Channel animated sitcom The Proud Family. The Proud Family is an American animated sitcom that ran on Disney Channel from September 15, 2001, to August 19, 2005.
Paula Jai Parker Tales From The Hood
Jai portrays Sissy Johnson inTales from the Hood which is a 1995 horror drama anthology film directed by Rusty Cundieff and executive-produced by Spike Lee. The film presents four short urban-themed horror stories based on problem concepts that affect the African-American community in the order of police corruption, domestic abuse, institutional racism, and gang violence; all presented within a frame story of three drug dealers buying some “found” drugs from an eccentric and story-prone funeral director.
Paula Jai Parker True Blood
Paula plays the role of Karenon in the HBO original series True Blood. She made her debut on the episode “Jesus Gonna Be Here“, at the beginning of the series’ seventh season, Paula plays the role of a vigilante. Playing a recurring role through the same season, Paula was a follower of Vince Gibson, until she met an untimely demise on the episode “Death is Not the End“, in the series’ seventh, and final, season. Tara Buck also plays the role of Ginger in the series.
Paula Jai Parker Ray Donovan
Parker has a recurring role as Maureen Dougherty Donovan (seasons 4–5) in the crime drama series Ray Donovan. It is an American television crime drama series created by Ann Biderman for Showtime. The twelve-episode first season premiered on June 30, 2013. The pilot episode broke viewership records, becoming the biggest premiere of all time on Showtime. On December 20, 2018, Showtime renewed the show for a seventh season.
Paula Jai Parker Songs
- Going Down
- Going Down Remix
Discography
- Paula Jai & Friends (2016
Paula Jai Parker Braids
Paula Jai Parker Now
Paula Jai Parker Instagram
Paula Jai Parker Twitter
Paula Jai Parker Facebook
Paula Jai Parker News
Source;variety.com
UMC Sets New Drama ‘A House Divided,’ ‘Craig Ross Jr.’s Monogamy’ Season 2
By RACHEL YANG
Variety has exclusively learned that Urban Movie Channel has set the new multi-generational family drama “A House Divided” for a summer 2019 premiere.
The series follows the direct descendants of Letty Sanders, who was enslaved in the 1800s and later became the wealthiest black woman in Los Angeles. The show centers on present-day members of the Sanders family, whose legacy is being threatened by the passing of its matriarch, a government investigation, and newly discovered secrets.
Currently in the beginning stages of production, the new series will star Demetria McKinney (Tyler Perry’s “House of Payne”), Paula Jai Parker (“Ray Donovan”), Lawrence Hilton Jacobs (“The Jacksons: An American Dream”), Brad James (“Superstition”), David McKnight (“Hollywood Shuffle”), Taja V. Simpson (Fox’s “Lethal Weapon”), and Art Evans (“Die Hard 2”).
“A House Divided” comes from Dan Garcia, the creator of UMC’s series “Bronx SIU.”
“A thrilling tale of scandal and secrecy paired with core values of love, loyalty, and family unity, ‘A House Divided’ brings a mixture of excitement and intrigue that is sure to make for an exceptionally addictive drama,” said Nikki Love, the vice president of development and production for UMC. “We are excited to be working with Dan Garcia again on another project that we hope audiences will fall in love with while holding on to the edge of their seats.”
UMC has also announced that “Craig Ross Jr.’s Monogamy” will return for a second season. Created by husband and wife producing team Craig Ross Jr. and Caryn Ward Ross, the series follows four married couples as they undergo an unconventional form of therapy called “The Experiment” with the hopes of reviving their failing relationships. The cast includes Jill Marie Jones (“Girlfriends”), Brian White (“Ray Donovan”), Vanessa Simmons (“Growing Up Hip Hop”), Darius McCrary (“Star”), and more. Season 2 is slated to premiere this fall.