Actress Irma P Hall dies at age 91

Veteran American actress Irma P. Hall has died at the age of 91, according to Euronews, Variety and the Daily Mail. Her family confirmed her passing in a statement, though Euronews reported that no cause of death was given. Variety and the Daily Mail reported that she died on Tuesday. [1][2][3]

In a statement cited by Euronews and Variety, her family remembered her as a beloved actress, author, poet, educator and public speaker whose contributions touched countless lives throughout her career. The Daily Mail reported that the family's statement also described her as an award-winning actress, a beloved Dallas resident, and a cherished Church Mother of the Inspiring Body of Christ Church. [1][2][3]

Euronews reported that Hall starred opposite actors including Robert Duvall, Denzel Washington, Robin Williams, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks. She also worked with directors including Michael Mann, Clint Eastwood, Werner Herzog and the Coen brothers, according to Euronews and The Guardian. Variety and The Guardian noted her prominent roles as Josephine Big Mama Joseph in the 1997 film Soul Food and her performance in the Coen brothers film The Ladykillers. [1][2][5]

Born Irma Dolores Player on 3 June 1935 in Beaumont, Texas, Hall was raised in Chicago before spending decades as a school teacher, Euronews and The Guardian reported. She earned a degree in foreign language education from Texas College in Tyler, Texas, and taught languages and English in Dallas public schools for 27 years before retiring in 1987 to pursue acting full-time. She made her acting debut in the 1973 film Book of Numbers after director Raymond St. Jacques discovered her at a poetry reading. [1][5][11]