Actress Irma P. Hall, best known for playing Big Mama in “Soul Food,” died Tuesday at age 91, according to an announcement made by her family.
In a press release, the family said Irma was a “beloved actress, author, poet, educator, and public speaker whose contributions touched countless lives throughout her remarkable career. Her legacy of talent, dedication, and compassion will continue to inspire generations to come.”
The cause of death was not given.
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Born Irma Dolores Player in 1935 in Beaumont, Texas, she moved to Chicago’s South Side in 1942, later taught in Dallas and retired from teaching in 1984 to pursue acting.
Actor and director Raymond St. Jacques cast her in the 1973 film “Book of Numbers” after seeing her at a poetry reading.
She also helped establish the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre in 1972 and the African American Repertory Theatre in DeSoto, Texas.
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Her role in the 1997 film “Soul Food” earned her an NAACP Image Award, and she received a Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival for “The Ladykillers.”
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