ACCLAIMED ACTRESS AND BELOVED DALLAS RESIDENT AND CHURCH MOTHER DR. IRMA P. HALL PASSES AWAY AT 91

DALLAS, November 11, 2026 – 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.

Best known to audiences around the world for her remarkable portrayal of “Big Mama Jo” in
the beloved 1997 film Soul Food, Hall built an extraordinary career spanning nearly five decades
in film, television and theater. Her commanding presence and remarkable ability to bring depth
and authenticity to every character made her one of Hollywood’s most respected and
recognizable character actresses and a cultural icon.

Hall’s expansive body of work includes A Family Thing (1996), Soul Food (1997), Midnight in the
Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Beloved (1998), Patch Adams (1998), The Ladykillers (2004),
Collateral (2004) and Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (2008), among numerous other
productions. She also reprised her beloved role as Mama Joe in the Soul Food television series.
Her exceptional talent 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 her performance opposite Tom Hanks in the Coen brothers’
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.

One of the most iconic mother roles in film history, “A Song for Mama” by Boyz II Men was
written and produced by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, specifically centering on Irma P. Hall’s
character in Soul Food. Decades after its original release, this song is still one of the most
popular and enduring Mother’s Day anthems of all time.

Born 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. In
recognition of her contributions to the arts and education, Hall received an honorary doctorate
in Fine Arts and Education from Texas College and was recognized as Dr. Irma Hall. The
honorary degree ceremony was held at Inspiring Body of Christ Church.
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.

Beyond her success in entertainment, Hall was a passionate advocate for the arts and the
development of young, emerging talent. She helped establish the Dallas Minority Repertory
Theatre and remained deeply connected to the Dallas arts community. Her contributions to
theater and the performing arts continue to be celebrated through the Irma P. Hall Black
Theatre Awards, also known as The Irmas, an annual awards show founded in 2015 by DFW
Black Arts and produced by Jiles King. The awards celebrate artistic excellence in performing
and technical theater across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

While audiences knew her as a gifted actress whose performances brought laughter, tears and
unforgettable moments, those closest to her knew her as a woman of tremendous faith,
wisdom, compassion and generosity. A longtime member and Church Mother at Inspiring Body
of Christ Church (IBOC), Hall was deeply loved by her church family. Passionate about reading
and education, she frequently visited the church’s University of Dreams school, where she
enjoyed reading to children and sharing her love of storytelling. She also remained actively
involved in the arts through IBOC’s theater ministry.

For Pastor Rickie G. Rush, Hall was much more than a beloved Church Mother. Their
relationship spanned decades, beginning when he was just a teenager and she was his speech
teacher. During one of their public speaking lessons, Hall made a remarkable prediction that
would one day come to pass.

“When I was just 14 years old, Mother Hall looked at me during one of our public speaking
lessons and told me, ‘One day, you will be my pastor.’ Little did I know then how those words
would come to pass or how much she would mean to me and our church family,” said Pastor Rush. “Today, we celebrate the extraordinary life of a woman whose faith, wisdom and love
touched so many. Our beloved Church Mother, Irma P. Hall, has taken her final bow on the
stage of life and stepped into eternity. While we mourn her passing, we are forever grateful for
the remarkable legacy she leaves behind.”

Hall leaves behind a remarkable legacy, not only through the memorable characters she
brought to life, but also through the generations of entertainers, students, church members
and family members whose lives were enriched by her example. Among those who cherished
her most was her daughter and namesake, Irma.

“She started as a teacher in the classroom but ended up being a teacher to the world,” said her
only daughter, Irma Hall Crayton. “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,”
Crayton added.

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.
Additional details regarding funeral services, memorial arrangements and special tributes
celebrating the life and legacy of Irma P. Hall will be announced at a later date.