Paula Rittie is Brandy Hanson in the new independent film, Grapes on a Vine.
Paula Rittie possesses the rare combination of talent and beauty. Born in Manhattan to a Panamanian father and a Jamaican mother, this young lady knew at the tender age of seven that being an actress was her destiny. Rittie got her first taste of the theater in grade school when she played a reindeer in a Christmas production. She took that modest success and went on to star in several high school theater productions. In fact, this natural born actor has landed a role every time she has auditioned. Eager to sharpen her craft, Rittie started professional training before she graduated from high school. After graduation she continued training by taking acting classes at Long Island University in New York where she received her bachelor’s degree in Business Management. Paula has also completed several classes at the TVI Actors Studio and the School of Film and Television.
Both schools are based in New York. Skill, talent and determination paid off in 1991. She landed her first paid acting job with a principal role in a nationally broadcast McDonald’s commercial. The company loved her work so much that she became a familiar face for McDonald’s. They hired her again in 1992, 1993 and 2002. It was during her assignment three years ago with the company that Rittie worked with director Malcolm Lee. Other commercials credited to Rittie include a Nike project directed by award winning director Spike Lee and a Pepsi Light spot where she showed off some of her smooth, hip-hop dancing moves. Rittie continues to polish her skills as she awaits her big break in a major studio film. However, she truly enjoys performing in independent films. Rittie’s first independent production was in a supporting role in a Bottom of the Net Filmworks production entitled, Let’s Stay Together followed by a lead role in the independent short film, New York Stories. Rittie has always been told she resembles the actress Jada Pinkett-Smith. While resemblance was important, talent is what ultimately clinched Rittie the starring role in the independent short film, Jada Who? It is the story of a young woman named Liza and how she uses her resemblance to Pinkett-Smith to get celebrity perks. Rittie’s dazzling performance in this Bottom of the Net production was screened in Atlanta, Georgia at the 2003 National Black Arts Festival. The film premiered earlier that same year in Los Angeles at the Pan African Film Festival. It was also picked up by Russell Simmons Hip Hop Channel for internet use. Currently you can catch the film on national television on the African American Filmmakers program.
