Daheli Hall
| Daheli Hall | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Date of birth unknown Gainesville, Florida, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actress, comedian, director, writer |
| Years active | 2004–present |
Daheli Hall is an American actress, stand-up comedian, writer, and director. Hall is most notable for her membership in the recurring cast of comedians on sketch comedy series MADtv during its thirteenth season.
Biography
Hall was born in Gainesville, Florida. Grew up in Miami, FL. She is the only child of her Jamaican father and Haitian mother.
She earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts—in the Experimental Theater Wing—and a Master of Fine Arts in Producing for Film and TV from the University of Southern California.
Career
Dahéli Hall is a writer, director and comic actress. Dahéli is best known as a cast member on Season 13 of MADtv, and as the zaniest cast member on BET’s prank dating show Hell Date. Dahéli has earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in Producing for Film and TV from the University of Southern California. Dahéli's body of work also includes, several web series created under the banner, www.Tickles.Tv; a documentary short film and two HBO award winning short films, “The Memo” and “Mandingo in a Box”.
A common theme in Dahéli's film and stand up comedy is the range of social issues that black people face. Her first work of note, a short film entitled "The Memo," explores in comedic fashion the misadventures of Ted, who doesn't "get the memo" that the black revolution has begun. "Mandingo in a Box," features a life-sized, black, male "lover doll" that supposedly represents the ideal man for black women. In "Mandingo," two ideas play off each other: (1) that good, available black men are nearly impossible to find and (2) that the quest for the perfect black man can sidetrack black women in their pursuit of love. Dahéli made a slight creative departure with "The Peace Process," a documentary which centers around a young man who tries to set a positive example in his heavily gang-influenced community. Dahéli is quick to point out, however, that "The Peace Process" is a departure in format only, not content: "Though this is my first documentary, it is not a departure from the kind of subject matters that I gravitate to; all my projects address issues that affect my black community. Gang violence is definitely one such issue."
Dahéli has also lent her talents to teaching acting as a substitute instructor at the LA County High School for the Arts, where she taught and created a curriculum for 10th through 12th grade high school students on the basic principles of improvisation. Dahéli first foray into teaching began in the Spring 2005 as a documentary film instructor at the Zeitgeist Community Learning Center. There, she taught Crenshaw area high school students how to shoot, direct and edit their own documentary short films. Dahéli continued lending her talents in the classroom serving as a guest lecturer at several colleges and universities including: Los Angeles Valley College as well as, Clark Atlanta and the University of Georgia both in Atlanta. Most recently, Dahéli returned to New York to give a lecture at the Fieldston School (College Prep Academy), on “Gender Politics in the Performing Arts”.
Still, though, comedy is Dahéli's primary vehicle for expressing social concerns.." Dahéli's special blend of humor and intelligence expertly manifests itself in not only her film work but also her standup comedy. Her one-woman show, "Crazy Bitch," gives a perfect example of this dichotomy. On one hand, the term “crazy bitch” explores her "unapologetic, fearless and wild side"; on another level, however, the term also shows how such slurs can demonize and trivialize women. She refers to comedy as "the great diplomat", "…people are most open when they laugh, and that’s perfect time to get them thinking and communicating.”
Dahéli now puts on her own comedy variety show every month called “Dahéli Live!”
Hell Date
She was part of the Show "Hell Date" on the BET network.
Director
She wrote, directed and starred in two short films: Mandingo in a Box and The Memo.[1]
MADtv
Hall joined the cast of MADtv in 2008 as a feature performer, for the thirteenth season.[2] She became the fourth African American female cast member in the show's history (Debra Wilson, Daniele Gaither and Nicole Randall Johnson were the first three respectively), even though Hall has Caribbean roots. Hall only appeared in five episodes of Season Thirteen. When Season Fourteen premiered, Hall was replaced by African American actress, Erica Ash. Out of the five female African American cast members, Ash and Hall are the only two not to be promoted to Repertory Player status. Hall was let go before she could be promoted and Ash remained a featured member of the cast when Fox announced the cancellation of the show from its Fall 2009 line up.
Characters
| Character | Sketch | Season of First Appearance | Catch Phrase | Notes |
| Sista Revolution | Sista Revolution | 13 | None | |
| Ray Ray | 13 | None | ||
Impressions
| Celebrity | Sketch | Season of First Appearance | Notes |
| Oprah Winfrey | Various | 13 | Actress, talk show host. |
| Lil' Mama | Various | 13 | rapper |
| Macy Gray | Various | 13 | R&B singer |
Filmography
Movie appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Box Office Performance | Director | Other notes |
| 2004 | The Memo (film) | Lisa | N/A | Daheli Hall | This was a short film written by Hall |
| 2006 | Mandingo in a Box | Felicia Horton | N/A | Daheli Hall | This was a short film written by Hall |
Television appearances
| Year | Title | Role | Total Episodes | Other notes |
| 2008 | MADtv | Various Characters | 5 | Sketch Comedy |
References
External links
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