Irma P Hall dead at 91: Soul Food and The Ladykillers icon who starred with Tom Hanks after acting breakthrough at 60 passes away

Get exclusive reporting, celebrity gossip, sensational photos and more every Tuesday morning in our new Spotlight US newsletter HERE Published: 14:32 EST, 11 November 2026 | Updated: 15:29 EST, 11 November 2026 Iconic actress Irma P Hall – known for her turns in Soul Food and The Ladykillers – has died aged 91.Hall, who shot to fame aged 60 in 1996's A Family Affair, died on Tuesday, her heartbroken family confirmed in a statement to The Daily Mail.The statement read: 'It is with profound sadness that the family of acclaimed actress Dr. Irma P. Hall announces her passing. 'Hall, 91, was an award-winning actress, beloved Dallas resident and longtime member and cherished Church Mother of Inspiring Body of Christ Church under the leadership of senior pastor, Rickie G. Rush. 'She passed away on Tuesday, November 10, surrounded by her loved ones.'The Hall family extends its heartfelt appreciation for the outpouring of love, prayers and support during this difficult time and respectfully requests privacy at this time.' Iconic actress Irma P Hall - known for her turns in Soul Food and The Ladykillers - has died aged 91 - pictured 2008 Hall is seen with Tom Hanks in 2004 Coen Brothers film, The Ladykillers The star played Josephine 'Big Mama' Joseph in 1997 comedy, Soul Food (pictured with Brandon Hammond as Ahmad)Hall worked as a teacher for decades before getting her big break in Hollywood.She is best known to audiences around the world for her portrayal of Big Mama Jo in the beloved 1997 film Soul Food, starring alongside Vanessa Williams, Vivica A. Fox and Mekhi Phifer. She also reprised her beloved role as Mama Joe in the Soul Food television series. She memorably starred alongside acting titan Tom Hanks in 2004 Coen Brothers film, The Ladykillers, playing eccentric, deeply religious elderly widow, Marva Munson.Hall's expansive body of work also includes Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Beloved (1998), Patch Adams (1998), Collateral (2004) and Tyler Perry's Meet the Browns (2008), among numerous other productions. She earned widespread critical acclaim, including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Soul Food and a prestigious Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for The Ladykillers. She also received recognition from the Chicago and Kansas City film critics associations for her performance in A Family Thing and was inducted into the Texas Film Hall of Fame. She earned widespread critical acclaim, including an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for Soul FoodBorn Irma Dolores Player on June 3, 1935, in Beaumont, Texas, Hall was raised in Chicago before returning to Texas to pursue her education at Texas College in Tyler. Long before captivating audiences on the big screen, she dedicated more than two decades of her life to educating young people, teaching English and foreign languages in Dallas public schools. Her journey into acting began in an unexpected way when actor and director Raymond St. Jacques discovered her talent during a poetry reading in Dallas. She made her film debut in Book of Numbers (1973), launching a remarkable second career that would eventually take her from Dallas stages to some of Hollywood's most notable productions.Her only daughter, Irma Hall Crayton said, 'She started as a teacher in the classroom but ended up being a teacher to the world. My mom used to always say, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." And she was just that to many people.'