Irma P Hall

Born: June 3 1935
Where: Beaumont, Texas, USA

The former languages teacher got her start aged 36 when a casting director spotted her giving a poetry recital in Dallas.

Raymond St Jacques subsequently cast the divorced mother of two in a small role in the movie Book of Numbers in 1973.

Subsequent appearances have included supporting roles in Backdraft, The Babe, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil and Patch Adams.

Her most high-profile role was Marva Munson opposite Tom Hanks in the Hollywood remake of the Ealing comedy The Ladykillers.

Hall is best known in America as the family matriarch Mother Joe in the TV and big screen versions of Soul Food.

In 1998 she won an NAACP image award for best supporting actress for the part.

She won the Chicago Film Critics Award for best supporting actress as Aunt T in A Family Thing.

Recent work includes the Michael Mann thriller Collateral with Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx.