Hall, Irma P. 1935–

views updated

Hall, Irma P. 1935–

(Irma Hall)

PERSONAL

Born June 3, 1935, in Beaumont, TX; raised in Chicago, IL; father a saxophone player; divorced; children: two. Education: Attended Briar Cliff College, Sioux City, IA, and Texas College, Tyler.

Addresses: Agent—Harrise Davidson and Associates, 65 East Wacker Pl., Suite 2401, Chicago, IL 60601.

Career: Actress. Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre, Dallas, TX, founding member, beginning 1972. Teacher of high school French, Spanish, and English in Dallas, TX, c. 1957–84; Dallas Express, worked as reporter; also worked as publicist, supermarket teller, butcher's apprentice, cleaning person, and telemarketing representative. National Council of Negro Women, member.

Member: Delta Sigma Theta.

Awards, Honors: Chicago Film Critics Award and Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award, both best supporting actress, 1997, for A Family Thing; Image Award, outstanding supporting actress in a motion picture, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 1998, for the film Soul Food; Joseph Jefferson Award, outstanding actress in a principal role, 2000, for A Raisin in the Sun; Image Award nomination, outstanding supporting actress in a drama series, 2001, for Soul Food; Jury Prize, Cannes Film Festival, 2004, Saturn Award nomination, best supporting actress, Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Films, 2005, Image Award, outstanding actress in a motion picture, 2005, Black Reel Award, best actress in a musical or comedy, 2005, and Grace Award nomination, most inspired movie acting, MovieGuide Awards, 2005, all for The Ladykillers; Joseph Jefferson Awards, outstanding performance, for Have You Seen Zandile, and outstanding ensemble performance (with others), for Steppin' Out.

CREDITS

Film Appearances:

Georgia Brown, Book of Numbers, Avco-Embassy, 1973.

(As Irma Hall) Maid, Split Image (also known as Captured and L'envoutement), Orion, 1982.

Aunt Charity, "On Valentine's Day," Story of a Marriage, Cinecom, 1986.

Preacher Dixon, Square Dance (also known as Home Is Where the Heart Is), Island, 1987.

Mrs. Brown, They Still Call Me Bruce, 1987.

First nurse, Backdraft, Universal, 1991.

Lady on phone, Mo' Money, Columbia, 1992.

Ethel, Straight Talk, Buena Vista, 1992.

Fanny Baily, The Babe, Universal, 1992.

Aunt T, A Family Thing, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1996.

Emma, Buddy, Columbia, 1997.

Minerva, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Warner Bros., 1997.

Bertha "Mama" Davidson, Nothing to Lose, Buena Vista, 1997.

Mother Joe (Big Mama), Soul Food, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1997.

Grandma Odessa, Steel, Warner Bros., 1997.

Ella, Beloved, Buena Vista, 1998.

Joletta, Patch Adams, Universal, 1998.

Clotelia, A Slipping-Down Life, 1999.

(As Irma Hall) Frances, John John in the Sky, 2000.

Hazel, Don't Let Go, Jimmy Ray Productions, 2002.

Mrs. Banks, Bad Company (also known as Ceska spojka), Buena Vista, 2002.

Marva Munson, The Ladykillers, Buena Vista, 2004.

Ida, Collateral, DreamWorks, 2004.

Carrie Mae, A Gift for the Living (short film), 2005.

Television Appearances; Series:

Mama Joe, a recurring role, Soul Food, Showtime, 2000–2002.

Nurse Glory St. Claire, All Souls, UPN, 2001.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Dora, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, ABC, 1979.

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II, ABC, 1980.

(As Irma Hall) Williston, Broken Promise, CBS, 1981.

Lulu Richards, Crisis at Central High, CBS, 1981.

Nurse Anne Hall, He's Not Your Son, CBS, 1984.

The George McKenna Story (also known as Hard Lessons), CBS, 1986.

Mammy, Uncle Tom's Cabin, Showtime, 1987.

Mrs. Smith, The Kid Who Loved Christmas (also known as The Boy Who Loved Christmas), syndicated, 1990.

Jury foreman, In the Shadow of a Killer, NBC, 1992.

Apartment manager, In the Company of Darkness, CBS, 1993.

Old woman, To Sir with Love II (also known as To Sir with Love '95), CBS, 1996.

Mae Mullen, "The Love Letter," Hallmark Hall of Fame, CBS, 1997.

Miss Emma, A Lesson Before Dying, HBO, 1999.

Memaw, Something to Sing About, syndicated, 2000.

Rose Griffin, Miss Lettie and Me, TNT, 2002.

June Jones, Our America, Showtime, 2002.

Mary, An Unexpected Love (also known as This Much I Know), Lifetime, 2003.

Television Appearances; Miniseries:

Cecilia Howlett, The Long Hot Summer, NBC, 1985.

Alice, A Girl Thing, Showtime, 2001.

Television Appearances; Specials:

Voice of Great-Aunt T, A Rugrats Kwanzaa Special (animated), Nickelodeon, 2001.

Grandma, Black Filmmaker Showcase, Showtime, 2004.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

Tilly, "Bar-B-Que," Dallas, CBS, 1978.

Gabriel's Fire, c. 1990.

Missing Persons, ABC, 1993.

Mrs. Buckley, "Guess Who Else Is Coming to Dinner?" Getting Personal, Fox, 1998.

Effie Taylor, "Seek and Ye Shall Find," Touched by an Angel, CBS, 1998.

Beverly Raymond, "An Impartial Bias," Judging Amy, CBS, 1999.

Hattie, "All by Myself," 7th Heaven (also known as Seventh Heaven and 7th Heaven: Beginnings), The WB, 2000.

Aunt Liva, "Sweet Home Chicago: Parts 1 & 2," The Bernie Mac Show, Fox, 2002.

Appeared as Mrs. Travis in an episode of Brewster Place.

Stage Appearances:

(Stage debut) Happy Endings, Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre, Dallas, TX, c. 1972.

Lady Red, For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf, Theatre Three, Dallas, TX, 1979–80.

Callis, The Rover, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, 1988–89.

Aunt Lou, The Ohio State Murders, Great Lakes Theatre Festival, Cleveland, OH, 1991–92.

Ma Dear, Jar the Floor, Syracuse Stage, Syracuse, NY, 1992.

Ma Dear, Jar the Floor, Cleveland Playhouse, Cleveland, OH, 1993.

Miss Leah, Flyin' West, San Diego Repertory Theatre, San Diego, CA, 1994.

Ma Dear, Jar the Floor, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati, OH, 1995.

Jessie, Time to Burn, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago, c. 1997.

Ma Dear, Jar the Floor, Second Stage Theatre, New York City, 1999.

Lena, A Raisin in the Sun, Goodman Theatre, 2000.

Miss Odessa, Waiting to Be Invited, Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago, 2002.

Appeared as Lena in various productions of A Raisin in the Sun, including Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre and Dallas Theatre Center, Dallas, TX; appeared as Ma Dear in several productions of Jar the Floor; appeared as Rose, Black Girl, Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre, Dallas, TX; as Mildred, Dividing the Estate, Stevens Theatre, Winston-Salem, NC; as Emma, Funny Girl, Dallas Summer Musicale, Dallas, TX; as Madie, God's Favorite, Granny's Dinner Theatre, Dallas, TX; as GoGo, Have You Seen Zandile, Chicago Repertory Company, Chicago; as Madame Fleur, House of Flowers, Theatre Three; as Sadiku, Lion and the Jewel, Court Theatre, Chicago; as Bernice, Member of the Wedding, Theatre Three; as sister, Miss Dessa, Chicago Theatre Company, Chicago; as Missy, Purlie, Theatre Three; as Sudy, Steal Away, Chicago Theatre Company, Chicago; as Rose, Steppin' Out, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, Chicago; as Ash, Zooman and the Sun, New Arts Theatre, Dallas; appeared in a production of Gentle Fire.