Patterson was born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida. Her mother was 16 when she was born. She graduated from the New York University Tisch School of the Arts and later began appearing in off-Broadway productions. She made her big screen debut appearing in an supporting role in the 2010 romantic comedy-drama film, Why Did I Get Married Too?. In 2012 she made her Broadway debut in Manhattan Theatre Club production of Wit starring Cynthia Nixon. She later performed in off-Broadway productions of Luck of the Irish, Significant Other and By the Way, Meet Vera Stark. In 2017 she starred in August Wilson's play Jitney.