Paula Patton is an actress and producer best known for her starring roles in the action spy film Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol and the drama film Precious. Born into a middle-class family in Los Angeles, she harboured big dreams as a child. Her mother enjoyed watching films and inculcated a love for films in the young girl as well. Paula was active in her school’s co-curricular activities and was particularly drawn to dramatics. She loved to play act with her friends and participated in her school’s stage productions. She acted in many high school plays at Hamilton Magnet Arts High School and decided to pursue acting as her career. She enrolled at the University of Southern California in a summer program and thoroughly enjoyed her stint. She won a three-month assignment making documentaries for PBS. Following the successful completion of the assignment, she began working as a production assistant for TV documentaries. She then moved to produce documentaries. Even though she loved her job, she still yearned to be an actress. She began her acting career with a small role in the romantic comedy film Hitch, alongside Will Smith. She has since appeared in many popular movies and TV shows.