Paula Maxine Patton (born December 5, 1975) is an American actress who is known for her appearances in the films Idlewild (2006), Déjà Vu (2006), Mirrors (2008), Swing Vote (2008), Precious (2009), Just Wright (2010), Jumping the Broom (2011), and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011).
Patton was born in Los Angeles, California, to Joyce (née Vanraden), a school teacher, and Charles Patton, a lawyer.Her father is African-American and her mother, who is Caucasian, has German and English ancestry.She graduated from Hamilton High School, and then started college at UC Berkeley,transferring to USC Film School after her first year and graduating magna cum laude. Shortly after completing her studies, she won a three-month assignment making documentaries for PBS. Later she worked for the Discovery Health Channel as producer for the show Medical Diaries.