Irma P. Hall Biography

Fast Facts

• Won a Joseph Jefferson Award in 1988 and 2000 for her roles in "Have You Seen Zandile" and "A Raisin in the Sun․"
• Received an Image Award in 1998 for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for her role as Mother Joe in "Soul Food․"
• Received a Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004 and a Black Reel Award in 2005 for her role as Marva Munson in "The Ladykillers․"
• Attended Briar Cliff College in Iowa for two years before graduating from Texas College in Tyler, Texas
• Started her acting career at the age of 36 in the movie "Book of Numbers" as Georgia Brown
• Taught at public schools across Dallas, Texas, for 27 years, teaching English and foreign languages
• Co-founded the Dallas Minority Repertory Theater and was named executive director
• Is recognized for playing matriarchal roles in a number of her films, including "Soul Food" and "The Ladykillers․"