Irma P. Hall

Irma P. Hall
Born (1935-06-03) June 3, 1935
Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
Occupation Actress
Website www.irmaphall.com

Irma Pamela Hall (born June 3, 1935) is an American actress who has appeared in numerous films and television shows since the 1970s. She is best known for playing matriarchal figures in the films A Family Thing, Soul Food and The Ladykillers.

Career

Hall's first acting role was in an independent film called Book of Numbers at the age of 36. Hall had been a teacher of languages for many years in Dallas, Texas when actor/director Raymond St. Jacques hired her as interim publicist for Book of Numbers. St Jacques saw her performing at a poetry reading. He liked her so much he offered her a role in his film on the spot. Hall discovered a love for acting and soon co-founded a repertory theatre in Dallas.

Hall's personality and age made her a natural to be cast as a middle-aged, strong authority figure. She worked steadily in films and TV throughout the 1980s. But it was not until her role as the loving Aunt T. in 1996's A Family Thing that critics and audiences began to take notice of her talents. She won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role and the success of that film helped launch Hall's career as a major supporting actor in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Sizable roles in major films such as Nothing to Lose and Steel followed. Hall then landed the role as Big Mama Joseph in the film Soul Food. The film was a hit at the box office, prompting a television spinoff, Soul Food: The Series, in which Hall reprised her role.

She landed another acclaimed role when she was cast in the 2004 remake of The Ladykillers. She won a special Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival and an Image Award for her performance.

Personal life

Hall was born Irma Dolores Player Hall in Beaumont, Texas, the daughter of Josephine Hall.[1] She was raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.[1] Her father was a saxophone player who performed jazz music.[2] Hall attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa.[3]

Shortly before the film release of The Ladykillers, Hall was seriously injured in a car accident in Chicago. In the midst of a snowstorm, she lost control of her vehicle, crossed lanes into oncoming traffic and hit another car head on. She underwent emergency open-heart surgery for a puncture wound to her aorta 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.

Hall lives in Dallas, Texas with her family; she is the mother of two and the grandmother of four (as of 2001).[4] Hall also had a recurring role on the 80's hit television show Dallas.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1973 Book of Numbers Georgia Brown
1982 Split Image Maid
1986 On Valentine's Day Aunt Charity
1987 Square Dance Preacher Dixon
1987 They Still Call Me Bruce Mrs. Brown
1991 Backdraft Nurse
1992 Straight Talk Ethel
1992 Babe, TheThe Babe Fanny Baily
1992 Mo' Money Lady on Phone
1996 Family Thing, AA Family Thing Aunt T Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress
Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated —Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress
1997 Buddy Emma
1997 Nothing to Lose Bertha 'Mama' Davidson
1997 Steel Grandma Odessa
1997 Soul Food Mother Joe NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture
1997 Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil Minerva
1998 Beloved Ella
1998 Patch Adams Joletta
1999 Slipping-Down Life, AA Slipping-Down Life Clotelia
2002 Don't Let Go Hazel
2002 Bad Company Mrs. Banks
2004 Ladykillers, TheThe Ladykillers Marva Munson Cannes Film Festival - Jury Prize
Women Film Critics Circle Award for Best Comedic Performance
Black Reel Award for Best Actress
Nominated — Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
2004 Collateral Ida
2005 P.N.O.K. Mildred Burnett Short film
2005 Gift for the Living Carrie Mae Short film
2008 Meet the Browns Mildred
2008 Uncross the Stars Lulu
2008 Rain Rosalie
2009 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans, TheThe Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans Binnie Rogers
2009 My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done? Mrs. Roberts
2009 Hurricane Season Grandma Rose
2011 3 Blind Saints Sister Louise
2011 Red Mother Mabel Short film
2012 Jayne Mansfield's Car Dorothy
2012 Wolf Brenda
2012 Changing the Game Grandma Barnes
2012 Hiding in Plain Sight Ida Mae Blackmon
2013 Lady Luck Mrs. Bailey
2014 Night Vet Mabel
2015 Steps of Faith Dorothy Lee

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1978 Dallas Tilly Episode: "Bar-B-Que"
1979 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Dora TV film
1980 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II TV film
1980 Skyward Mrs. Sinclair TV film
1981 Crisis at Central High Lulu Richards TV film
1981 Broken Promise Williston TV film
1984 He's Not Your Son Nurse Anne Hall TV film
1984 Dallas Rosa Episode: "Shadow of a Doubt"
1985 Long Hot Summer, TheThe Long Hot Summer Cecilia Howlett TV film
1986 George McKenna Story, TheThe George McKenna Story TV film
1987 Uncle Tom's Cabin Mammy TV film
1990 Kid Who Loved Christmas, TheThe Kid Who Loved Christmas Mrs. Smith TV film
1992 In the Shadow of a Killer Foreman TV film
1993 In the Company of Darkness Apartment Manager TV film
1993 Missing Persons Mrs. Davison Episodes: "I Can't Even Imagine", "Right Neighborhood... Wrong Door"
1994 Missing Persons Mrs. Davison Episode: "What Do You Want... A Signed Confession?"
1995 Wishbone Dr. Thelma Brown Episode: "Digging Up the Past"
1996 To Sir, with Love II Old Woman TV film
1998 Love Letter, TheThe Love Letter Mae Mullen TV film
1998 Touched by an Angel Effie Taylor Episode: "Seek and Ye Shall Find"
1998 Getting Personal Mrs. Buckley Episode: "Guess Who Else Is Coming to Dinner?"
1999 Lesson Before Dying, AA Lesson Before Dying Miss Emma TV film
Nominated — Black Reel Award for Best Actress: T.V. Movie/Cable
1999 Judging Amy Beverly Raymond Episode: "An Impartial Bias"
2000 7th Heaven Hattie Episode: "All By Myself"
2000 Something to Sing About Memaw TV film
2000-2002 Soul Food Mama Joe Regular role (14 episodes)
2001 Rugrats Kwanzaa Special, AA Rugrats Kwanzaa Special Great Aunt T (voice) TV film
2001 Girl Thing, AA Girl Thing Alice TV film
2001 All Souls Nurse Glory St. Claire Recurring role (5 episodes)
Nominated — NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
2002 Our America June Jones TV film
2002 Bernie Mac Show, TheThe Bernie Mac Show Aunt Liva Episodes: "Sweet Home Chicago: Parts 1 & 2"
2002 Miss Lettie and Me Rose Griffin TV film
CAMIE Award for Best Performance
2003 Unexpected Love, AnAn Unexpected Love Mary TV film
2006 Take 3 Mildred Burnett TV film
2010-2011 Diary of a Single Mom Dessa Recurring role (5 episodes)
2011 Harry's Law Anna Nicholson Episode: "Heat of Passion"
2011 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Lorna Talcott Episode: "Reparations"
2012 Game, TheThe Game Episode: "Grand Opening, Grand Closing"
2012 Chicago Fire Mrs. Grady Episode: "One Minute"
2013 Getting On Cordelia Meade Episode: "The Concert"

Awards and nominations

References

  1. 1 2 ``Soul Food'' Matriarch Stresses Family
  2. ↑ Irma P. Hall Biography (1935-)
  3. ↑ Irma P. Hall Biography - Yahoo! Movies
  4. ↑ http://www.victorygardens.org/default.asp?action=article&ID=99

External links

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