Paula Patton

Paula Patton emerged as an unforgettable talent with her leading roles in the Tony Scott film Déjà Vu and the original musical Idlewild. In Déjà Vu, Paula starred opposite Denzel Washington and Jim Caviezel.

Patton starred in the wedding-themed comedy "Jumping the Broom." Paula also appeared in the 20th Century Fox film Just Wright in which she starred opposite of Queen Latifah and Common. She also appeared on new Mission: Impossible alongside Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner.

Patton can also be seen in the critically-acclaimed and award winning film Precious, directed by Lee Daniels. The film premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film where it won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award. Additionally it was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in Un Certain Regard. Precious is the story of Clareece Precious Jones, a young African-American girl who has endured unimaginable hardships in her life. Paula plays the challenging role of Ms. Rain, a teacher who tries to make a difference in Clareece‘s life and reveals to her the opportunity that still awaits her. Precious has garnered numerous award nominations including a 2010 Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Motion Picture Drama, a 2010 Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture and a 2010 British Academy of Film Television Arts Award nomination for Best Film. Patton was also nominated for an NAACP Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role in Precious.

In 2008, Paula appeared in the thriller, Mirrors opposite Kiefer Sutherland. The film tells the story of a mall security guard (Sutherland) who becomes wrapped up in a mystery involving a particular department store's mirrors which seem to bring out the worst in people. Paula plays the wife of Sutherland‘s character. Paula also appeared in Swing Vote, a light-hearted political satire alongside industry veterans Kevin Costner, Dennis Hopper and Kelsey Grammer. Swing Vote was released by Disney Pictures.

In August 2006, Patton was seen in the original musical Idlewild, in which she stars among an impressive cast including: Outkast‘s Andre Benjamin and Antwan Patton, Terrence Howard, Ving Rhames and Patti Labelle. The musical, set in the Prohibition-era American South, is directed by Bryan Barber and produced by Charles Roven. Paula plays a diva from St. Louis who travels to Idlewild and with the help of Andre Benjamin‘s character as her piano man, the two develop a stage act as well as a love affair. The film was released by Universal. Paula was previously seen in Columbia Pictures‘ romantic comedy, Hitch, in which she co-starred opposite Will Smith, Eva Mendes and Kevin James.

Paula grew up in Los Angeles, attending the Hamilton School for the Performing Arts. Paula always had a passion for acting as well as film making; upon graduating from high school she was chosen as one of four young filmmakers for a documentary series for PBS titled: The Ride, which followed the four filmmakers as they directed their own documentary films about young people across America. After spending her freshman year of college at UC Berkeley, with an increasing passion for film making, Paula transferred to the prestigious USC Film School, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Upon graduation, she began doing various production assistant work, and eventually worked her way up to shooting and producing a show titled: Medical Diaries for The Discovery Channel. When the show was completed, Paula realised her love of acting and immediately enrolled in acting classes, and after a year of studying she decided to pursue a career in professional acting.

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