Paula Jai Parker facts for kids

Paula Jai Parker (born August 19, 1969) is an American actress. She is well-known for her roles in movies like Friday (1995), Hustle & Flow (2005), and Idlewild (2006). Many people also know her as the voice of Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel cartoon series, The Proud Family (2001-2005). She also voiced Trudy in The Proud Family Movie (2005) and the newer show, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder (2022).

Early life

Paula Jai Parker was born and grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1987, she moved to Washington, D.C. to study at Howard University. She earned a special degree in Fine Arts. After college, she moved to New York City and performed in many clubs.

From 1992 to 1993, Paula was on a TV comedy show called The Apollo Comedy Hour. This show was filmed live at the famous Apollo Theater. She was also a cast member on another short TV show, Townsend Television.

Career highlights

In 1995, Paula Jai Parker started her movie career in the comedy film Friday. That same year, she won an award for her role in an HBO show called Cosmic Slop. Later, she joined the TV show The Wayans Bros.. During the 1990s, she appeared in several other TV shows. These included The Weird Al Show (1997) and Snoops (1999).

Paula also had important roles in many movies during the 1990s. She was in the horror movie Tales from the Hood (1995). She also appeared in Get on the Bus (1996) and the comedy Sprung (1997). Other movies included Woo (1997) and Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998). In the early 2000s, she acted in movies like High Crimes (2002) and Phone Booth (2002). In 2004, she played Ruth Brown in the movie Ray. A big moment in her career was the 2005 movie Hustle & Flow. She later worked with the same actor, Terrence Howard, in the musical movie Idlewild (2006).

One of Paula's most famous roles is the voice of Trudy Proud. She voiced this character in The Proud Family cartoon series from 2001 to 2005. She also voiced Trudy in The Proud Family Movie in 2005. In 2022, she returned to voice Trudy in the new series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder. She also played the famous singer Billie Holiday in an episode of Touched by an Angel in 2000. She has also been a guest star on other popular TV shows. These include The Shield, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and The Mentalist.

From 2013 to 2014, Paula had a role in the HBO series True Blood. In 2014, she was one of the main stars of the reality TV show Hollywood Divas. She also had recurring roles in the shows Hand of God and Recovery Road in 2015. In 2016, she released a music album called "Paula Jai & Friends."

Personal life

Paula Jai Parker married Forrest Martin in 2004. They met while working on the movie Hustle & Flow. Forrest was an intern on the movie set. Paula almost didn't take the role in the movie, but her manager encouraged her. Paula and Forrest have one son together.

Discography

• Paula Jai & Friends (2016)

Filmography

Film

Television

Music video

Documentary

Awards and nominations

See also

In Spanish: Paula Jai Parker para niños