(AURN News) — Irma P. Hall, the actress best known for playing Big Mama in the 1997 film “Soul Food,” died Tuesday in Dallas at 91, according to The Associated Press. Her family announced her death Wednesday but did not disclose a cause.
Hall spent more than two decades teaching in Dallas public schools before finding Hollywood success at 60. Her breakthrough came in “A Family Thing,” starring James Earl Jones and Robert Duvall.
She later appeared in “Beloved,” “Patch Adams” and “Meet the Browns” and returned as Big Mama in the television adaptation of “Soul Food.” Her portrayal of Big Mama earned an NAACP Image Award.
A woman of deep faith, Hall mentored young performers and helped establish the Dallas Minority Repertory Theatre.
“She started as a teacher in the classroom but ended up being a teacher to the world,” her daughter, Irma Hall Crayton, said in the family’s announcement.
Rest in power, Irma P. Hall.
