| Birth name | Regina Lee Hall |
|---|---|
| Birth date | December 12, 1970 (age 55) |
| Birth place | Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1997–present |
Regina Lee Hall (born December 12, 1970)[1][2] is an American actress. She gained prominence for her portrayal of Brenda Meeks in the comedy-horror Scary Movie film series and has since built a versatile career spanning comedy and drama in both film and television. In 2018, Hall became the first African-American to win the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress for her performance in the film Support the Girls.
Hall made her film debut in The Best Man (1999) and reprised her role in its sequel The Best Man Holiday (2014). Her notable film credits include Love & Basketball (2000), Think Like a Man (2012) and its sequel Think Like a Man Too (2014), Girls Trip (2017), The Hate U Give (2018), and One Battle After Another (2025). On television, she has starred in the comedy-drama series Ally McBeal (2001–2002), NBC police procedural Law & Order: LA (2010–2011), the comedy series Black Monday (2019–2021), and appeared as Ninny in Issa Rae's Insecure (2017).
In 2022, she co-hosted the 94th Academy Awards alongside Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes.
Early life
Hall was born the daughter of a contractor and electrician father, Odie Hall, and a teacher mother, Ruby.[3][4] After graduating from Immaculata High School, Hall enrolled at Fordham University in the Bronx, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications in 1992.[5][6] She later enrolled at New York University, where she earned a master's degree in journalism 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 a stroke.[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 on Sadat X's 1996 album Wild Cowboys on the track, "The Interview".
Career
In 1997, Hall appeared in her first television commercial at the age of 26. Her television career began with a role on the soap opera Loving, and guest appearances on the Fox police drama New York Undercover. She played Candy in the 1999 film The 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 met Sanaa Lathan on it, and we did Love 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-spoof Scary Movie (and the sequels Scary Movie 2, Scary Movie 3, and Scary Movie 4) portraying the sex-crazed Brenda Meeks, and the TV movie Disappearing Acts. The Scary Movie films would become some of her best known roles.[11] In 2001, Hall landed the role of Coretta Lipp on the prime-time drama Ally 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-drama Paid in Full, a film directed by Charles Stone III. Since then, she has appeared in leading roles in films such as Malibu's Most Wanted, King's Ransom and The Honeymooners.[12]
She appeared in the film Law Abiding Citizen in 2009.[13][14] She had a role in the 2010 Danneel Harris and Arielle Kebbel film Mardi Gras. From its fall 2010 debut until a series overhaul in January 2011, Regina Hall portrayed Deputy District Attorney Evelyn Price on Law & Order: LA.
In 2012, she portrayed Candace Hall in Steve Harvey's movie Think Like a Man, a romantic comedy based on his book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. Hall reprised her role as Candace Sparks in The Best Man Holiday in 2013. She believed the characters had evolved from the first film. Hall felt The 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 that Morris Chestnut was happily married while walking around "with his shirt off!"[15]
Hall appeared in the 2014 film About Last Night, co-starring Kevin 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 the Associated 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 of The 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 in Think 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, entitled With This Ring, with Eve and Jill Scott.[23][24]
In the 2015 film People Places Things, Hall had a major role as the love interest of a newly divorced man. In 2016, Hall was in Barbershop: The Next Cut. She played the role of Angie, one of the hair stylists, alongside Ice Cube, Common, and Eve. In 2017, Hall co-starred in the comedy film Girls Trip, which became a critical and commercial success. In 2018, Hall was part of the ensemble cast of the drama film The Hate U Give, based on the 2017 novel.
Hall had the lead in Support the Girls, a film directed by Andrew Bujalski. For the latter, she received critical praise, and was nominated for several awards, winning the New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress. She is the first African-American to win the award.[25][26] That same year she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.[27] 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.[28] A mere months later, her company signed a six-film deal with ViacomCBS.[29]
She cohosted the 94th Academy Awards with Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes on March 27, 2022.[30]
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.[31]
In 2019, Hall received an honorary doctorate degree from Dillard University. Furthermore, in May 2025, she received an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from her alma mater, Fordham University. This honor from Fordham University recognized her exceptional acting career and unwavering commitment to social justice.
In 2025, Hall appeared in the Paul Thomas Anderson epic action thriller film One Battle After Another as the character Deandra.[32]
Personal life
Around 2004, Hall's mother was diagnosed with scleroderma, a rare autoimmune disease.
"When my mom was diagnosed, I didn't know much about the condition. But Dana Delany, who is an actress and now a friend of mine, put me in touch with Bob Saget. Bob had made a television movie about scleroderma years ago because his sister had died from it. At the time, they did not know what scleroderma was. Bob had a group called the Scleroderma Research Foundation, so I donated to that and my mother even went to the doctor Bob had suggested, who happened to be over at Johns Hopkins."[33]
Hall announced in November 2010 that she would be writing for Ability.[34]
In 2010, when she was 40, Hall unsuccessfully tried to become a Catholic nun after a bad break-up, having previously wanted to become one at the age of 14. In the former case, she was refused for being too old, as the cut-off age was 39 for that order.[35][36]
In 2014, she signed as an ambassador for Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds.[37]
Filmography
Film
Television
| 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; also producer |
| 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 | |
| scope="row" style="background:#ffc;" | Dru-Ann Jones | Main cast[42] |
Awards and nominations
References
- ^ "Regina Hall on Turning 50: 'You Either Have Another Birthday...or You Don't'". Health.com. 2021-08-10. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
- ^ Rebecca Alter (2020-12-12). "WATCH: Regina Hall Made a 50th Birthday Video for Instagram". Vulture. Retrieved 2022-05-08.
- ^ "Regina Hall Biography (1971-)". www.filmreference.com
- ^ "Regina Hall". Ability Magazine. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ^ "Regina Hall Interview". The Breakfast Club. September 7, 2016. Archived 2021-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 23, 2016.
- ^ "'People Places Things' stars Regina Hall and Jemaine Clement talk about the new comedy". Pix 11. August 11, 2015. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ^ Sarah Sloboda (2008). "Regina Hall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 5, 2008.
- ^ King, Susan (August 12, 2015). "Regina Hall's well-ordered life as an actor, not a nun". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
- ^ Mays, Raqiyah (February 21, 2014). "SCREEN TIME: REGINA HALL". The Shadow League.
- ^ Knolle, Sharon (November 12, 2013). "'Best Man Holiday' Star Regina Hall Talks Epic Catfights, Sequels, and Scandalous Videos"
- ^ "'Think Like A Man Too's' Regina Hall Reenacts 'Scary Movie' Brenda Scene: Kevin Hart Needs to Keep It Down (Video)". The Wrap. June 22, 2014.
- ^ "April 2006 | blackfilm.com | features | interview | SCARY MOVIE 4: An Interview with Regina Hall". www.blackfilm.com
- ^ "Regina Hall appears in 'Law Abiding Citizen'". CapeCodOnline.com. October 24, 2009. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014.
- ^ "Life in Film: All About Regina Hall". BET.
- ^ Rogers, Jazmin Denise (November 11, 2013). "'The Best Man Holiday' Actress Regina Hall Talks Dating In Her 40s". MadameNoire.
- ^ "'About Last Night' stars Kevin Hart, Regina Hall argue about 'big panties'". FoxNews.com. February 14, 2014.
- ^ Armstrong, Jenice (February 14, 2014). "Kevin Hart, Regina Hall on love, dating and girls who fight". Philly.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014.
- ^ "About Last Night Review". CinemaBlend.com.
- ^ Gettell, Oliver (February 14, 2014). "Kevin Hart, Regina Hall spice up 'About Last Night,' reviews say". Los Angeles Times
- ^ Hailey, Jonathan (February 11, 2014). "Kevin Hart & Regina Hall Reveal The Trouble With Working Together [EXCLUSIVE VIDEO]". Black America Web.
- ^ "Regina Hall Talks Spanx, Sexuality, Yoga and Being Uninhibited in About Last Night". EurPublisher. February 13, 2014. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
- ^ Bennett, Anita (June 19, 2014). "'Think Like a Man Too' Star Regina Hall on Shooting in Las Vegas, Strippers and Jail (Video)". The Wrap.
- ^ Jaffe, Eric (July 13, 2014). "Jill Scott, Eve, Regina Hall To Star In A Lifetime Movie". HotNewHipHop.com
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley. "Jill Scott, Eve, Regina Hall to Star in Lifetime Movie (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter
- ^ Sharf, Zach (November 29, 2018). "2018 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- ^ Nordine, Michael (2018-11-30). "Regina Hall Is the First Black Woman to Win Best Actress at the NYFCC Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved 2026-03-16.
- ^ "ACADEMY INVITES 928 TO MEMBERSHIP". Oscars.org | Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2021-02-17.
- ^ Petski, Denise (2020-10-19). "Regina Hall Inks First-Look Deal With Showtime". Deadline. Retrieved 2020-10-20.
- ^ "Regina Hall's Rh Negative Signs Overall with ViacomCBS". blackfilm.com - Black Movies, Television, and Theatre News. 2020-11-18. Retrieved 2020-11-19.
- ^ Stevens, Matt (2022-03-28). "Return of the hosts: Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes got the show started. Here's their full monologue.". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-03-28.
- ^ Shanfeld, Ethan (October 30, 2024). "Regina Hall Strikes First-Look Deal with MGM Alternative, Sets Celebrity Competition Series 'Squad Games'". Variety. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
- ^ "This Isn't Your Typical Regina Hall". Vulture.com. 2025-09-30. Retrieved 2025-10-01.
- ^ Regina Hall Interview "Regina Hall Issue", ABILITY Magazine, April/May 2010
- ^ Regina Hall on the Mo'Nique Show ABILITY Magazine, November 2010
- ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry (2018-09-05). "Regina Hall has the range". The FADER. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ Marchese, David (2019-03-11). "Regina Hall on the Two Hollywoods, Spirituality and Success". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
- ^ Wells, Veroica (May 10, 2014). "Regina Hall Talks Womanhood, White Diamonds & Embracing Singleness". MadameNoire.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2019-01-09). "'Little' Trailer: Regina Hall, Marsai Martin Star In Body-Swap Comedy From Universal & 'Girls Trip' Producer". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-06-29.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (November 13, 2019). "Regina Hall To Executive Produce & Star In 'Master' Drama For Amazon Studios". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- ^ "Regina Hall Joins Kevin Hart And Mark Wahlberg in Netflix's 'Me Time'". August 30, 2021.
- ^ Hall, Regina (November 14, 2025). "Can't wait for y'all to meet Barb on December 19th! @spongebobmovie". Retrieved November 15, 2025.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (June 6, 2025). "Regina Hall Joins Jennifer Garner In Peacock's 'The Five-Star Weekend'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
- ^ "2003 NAACP Image Awards". www.infoplease.com. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "san diego film festival 2007: award winners". 2007-07-03. Archived from the original on 2007-07-03. Retrieved 2019-09-23.
- ^ "2018 NAACP Image Awards: Full List of Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. 2018-01-14. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ N'Duka, Amanda (2018-12-11). "'Black Panther' Named Best Film By African American Film Critics Association". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Stoddard, Elizabeth (2018-12-11). "AFCA Announces Austin Film Award Nominees for 2018". Medium. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "2018 Awards | Boston Online Film Critics Association". bofca.com. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ ""Roma," "The Favourite" and "A Star is Born" lead 2018 CFCA nominations". Chicago Film Critics Association. December 7, 2018. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "'The Favourite' leads 2018 Florida Film Critics Awards Nominations". Florida Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Setoodeh, Ramin (2018-10-18). "Ethan Hawke's 'First Reformed' Leads Gotham Awards Nominations". Variety. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (2017-11-21). "2018 Independent Spirit Award Nominations: 'Get Out' and 'Call Me by Your Name' Dominate". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Kilkenny, Katie (2019-01-05). "'The Rider' Named Best Picture by the National Society of Film Critics". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (2018-11-29). "'Roma' Named Best Picture by New York Film Critics Circle". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "SFBAFCC 2018 Awards". The San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "The 2018 Seattle Film Critics Society (SFCS) Winners". Next Best Picture. December 17, 2018. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "19th Annual Canadian Award Winners". 2019-01-08. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ "6th Annual Talk Film Society Awards Winners". Talk Film Society
- ^ "2018 Toronto Film Critics Announce Winners". Awardsdaily. 2018-12-09. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Richards, Kimberley (2019-03-31). "50th NAACP Image Awards: Here Are The Winners". HuffPost. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Howard, Katherine (2020-02-22). "NAACP Image Awards: Lizzo Named Entertainer of the Year; 'Just Mercy,' 'Black-ish' Among Top Winners". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-22.
- ^ Plunkett, Paul (2021-10-21). "Newport Beach Film Festival Returns Live with Events and Honorees Including Harvey Keitel and Regina Hall". Variety. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ Gibbs, Adrienne. "Netflix, HBO Lead NAACP Image Awards 2021 Nominations". Forbes. Retrieved 2021-02-05.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (2022-01-18). "NAACP Image Awards: 'Harder They Fall,' 'Insecure' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-01-18.
- ^ Milkowski, Jenny (2022-10-07). "The San Diego International Film Festival Oct. 19-23 -". McKinnon Broadcasting. Retrieved 2022-10-07.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (November 22, 2022). "Independent Spirit Awards Nominations: 'Everything Everywhere' Leads With Eight Noms". Variety. Retrieved November 22, 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (2023-01-12). "NAACP Image Awards 2023: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'The Woman King' Among Top Film Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (2023-01-12). "NAACP Image Awards 2023: 'Wakanda Forever,' 'The Woman King' Among Top Film Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Davidson, Denton (2025-10-24). "Regina Hall to receive Gold Derby Spotlight Award at 2025 SCAD Savannah Film Festival". Gold Derby. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
- ^ "AwardsWatch - 8th Critics Choice Association Celebration of Black Cinema & Television Honorees: Ryan Coogler, Teyana Taylor, Janelle James and More". AwardsWatch. 2025-10-21. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (2025-12-08). "The 2025 New York Film Critics Online (NYFCO) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (2025-12-19). "The 2025 Georgia Film Critics Association (GAFCA) Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2025-12-20.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (2025-12-21). "The 2025 Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC) Winners". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary (2026-01-07). "Actor Awards, Formerly SAG Awards, Nominations: 'One Battle After Another' Leads Film Nods With 7 as 'The Studio' Tops TV With 5". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2026-01-10.
- ^ Neglia, Matt (2025-11-25). "The 2025 Hollywood Creative Alliance's (HCA) Astra Film Award Nominations". Next Best Picture. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ Levy, Giana (2025-11-19). "‘Sinners,’ ‘One Battle After Another’ and ‘Hamnet’ Among AARP Movies for Grownups 2025 Best Picture Nominees". Variety. Retrieved 2025-12-17.
- ^ "26th Annual Black Reel Award Nominees". Black Reel Awards. Retrieved 2025-12-27.
External links
- Regina Hall at IMDb
- "Regina Hall—Interview", Regina Hall Issue, ABILITY Magazine, April/May 2010