Early life

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. 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 has made her film debut in the F. Gary Gray urban comedy Friday. In 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).

During 1990s, Parker had supporting roles in a number of films. 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). In the early 2000s, Parker co-starred in 30 Years to Life, High Crimes, Phone Booth, and My Baby's Daddy. 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 has in the 2005 independent drama Hustle & Flow starring Terrence Howard. She later was cast opposite Howard in musical film Idlewild (2006).

From 2001 to 2005, Parker voiced the sophisticated matriarch Trudy Proud in the Disney Channel animated comedy series, The Proud Family. She also voiced her role in the 2005 film The Proud Family Movie. She also played the 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.

From 2013 to 2014, 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. In 2015, Parker was cast in the recurring roles on the Amazon drama Hand of God, and Freeform series, Recovery Road.

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 manager. They have one son, Onederful.

Filmography

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

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	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
2016	Recovery Road	Margarita Jean-Baptiste	Recurring role

[ Source: Wikipedia ]