RESUME 

 about me 

Patrice Denise Overton is a 39-year-old actress currently residing in Atlanta, GA.  Working as a professional since 2014, Overton first premiered as a waitress on Tyler Perry’s “The Haves and the Have Not’s”.  Additionally, in Arizona, she appeared in local commercials such as SRP, Grand Canyon University, Arizona Federal Credit Union, and Choice Hotels in 2015.  Furthermore, Overton has done print with Petsmart, acted in a second role as a pharmacist on the TV show “Women in Prison”, and cast as Tracy in the feature film "Jessica Frost" set to be released in 2021. Patrice recently played the role of the DJ Miss P in New Year New Us released in 2020 on Amazon Prime.

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Born on January 23rd, 1982, Overton’s 24-year-old mother gave birth while incarcerated.  As a result, she was born in prison.  Shortly after birth, she was transported to St Louis, MO where her paternal grandmother cared for her until her mother’s release in the mid-1980s.  As crack and cocaine were bleeding into the black communities, Overton’s mother quickly became an addict and her father, a drug dealer.  In 1991, her rehabilitated mother moved the family to Minneapolis, MN but shortly fell victim to drugs a second time.  In 1995, Overton and her siblings were abandoned by their mother which left them homeless and emotionally scarred.  Immediately, survival skills kicked in and Overton began caring for herself.  Needing to escape reality, she engaged in activities at school and saw a rehearsal for the play “The Wiz”.  Landing her first role as the Queen’s assistant, Overton started using acting as a sense of purpose to find her strength and unexpectedly her passion.  Almost 2 years have gone by and no one knew she was a homeless girl, although Overton understood her reality she made a conscious choice not to live in it. Resourcefully surrounded by mentors in 1997, they counseled, supported, and helped her become recognized as a “Young Angel” on the Oprah Winfrey show.

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Over the next 8 years, she participated in high school and college plays as well as graduated with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in 2005. Upon self-evaluation, one who loves life and loves to help people, Overton found her other passion in helping others, so much so that she put her acting career on hold to help disadvantaged people. After 3 years of working in the social service sector, she went back to school in 2008 to get her Master’s in Social Work. She graduated in 2010 and 3 years later not only did she become a mother to a healthy baby boy named Jett, but also experienced a setback when she broke her leg. However, her friends rallied around her and convinced her that nothing screams Hollywood like a “break a leg” incident. Once healthy, she reunited with her mother in late 2013 and began building her acting resume having her very first professional audition with Tyler Perry.

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Overton is inspired by people who never give up despite their circumstances. She has watched the likes of Taraji P. Henson and Jamie Foxx, whom both had odds against them and persevered. Knowing that there are others in the industry who have faced adversity and have become successful has allowed her to feel that she could do it too. Her exotic look is what makes her different from the rest not to mention her ability to make you feel good after talking to her. Her energy grabs your attention without ever giving her permission for it.

Overton’s goals are to star in television series, have a major role in a movie, and be in a Broadway production all within the next year. In the next 5 years, she would like to win an Emmy, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a Tony. Over the next 3 years, she wants to write a book about her life and produce a movie based on it. Overall, she would like to own a production company where she produces films based on true stories all while continuing her charity work sharing her story with foster kids.

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Her favorite moment in the industry was when she worked with Tyler Perry. While on set she was validated in her thinking that Hollywood would make room for her. And it did just that! Despite what life has thrown at Overton, she has and will continue to use her personal experience as fuel to break down barriers, help others, and leave a legacy worth filming.

“You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced to them.”

-Maya Angelou