Regina Hall | |
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_(cropped).jpg) Hall in 2019 | |
| Born | Regina Lee Hall (1970-12-12)December 12, 1970 (age 54) Washington, D.C., U.S. |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
Regina Lee Hall (born December 12, 1970)[1][2] is an American actress. She rose to prominence for her role asBrenda Meeks in the comedy horrorScary Movie film series (2000–2006). She received critical acclaim, and became the firstAfrican American to win theNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for the comedy filmSupport the Girls (2018).
Hall was born the daughter of a contractor andelectrician father, Odie Hall, and a teacher mother, Ruby.[3][4] After graduating fromImmaculata High School, Hall enrolled atFordham University inthe Bronx, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in English in 1992.[5][6] She later enrolled atNew York University, where she earned amaster's degree injournalism in 1997.[7] Reflecting on college, Hall said: "I loved being a student. I could've gone to school until I was 75 years old as long as somebody would've paid my rent. I would've been a professional student."[5]
She wanted a career with impact and envisioned a career in writing or journalism, but Hall's first semester of graduate school changed drastically when her father died of astroke.[8] "It was sudden. And I think when sudden events that are painful happen in your life, you know, they redirect your course," Hall reflected. "When you're young, you don't grasp the gravity of life. But when you lose someone that you spend most of your life with, and you're young, you do. And so I think that started me thinking about what I really wanted to do in life. And I know my father would have wanted me to finish school. So I did that."[9] She began a career in the entertainment industry, starting off with a guest appearance onSadat X's 1996 albumWild Cowboys on the track, "The Interview".
In 1997, Hall appeared in her firsttelevision commercial at the age of 26. Her television career began with a role on thesoap operaLoving, and guest appearances on theFox police dramaNew York Undercover. She played Candy in the 1999 filmThe Best Man. She left a lasting impression on viewers with her portrayal of the character Candace "Candy" Sparks. Hall reflected: "It was my very first movie. I metSanaa Lathan on it, and we didLove and Basketball together, which was my second film. And then, at that point, I was visiting L.A. to stay and it led to a third film and a fourth film. And it was really a big deal because I'd never been on a set before."[10]
Hall gained more recognition with her role in the comedy-horror-spoofScary Movie (and the sequelsScary Movie 2,Scary Movie 3, andScary Movie 4) portraying the sex-crazed Brenda Meeks, and the TV movieDisappearing Acts. TheScary Movie films would become some of her best known roles.[11] In 2001, Hall landed the role of Coretta Lipp on the prime-time dramaAlly McBeal, which was originally a recurring role over several episodes but was made a main character in the 5th season of the show. A year later, she starred in the action-dramaPaid in Full, a film directed byCharles Stone III. Since then, she has appeared in leading roles in films such asMalibu's Most Wanted,King's Ransom andThe Honeymooners.[12]
She appeared in the filmLaw Abiding Citizen in 2009.[13][14]She had a role in the 2010Danneel Harris andArielle Kebbel filmMardi Gras. From its fall 2010 debut until a series overhaul in January 2011, Regina Hall portrayed Deputy District Attorney Evelyn Price onLaw & Order: LA.
In 2012, she portrayed Candace Hall inSteve Harvey's movieThink Like a Man, a romantic comedy based on his bookAct Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Hall reprised her role as Candace Sparks inThe Best Man Holiday in 2013. She believed the characters had evolved from the first film. Hall feltThe Best Man Holiday was different from any sequel she had ever done before since it was not "immediate" and it had been fourteen years since the release of the original. Hall felt the first film had "the joy of the wedding" and in the sequel "they come together for the holidays, but it's deeper than that. This one's definitely different, but we still laughed. There was so much laughter behind the scenes."[10] Hall joked about how all of the male members of the cast were married while all of the women were not, stating thatMorris Chestnut was happily married while walking around "with his shirt off!"[15]
Hall appeared in the 2014 filmAbout Last Night, costarringKevin Hart.[16][17]She and Hart were seen as the film's highlight as they had a "great dynamic together" and the two were credited with having the funniest lines in the film. All of the cast was seen as having a "perfect mix of charisma and likability".[18] Jessica Herndon of theAssociated Press stated "Hart and Hall are the best part of this film. They play the couple you know all too well: fiery, able to press one another's buttons and always caught in the makeup to breakup game." Negative reviews of the film also praised the pairing of Hall with Kevin Hart. Mick LaSalle ofThe San Francisco Chronicle expressed that Hart was "well paired for Hall, who matches him for comedy."[19] At the time of the film's release, both Hall and Hart expressed interest in working on other projects together.[20]About Last Night was her third ensemble film and Hall reflected that she learned from actors she worked with in ensembles.[21]
Hall reprised her role as Candace Hall inThink Like a Man Too. She revealed what members of the cast partied the most in the film shortly before the movie's release. "Everyone kind of had their fun, I'm not gonna lie. We went out, we gambled. Kevin [Hart] parties. There were parties, and we all went. It was good fun".[22] In July 2014, it was announced Hall would star in a Lifetime film, entitledWith This Ring, withEve andJill Scott.[23][24]
In the 2015 filmPeople Place Things, Hall had a major role as the love interest of a newly divorced man. In 2016, Hall was inBarbershop: The Next Cut. She played the role of Angie, one of the hair stylists, alongsideIce Cube,Common, andEve. In 2017, Hall co-starred in the comedy filmGirls Trip, which became a critical and commercial success. In 2018, Hall was part of the ensemble cast of the drama filmThe Hate U Give, based on the2017 novel.
Hall had the lead inSupport the Girls, a film directed byAndrew Bujalski. For the latter, she received critical praise, and was nominated for several awards, winning theNew York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She is the first African-American to win the award.[25] That same year she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[26] In 2019, Hall hosted the 2019 BET Awards.
In October 2020, she signed a first-look deal with Showtime. Under the pact, Hall will develop and produce television projects via her production company, RH Negative.[27] A mere months later, her company signed a six-film deal with ViacomCBS.[28]
She cohosted the94th Academy Awards withAmy Schumer andWanda Sykes on March 27, 2022.[29]
In October 2024, Hall inked a first-look deal with MGM Alternative, the division of Amazon MGM Studios. Under the agreement, Hall and her team will develop and produce original unscripted true crime, ensemble docuseries and game genres.[30]
Around 2004, Hall's mother was diagnosed withscleroderma, a rareautoimmune disease. When not working in Hollywood, Hall can be found volunteering for the care of senior citizens at aSherman Oaks, California, convalescent home twice a week as well as raising public awareness for the disease. "When my mom was diagnosed, I didn't know much about the condition. ButDana Delany, who is an actress and now a friend of mine, put me in touch withBob Saget. Bob had made a television movie about scleroderma years ago because his sister had died from it. That was back when they didn't even know what it was. Anyway, Bob had a group called theScleroderma Research Foundation, so I donated to that and my mother even went to the doctor Bob had suggested, who happened to be over atJohns Hopkins."[31] Hall announced in November 2010 that she would be writing forAbility.[32]
In 2010, when she was 40, Hall unsuccessfully tried to become aCatholicnun after a bad break-up, having previously wanted to become one at the age of 14. In the latter case, she was refused for being too old, as the cut-off age is 39.[33][34]
In 2014, she signed as an ambassador forElizabeth Taylor'sWhite Diamonds.[35]
| † | Denotes film or TV productions that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | New York Undercover | Tammy | Episode: "No Place Like Hell" |
| 2000 | NYPD Blue | Sharice Warner | Episode: "Little Abner" |
| Disappearing Acts | Portia | TV movie | |
| 2001–2002 | Ally McBeal | Corretta Lipp | Recurring cast (season 4); main cast (season 5) |
| 2010–2011 | Law & Order: Los Angeles | Deputy D.A. Evelyn Price | Recurring cast |
| 2013 | Second Generation Wayans | Regina | Recurring cast |
| 2014 | Married | Roxanne | Recurring cast (season 1) |
| 2014–2015 | Real Husbands of Hollywood | Herself | Recurring cast (season 3); guest (season 4) |
| 2015 | With This Ring | Trista | TV movie |
| Key & Peele | Wife #1 | Episode: "Airplane Showdown" | |
| 2016 | Grandfathered | Catherine Sanders | Recurring cast |
| Uncle Buck | Jackie King | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Crushed | Celia | TV movie | |
| Lip Sync Battle | Herself | Episode: "Lupita Nyong'o vs. Regina Hall" | |
| 2016–2017 | Black-ish | Vivian | 3 episodes |
| 2017 | Insecure | Ninny | Recurring cast (season 2) |
| 2017–2018 | The Gong Show | Herself (guest judge) | 3 episodes |
| 2019 | BET Awards 2019 | Herself (host) | TV special |
| 2019–2021 | Black Monday | Dawn Darcy | Main cast |
| 2021 | Nine Perfect Strangers | Carmel Schneider | Main cast |
| 2022 | 94th Academy Awards | Herself (co-host) | TV special |
| The Best Man: The Final Chapters | Candace "Candy" Sparks-Murchison | Main cast |
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