Key Takeaways
- Irma P. Hall, best known as Big Mama in Soul Food, died Nov. 10 in Dallas at 91, her family announced; they shared no cause of death.
- Hall won an NAACP Image Award for Soul Food and a Cannes special jury prize for her performance opposite Tom Hanks in The Ladykillers.
- A schoolteacher for 27 years, Hall began acting at 36, co-founded the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre and entered the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2005.
Irma P. Hall, the beloved actress best known for playing Big Mama in the 1997 film Soul Food, has died. She was 91.
Hall passed away on Tuesday (Nov. 10) in Dallas, Texas, surrounded by loved ones, according to WFAA, which cited a statement from her family. A cause of death has not been disclosed.
In a statement shared with The Hollywood Reporter, Hall's family reflected on her life and career.
"A beloved actress, author, poet, educator and public speaker whose contributions touched countless lives throughout her remarkable career," the family said. "Her legacy of talent, dedication and compassion will continue to inspire generations to come."
Hall became a household name after portraying Josephine "Big Mama" Joseph in Soul Food, the George Tillman Jr.-directed drama about a Chicago family brought together by Sunday dinners.
Her performance earned her the 1998 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She later reprised the role in Showtime's Soul Food television series.
The character became so popular that Hall was frequently recognized by fans who affectionately called her Big Mama.
"People stop me in Chicago, I'm Big Mama… Down in the Loop, they'll see me across the street: 'Hey, Big Mama, how you doing? Can I have a hug?' 'Yeah, baby, come on.' I get lots of hugs and things," she once recalled.
Hall also earned critical acclaim for her role in the Coen brothers' 2004 comedy The Ladykillers, starring opposite Tom Hanks.
Her performance earned her a special jury prize at the Cannes Film Festival, which she accepted while recovering from a serious car accident that required open-heart surgery.
Born Irma Dolores Player on June 3, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas, Hall grew up in Chicago and graduated from Texas College in 1956.
Before Hollywood, she spent 27 years as a schoolteacher, teaching French, Spanish, and other languages.
Her acting career began at 36 after Raymond St. Jacques discovered her at a poetry reading and cast her in the 1973 film Book of Numbers.
She later appeared in A Family Thing, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Patch Adams, and Collateral.
Outside acting, Hall co-founded the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre and was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame in 2005.
