Irma P. Hall, the veteran actress best known as Big Mama in the 1997 film "Soul Food," has died at the age of 91. Her family announced on Wednesday, November 11, that Hall died the previous day in Dallas, Texas, surrounded by her loved ones. No cause of death was shared.
"It is with profound sadness that the family of acclaimed actress Dr. Irma P. Hall announces her passing," the family's statement read. "Hall, 91, was an award-winning actress, beloved Dallas resident, and longtime member and cherished Church Mother of Inspiring Body of Christ Church." The family requested privacy as they grieve and said details of funeral and memorial services would be announced later.
Born Irma Dolores Player on June 3, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas, Hall was raised in Chicago before returning to Texas. She spent about two decades as a schoolteacher in Dallas before turning to acting full time, building a career that spanned film and television from the 1970s onward.
Hall's portrayal of Big Mama Joseph, the matriarch whose warmth and strength anchored "Soul Food," made her a cherished figure in Black cinema, and her performance inspired Boyz II Men's song "A Song for Mama." Her other film roles included "A Family Thing" (1996) alongside James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall, "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" (1997), "The Ladykillers" (2004) with Tom Hanks, and "Collateral" (2004) with Tom Cruise.
Hall retired from acting in 2017, with her final screen role in the series "Hap and Leonard." She is survived by her daughter, Irma Hall Crayton. Her longtime pastor, Rickie G. Rush — who was once her student — paid tribute to a relationship spanning decades.
