Veteran actor Irma P Hall, star of The Ladykillers, dies aged 91

Once a Dallas school teacher, Hall became a star in later life with roles in Soul Food and Collateral

Veteran actor Irma P Hall, star of The Ladykillers, dies aged 91

TL;DR

  • Irma P Hall, known for "Soul Food" and "The Ladykillers," died at 91.
  • Her acting career spanned six decades, featuring collaborations with Denzel Washington, Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams, Tom Hanks, and directors like the Coen brothers.
  • Born in Texas in 1935, Hall taught high school in Houston for 27 years before transitioning to acting.
  • She won an NAACP Image award for her role as Big Mama Joseph in "Soul Food" and reprised it in the TV spin-off.
  • Hall received a Cannes special jury prize for her performance in the Coen brothers' "The Ladykillers."
  • She was a church mother at Dallas’s Inspiring Body of Christ church and helped establish the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre.
  • Annual Irma P Hall Black Theatre awards recognize artistic achievement in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since 2015.