What To Know
- Tom Hanks paid tribute to his The Ladykillers costar Irma P. Hall, calling her “a sheer joy” after her death at 91.
- Hall’s family said she died on November 10 surrounded by loved ones.
- Hall won a Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize for The Ladykillers and appeared in films including Soul Food and Beloved.
Tom Hanks is mourning Irma P. Hall, his costar in The Ladykillers, after her death at 91.
On Friday, November 13, Hanks took to Instagram with a short but heartfelt tribute to Hall. He included a photo of the actress, who died on Tuesday, November 10.
“Irma P. Hall was a sheer joy,” he declared in the update. “May her memory be eternal.”
Hall’s family announced her death with a statement on Wednesday, November 11.
“It is with profound sadness that the family of acclaimed actress Dr. Irma P. Hall announces her passing,” they shared. “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 statement continued, “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.”
The Ladykillers follows “an eccentric, if not charming Southern professor [Hanks] and his crew pose as a classical ensemble” so they could “rob a casino, all under the nose of his unsuspecting but sharp old landlady [Hall],” according to the movie’s logline. Hall earned a Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize for her role as Marva Munson.
In addition to Hanks and Hall, The Ladykillers starred Marlon Wayans, J.K. Simmons, Ryan Hurst, and Tzi Ma.
Hall is also known for her roles in Soul Food (1997), Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1997), Nothing to Lose (1997), Beloved (1998), Patch Adams (1998), Collateral (2004), Tyler Perry’s Meet the Browns (2008), and more.