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Irma P. Hall

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Irma P. Hall
Born
Irma Dolores Player Hall

(1935-06-03) June 3, 1935 (age 89)[1]
Beaumont, Texas, U.S.
EducationBriar Cliff University
Texas College
OccupationActress
Years active1973–present
Known forJosephine Joseph – Soul Food
Children2

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 figures in films including A Family Thing, The Ladykillers and Soul Food, 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 nomination for portraying the character in the film version.

She also appeared in Collateral and two films by director Werner Herzog. For her performance in The Ladykillers, she won the Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.

Early life

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Hall was born Irma Dolores Player Hall in Beaumont, Texas, on June 3, 1935,[1] the only child of Samuel Player, a saxophone player for the Rhumboogie Café,[2] and Josephine Hall,[3] who worked as an admission clerk at a hospital.[4] She and her parents moved to Chicago's South Side in 1942,[3][4] as Hall's parents wanted their daughter to have better opportunities in education.[4] Hall attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa,[5] but transferred at Texas College where she graduated.[1]

Beginning in 1962,[2] she taught French, Spanish, and other languages at Booker T. Washington High School in Houston, and James Madison High School in Dallas.[1] Hall continued to teach until she began acting full time in 1984.[2]

Career

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Hall's first acting role was Georgia Brown in an independent film, Book of Numbers, at the age of 37.[2] Actor/director Raymond St. Jacques hired her as an interim publicist for the film. He saw her performing at a poetry reading and liked her so much that he offered her a role on the spot.[6] St. Jacques opined Hall was a natural and that she should act professionally.[1] She discovered a love for acting, and soon co-founded the Dallas Minority Regional Theater with Reggie Montgomery.[7][8]

She worked steadily in films and TV throughout the 1980s, and appeared in the films Backdraft (1991) and Mo' Money (1992).[2] However, Hall remained relatively unknown until her role as the loving Aunt T. in 1996's A Family Thing.[9][10] Multiple critics believed Hall stole every scene she was in.[11][12][13] She won the Chicago Film Critics Association Award and the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role,[14][15] 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[16] and Steel followed.[17] Hall then landed the role of Big Mama Joseph in the film Soul Food.[18] A film reviewer claimed Hall was "perfectly cast" in the role of Mama Joseph.[19] For her work in this film, she received the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture in 1998.[20] Soul Food was a hit at the box office, prompting a television spinoff, Soul Food: The Series, in which Hall reprised her role in fantasy sequences.[21] In 2001, Hall received a second NAACP Image Award nomination, in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for playing Mama Joseph.[22]

Also in 1997, she acted in the Clint Eastwood-directed film adaptation of John Berendt's novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.[23] Her character, root doctor Minerva, was based on Valerie Boles.[24] Hall appeared in the television films A Lesson Before Dying (1999), Something to Sing About (2000), and Miss Lettie and Me (2002).[25] Hall portrayed Glory St. Clair, a psychic nurse, in the short-lived series All Souls.[26]

Hall landed another acclaimed role in the 2004 remake of The Ladykillers as Marva Munson, a religious landlady.[27] A reviewer believed Hall was "outstanding" in the film,[28] while Justin Flowers felt Hall was the funniest actor in an otherwise negative review for the film.[29] She won a special Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for her performance.[30] Additionally, Hall received an NAACP Image Award nomination as Marva Munson.[31]

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),[32] also having a minor role in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009).[33] Hall appeared as an employee for a white family in Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012)[34] and recurred as Meemaw in Hap and Leonard in 2017.[35]

Personal life

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Hall lives in Dallas with her family. She has two children and four grandchildren.[36]

She is a practicing Catholic.[37][better source needed]

Car crash

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Shortly before the 2004 film release of The Ladykillers, Hall was seriously injured in a car crash 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.[38]

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.[39] Hall was cited for driving with a suspended license, and not staying in her lane.[40] She made a full recovery, and was able to continue her career.

Filmography

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Film

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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 The Babe Fanny Baily
1992 Mo' Money Lady on Phone
1996 A 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 Josephine "Mother Joe" Joseph 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 A Slipping-Down Life Clotelia
2002 Don't Let Go Hazel
2002 Bad Company Mrs. Banks
2004 The 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 The 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

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Year Title Role Notes
1978 Dallas Tilly Episode: "Bar-B-Que"
1979 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Dora TV film
1980 Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II Dora 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 The Long Hot Summer Cecilia Howlett TV film
1986 The George McKenna Story TV film
1987 Uncle Tom's Cabin Mammy TV film
1990 The 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 The 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 A 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 A Rugrats Kwanzaa Special Great Aunt T (voice) TV film
2001 A 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 The 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 An 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 The Game Episode: "Grand Opening, Grand Closing"
2012 Chicago Fire Mrs. Grady Episode: "One Minute"
2013 Getting On Cordelia Meade Episode: "The Concert"
2017 Hap and Leonard Meemaw Regular role (6 episodes)

Awards and nominations

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e Jones, Chelsea (April 1, 2014). "The Original Big Mama: Actress Irma P. Hall Reflects on 40+ Years in Drama". The Washington Informer. Retrieved November 11, 2022. Born Irma Dolores Player Hall on June 3, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas...
  2. ^ a b c d e Peters, Ida (March 9, 1996). "Veteran actress Irma P. Hall is Aunt T in 'A Family Thing'". Baltimore Afro-American. p. B4.
  3. ^ a b ""SOUL FOOD" MATRIARCH STRESSES FAMILY". The Virginian-Pilot. September 28, 1997. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Gillespie, Spike (October 1998). "Fame of Hall". Texas Monthly. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  5. ^ Irma P. Hall Biography - Yahoo! Movies
  6. ^ Sime, Tom (February 12, 1999). "Stretching the imagination to the max". Indianapolis Recorder. p. C1.
  7. ^ McKinley, Jesse (September 3, 1999). "Triumph of A Lifetime (In Fact, 2 Lifetimes)". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  8. ^ Johnson, Eddie Bernice (14 April 2008). "HONORING IRMA P. HALL" (PDF). Congress.gov.
  9. ^ Persall, Steve (March 29, 1996). "The woman behind Aunt T. is not easily forgotten". St. Petersburg Times. p. D1.
  10. ^ Puig, Claudia (April 6, 1996). "After 21 Years, A Star Is Born". Reading Eagle. p. D7.
  11. ^ "Unique plot, acting gives life to otherwise cliche film". The Spokesman-Review. April 9, 1996. p. F6.
  12. ^ Hicks, Chris (March 29, 1996). "Duvall, Jones shine in 'A Family Thing'". The Deseret News. p. W5.
  13. ^ Steelman, Ben (March 30, 1996). "'A Family Thing' matches top-notch odd couple". Star-News. p. 2D.
  14. ^ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association. 2013-01-01. Archived from the original on 2023-11-01. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  15. ^ "KCFCC Award Winners – 1990-99 | Kansas City Film Critics Circle". Kansas City Film Critics Circle. Archived from the original on 2013-12-16. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
  16. ^ Maslin, Janet (July 18, 1997). "Unlikely Partners in Crime". The New York Times. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  17. ^ Lentz, Harris M. (2001). Science Fiction, Horror & Fantasy Film and Television Credits: Filmography. McFarland & Company. p. 1556.
  18. ^ Thomas, Kevin (September 29, 1997). "'Soul Food': A good mix of ingredients". Reading Eagle. p. A6.
  19. ^ Byrge, Duane (September 26, 1997). "'Soul Food' a banquet of life's ups and downs". The Spokesman-Review. p. 6.
  20. ^ "'Soul Food' awarded 5 NAACP Image Awards". The Telegraph-Herald. February 17, 1998. p. 9B.
  21. ^ Owen, Rob (June 26, 2000). "Showtime series about families show more or less promise". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. C1; C7.
  22. ^ "NAACP Image Awards: Official Ballot". The Crisis. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. 2000.
  23. ^ Weiskind, Ron (November 21, 1997). "'Garden' of delight". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 17.
  24. ^ "Reclusive voodoo priestess of 'Midnight' fame dies" – Savannah Morning News, May 8, 2009
  25. ^ Fearn-Banks, Kathleen (July 16, 2009). The A to Z of African-American Television. Scarecrow Press. p. 180. ISBN 9780810863484.
  26. ^ McDonough, Kevin (April 17, 2001). "Hunk in a haunted hospital". Ocala Star-Banner. p. 5D.
  27. ^ Wilmington, Michael (April 6, 2004). "'The Ladykillers' works, in repetition". Calhoun Times. p. 1.
  28. ^ Wright, Cherriece (April 1, 2004). "Hanks, Hall provide the laughs in "The Ladykillers"". The Dispatch. p. 6A.
  29. ^ Flowers, Justin (March 30, 2004). "'Ladykillers' just not funny". The Albany Herald. p. 3B.
  30. ^ "Irma P. Hall Awarded Special Honor At Cannes Film Festival". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. June 14, 2004. p. 32.
  31. ^ "Vivica A. FOX, Omar Epps, Hill Harper, Essence Atkins and Ananda Lewis Join Naacp Executives to Announce the '36th Naacp Image Awards' Nominations". The Futon Critic. January 19, 2005. Retrieved November 12, 2022.
  32. ^ "Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns". The Hollywood Reporter. March 23, 2008. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  33. ^ Rainer, Peter (November 20, 2009). "'Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans' – movie review". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  34. ^ Rooney, David (February 13, 2012). "Jayne Mansfield's Car: Berlin Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  35. ^ Petski, Denise (September 9, 2016). "Brian Dennehy To Recur On 'Hap & Leonard' Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  36. ^ "Victory Gardens Theater - Irma P. Hall to Star in Victory Garden's Midwest Premiere of Waiting to be Invited, Jan. 18-Mar. 3, 2002". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
  37. ^ Irma P. Hall (The HistoryMakers A2008.045), interviewed by Denise Gines, March 12, 2008, The HistoryMakers Digital Archive. Session 1, tape 2, story 9, Irma P. Hall recalls her early experiences of religion
  38. ^ "Actress Hall seriously hurt in accident". Reel Chicago. January 28, 2004. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  39. ^ "Hall able to attend private screening". The Hour. April 2, 2004. p. A2.
  40. ^ "Actress Irma P. Hall Injured In Car Accident". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. February 16, 2004. p. 65.
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