From the early '90s onward, African-American actress Paula Newsome built a fairly substantial career for herself via many small supporting roles in films and television series. She debuted on the big screen in 1992, as Ellen in Barnet Kellman's Dolly Parton comedy Straight Talk, then spent years making single-episode appearances in such programs as ER, Ally McBeal, and Law & Order, as well as multiple-episode runs on Chicago Hope, NYPD Blue, and The Lyon's Den. Newsome's career escalated most dramatically, however, between 2006 and 2007, with her contributions to the comedy Little Miss Sunshine (2006), the Adam Sandler drama Reign Over Me, the drama Things We Lost in the Fire, and the ABC detective series Women's Murder Club (as Claire Washburn, a member of an all-female team of investigators).
Paula Newsome
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- Acclaimed stage roles include Carrie in the 1994 Broadway revival of Carousel and Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill.
- Has made one-episode appearances on a diverse array of series, including CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Dharma & Greg, Judging Amy and Yes, Dear.
- Landed series regular roles on NBC's short-lived Conrad Bloom (1998) and The Lyon's Den (2003), as well as ABC mystery-drama Women's Murder Club (2007).