Irma Dolores Player Hall (born June 3, 1935) is an American actress who has appeared in films and television shows since the early 1970s. Hall often played

matriarchal Matriarchy is a social system in which women hold the primary power positions in roles of authority. In a broader sense it can also extend to moral authority, social privilege and control of property. While those definitions apply in general E ...

figures in films including ''

A Family Thing ''A Family Thing'' is a 1996 American drama film starring Robert Duvall, James Earl Jones and Irma P. Hall. It was rewritten by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson, the original script, "Latent Blood" was written by L Guy Burton, and directed by ...

'', '' The Ladykillers'' and ''

Soul Food Soul food is an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared and eaten by African Americans, originating in the Southern United States.Soul Food originated with the foods that were given to enslaved Black people by their white owners on Souther ...

'', in which she portrayed Josephine "Big Mama Joe" Joseph, a role she reprised in the television series of the same name. Hall earned an

NAACP Image Award The NAACP Image Awards is an annual awards ceremony presented by the U.S.-based National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theatre, music, and literature. Similar to ...

for portraying the character in the film version. She also appeared in ''

Collateral Collateral may refer to: Business and finance * Collateral (finance), a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan * Marketing collateral, in marketing and sales Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Collate ...

'' and two films by director

Werner Herzog Werner Herzog (; born 5 September 1942) is a German film director, screenwriter, author, actor, and opera director, regarded as a pioneer of New German Cinema. His films often feature ambitious protagonists with impossible dreams, people with un ...

. For her performance in ''The Ladykillers'', she won the

Jury Prize A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Juries developed in England durin ...

at the

2004 Cannes Film Festival The 57th Cannes Film Festival started on 12 and ran until 23 May 2004 in film, 2004. The Palme d'Or went to the United States, American film ''Fahrenheit 9/11'' by Michael Moore. The festival opened with ''Bad Education (2004 film), La mala educa ...

Early life

Hall was born Irma Dolores Player Hall in

Beaumont, Texas Beaumont is a coastal city in the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat, seat of government of Jefferson County, Texas, Jefferson County, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur, Texas, Port Arthur Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area, metropo ...

on June 3, 1935, the only child of Samuel Player, a saxophone player for the

Rhumboogie Café The Rhumboogie Café,
also referred to as the Rhumboogie Club, was an important, but short-lived nightclub at 343 East ...

, and Josephine Hall, who worked as an admission clerk at a hospital. She and her parents moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

's South Side in 1942, as Hall's parents wanted their daughter to have better opportunities in education. Hall attended

Briar Cliff College Briar Cliff University is a private Franciscan university in Sioux City, Iowa. History In March 1929, Mother Mary Dominica Wieneke, Major Superior of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Dubuque, Iowa, along with the Most Rev. Edmond Heelan, Bishop ...

Sioux City, Iowa Sioux City () is a city in Woodbury and Plymouth counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 85,797 in the 2020 census, making it the fourth-largest city in Iowa. The bulk of the city is in Woodbury County, ...

, but transferred at

Texas College Texas College is a private, historically black Christian Methodist Episcopal college in Tyler, Texas. It is affiliated with the United Negro College Fund. It was founded in 1894 by a group of ministers affiliated with the Christian Methodist Epi ...

where she graduated. Beginning in 1962, she taught

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

, and other languages at Booker T. Washington High School and James Madison High School. Hall continued to teach until she began acting full time in 1984.

Career

Hall's first acting role was Georgia Brown in an

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

, ''

Book of Numbers The book of Numbers (from Greek Ἀριθμοί, ''Arithmoi''; he, בְּמִדְבַּר, ''Bəmīḏbar'', "In the desert f) is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah. The book has a long and com ...

'', at the age of 37. Actor/director

Raymond St. Jacques Raymond St. Jacques (born James Arthur Johnson; March 1, 1930 – August 27, 1990) was an American actor, director and producer whose career spanned over thirty years on stage, film and television. St. Jacques is noted as the first African Americ ...

hired her as an interim publicist for the film. He saw her performing at a

poetry reading A poetry reading is a public oral recitation or performance of poetry. Reading poetry aloud allows the reader to express their own experience through poetry, changing the poem according to their sensibilities. The reader uses pitch and stress, and ...

and liked her so much that he offered her a role on the spot. St. Jacques opined Hall was a natural and that she should act professionally. She discovered a love for acting, and soon co-founded a

repertory theatre A repertory theatre is a theatre in which a resident company presents works from a specified repertoire, usually in alternation or rotation. United Kingdom Annie Horniman founded the first modern repertory theatre in Manchester after withdrawing ...

in Dallas. She worked steadily in films and TV throughout the 1980s, and appeared in the films ''

Backdraft A backdraft (North American English) or backdraught (British English) is the abrupt burning of superheated gasses in a fire, caused when oxygen rapidly enters a hot, oxygen-depleted environment; for example, when a window or door to an enclosed sp ...

'' (1991) and ''

Mo' Money ''Mo' Money'' is a 1992 American comedy -drama film directed by Peter Macdonald, and written by Damon Wayans, who also starred in the film. The film co-stars Stacey Dash, Joe Santos, John Diehl, Harry Lennix, Bernie Mac (in his film debut), and ...

'' (1992). However, Hall remained relatively unknown until her role as the loving Aunt T. in 1996's ''

''. Multiple critics believed Hall stole every scene she was in. She won the

Chicago Film Critics Association Award The Chicago Film Critics Association (CFCA) is an association of professional film critics, who work in print, broadcast and online media, based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The organization was founded in 1990 by film critics Sharon LeMa ...

and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role, and the success of that film helped establish her as a major supporting actress in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Sizable roles in major films such as '' Nothing to Lose'' and ''

Steel Steel is an alloy made up of iron with added carbon to improve its strength and fracture resistance compared to other forms of iron. Many other elements may be present or added. Stainless steels that are corrosion- and oxidation-resistant ty ...

'' followed. Hall then landed the role of Big Mama Joseph in the film ''

''. A film reviewer claimed Hall was "perfectly cast" in the role of Mama Joseph. For her work in this film, she received the

NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture This article lists the winners and nominees for the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. The award was introduced in 1970 and was awarded sporadically until its permanent feature from 1995 onwards. Angela Bassett ...

in 1998. ''Soul Food'' was a hit at the

box office A box office or ticket office is a place where ticket (admission), tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through a hole in a wall or window, or at a Wicket gate, wicke ...

, prompting a television spinoff, '' Soul Food: The Series'', in which Hall reprised her role in fantasy sequences. In 2001, Hall received a second NAACP Image Award nomination, in the category of

Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. In early Primetime Emmy Award ceremonies, the supporting categories were not always genre-, or even gender-, specific. Begin ...

for playing Mama Joseph. Also in 1997, she acted in the

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

-directed

film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...

John Berendt John Berendt (born December 5, 1939) is an American author, known for writing the best-selling non-fiction book ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'', which was a finalist for the 1995 Pulitzer Prize in General Nonfiction. Biography Ber ...

's novel ''

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil ''Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'' is a non-fiction novel by John Berendt. The book, Berendt's first, was published in 1994 and follows the story of an antiques dealer on trial for the murder of a male prostitute. Subtitled ''A Savannah S ...

''. Her character, root doctor Minerva, was based on

Valerie Boles Valerie Aiken Boles ( Fennell; November 8, 1932 – May 8, 2009)Valerie Fennell Boles

."Reclusive voodoo priestess of 'Midnight' fame dies"
– ''

Savannah Morning News The ''Savannah Morning News'' is a daily newspaper in Savannah, Georgia. It is published by Gannett. The motto of the paper is "Light of the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry". The paper serves Savannah, its metropolitan area, and parts of South Ca ...

'', May 8, 2009 Hall appeared in the television films ''

A Lesson Before Dying ''A Lesson Before Dying'' is Ernest J. Gaines' eighth novel, published in 1993. It was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and won the National Book Critics Circle Award. The novel is based on the true story of Willie Francis, a young Black Americ ...

'' (1999), ''

Something to Sing About "Something to Sing About" (actual title: "This Land of Ours") is one of Canada's national songs, a patriotic song written by folk singer Oscar Brand that sings the praises of the many different regions of Canada. It has some similarities to "Sco ...

'' (2000), and ''

Miss Lettie and Me ''Miss Lettie and Me'' is a 2002 American made-for-television drama film starring Mary Tyler Moore and Burt Reynolds. It is based on Katherine Paterson's short story "Poor Little Innocent Lamb". The film premiered in TNT on December 8, 2002. Pl ...

'' (2002). Hall portrayed Glory St. Clair, a psychic nurse, in the short-lived series '' All Souls''. Hall landed another acclaimed role in the 2004 remake of '' The Ladykillers'' as Marva Munson, a religious landlady. A reviewer believed Hall was "outstanding" in the film, while Justin Flowers felt Hall was the funniest actor in an otherwise negative review for the film. She won a special Jury Prize at the 2004

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

for her performance. Additionally, Hall received an NAACP Image Award nomination as Marva Munson. She made guest appearances on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'', '' The Game'', and '' Chicago Fire''. Hall portrayed a day care operator in '' Meet the Browns'' (2008), also having a minor role in '' Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans'' (2009). Hall appeared as an employee for a white family in ''

Jayne Mansfield's Car ''Jayne Mansfield's Car'' is a 2012 drama film directed by Billy Bob Thornton, marking his first fiction directing job since 2000's '' All the Pretty Horses''. Thornton also stars alongside Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Ray Stevenson, Fran ...

'' (2012) and recurred as Meemaw in ''

Hap and Leonard Hap and Leonard are two fictional amateur investigators and adventurers created by American author Joe R. Lansdale. They are the main characters in a series of twelve novels, four novellas, and three collections of stories and excerpts. They are ...

'' in 2017.

Personal life

Hall lives in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

with her family. She has two children and four grandchildren. She is a practicing Catholic.

Car accident

Shortly before the film release of '' The Ladykillers'', Hall was seriously injured in a car accident in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. In the midst of a

snowstorm A winter storm is an event in which wind coincides with varieties of precipitation that only occur at freezing temperatures, such as snow, Rain and snow mixed, mixed snow and rain, or freezing rain. In temperate continental climates, these sto ...

, she lost control of her vehicle, crossed lanes into oncoming traffic, and hit another car head on. She underwent emergency

open-heart surgery Cardiac surgery, or cardiovascular surgery, is surgery on the heart or great vessels performed by cardiac surgeons. It is often used to treat complications of ischemic heart disease (for example, with coronary artery bypass grafting); to corr ...

for a puncture wound to her

aorta The aorta ( ) is the main and largest artery in the human body, originating from the left ventricle of the heart and extending down to the abdomen, where it splits into two smaller arteries (the common iliac arteries). The aorta distributes ...

caused by a broken rib. In addition, Hall also suffered a shattered ankle and a broken arm. Hall was cited for driving with a suspended license, and not staying in her lane. She made a full recovery, and was able to continue her career.

Filmography

Film

Television

Awards and nominations

Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films is an American non-profit organization established in 1972 dedicated to the advancement of science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Academy is headquarter ...

**2005, Best Actress: The Ladykillers (Nominated) *

Black Reel Awards The Black Reel Awards, or BRAs, is an annual American awards ceremony hosted by the Foundation for the Augmentation of African-Americans in Film (FAAAF) to recognize excellence of African Americans, as well as the cinematic achievements of the Afr ...

**2005, Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy: The Ladykillers (Winner) **2000, Best Supporting Actress in a Mini-Series/Television Movie: A Lesson Before Dying (Nominated) *2005, Jury Prize for Acting, Cannes Film Festival: The Ladykillers

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hall, Irma P. Living people African-American poets American poets People from Beaumont, Texas Actresses from Chicago African-American actresses American television actresses American film actresses American voice actresses American stage actresses American women poets American women dramatists and playwrights African-American Catholics Catholics from Illinois Catholics from Texas 21st-century African-American people 21st-century African-American women 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women African-American women writers 1935 births