Paula Maxine Patton American actress Date of Birth: 05.12.1975 Country: USA

Biography of Paula Maxine Patton

Paula Maxine Patton, an American actress, is known for her roles in films such as "Hitch" (2005), "Idlewild" (2006), "Déjà Vu" (2006), "Mirrors" (2008), "Swing Vote" (2008), "Precious" (2009), "Just Wright" (2010), and "Jumping the Broom" (2011). She was born on December 5, 1975, in Los Angeles, California. Her mother, Joyce Vanraden, is a white American and a school teacher, while her father, Charles Patton, is an African-American lawyer. Paula grew up in Los Angeles and attended Hamilton High School. She initially attended the University of California, Berkeley, but transferred to the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where she graduated with honors. After completing her studies, Paula won a three-month contract to create documentary films for PBS. She later worked as a producer for the show "Medical Diaries" on the Discovery Health Channel. Growing up, Paula's family lived across the street from 20th Century Fox, which fueled her passion for the film industry from a young age. In 2005, Paula made her first notable appearance in the romantic comedy "Hitch" alongside Will Smith and Eva Mendes. She then had a small role in the drama film "London" and appeared in the musical film "Idlewild" with the members of the rap duo OutKast, Andre Benjamin and Big Boi. Paula's breakthrough came in 2006 when she played a key role in the sci-fi thriller "Déjà Vu" alongside Denzel Washington and Val Kilmer. In the 2008 film "Swing Vote," she portrayed television journalist Kate Madison. She also appeared in the horror film "Mirrors" alongside Kiefer Sutherland. In the drama film "Precious," based on the novel "Push" by American poet Sapphire, Paula played the role of Blu Rain, a teacher in an alternative school in New York who mentors the main character, Precious. In 2010, Paula was announced as the new assistant district attorney in the legal drama TV series "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," replacing Sharon Stone. However, her role in the series was reduced to one episode after she landed the lead female role in "Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol," which was released in December 2011. Her character in the series was subsequently replaced by actress Melissa Sagemiller. Paula's most recent role to date is in the drama-thriller film "Disconnect," set to be released in 2012, where she stars alongside Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård. Paula Patton is married to singer and songwriter Robin Thicke, the son of Canadian actor Alan Thicke and American actress and singer Gloria Loring. Their son, Julian Fuego Thicke, was born on April 6, 2010. In 2006, Paula appeared in the music video for her husband's song "Lost Without You." In 2004, she provided vocals for Usher's album "Confessions," specifically the song "Can U Handle It?," which was co-written by Robin Thicke.