14 Incredible Performances From Regina Hall

Your favorite lovable stripper is back in The Best Man: The Final Chapters

Hartley Mellick / BuzzFeed, Vince Valitutti / Hulu, Dimension Films, Magnolia Pictures, Amazon Studios, 20th Century Fox Film Corp., Universal Pictures

Anytime Regina Hall shows up on my TV screen is a good time, and our favorite comedian/scream queen/thespian is back in the third installment of The Best Man franchise, the miniseries The Best Man: The Final Chapters. This is the perfect way to top off the Year of Regina Hall (as I'm calling it). This year alone, she has starred in the horror film Master, stole scenes in the megachurch dramedy Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., and hosted the Academy Awards with Wanda Sykes and Amy Schumer. So she's having a great 2022 (or for people in Florida, a gay 2022). 

You may not be a Regina Hall stan yet, but I'm here to give you plenty of reasons to join the "Hall Squall" (as I've labeled our fandom). She's spent the last two decades racking up an impressive IMDb page full of stellar comedy performances, she's got intelligence and gravitas (she played an Oprah wannabe in Girls Trip after all), and she's the only person who talks more in a movie theater than I do. So if you want to brush up on all the reasons why Regina Hall is a great actress, here's your syllabus, and if you've just discovered her, here's my list of recommendations for what to watch next. 

Class is in session (and hopefully not on the racist, ghost-filled campus of her new horror film Master), and the topic for discussion is Regina Hall, comedy icon, dramatic genius, and future Best Actress winner. Here are 14 of her best performances. *cue Support the Girls confetti cannon*

1. The Best Man (1999), The Best Man Holiday (2013), and The Best Man: The Final Chapters (2022) — Candy Sparks

Universal Pictures

Regina Hall did not arrive in Hollywood like most actors (child stardom, acting schools, or internet stardom). Rather, she got an English degree from Fordham, a Master's in Journalism from NYU, and then, at nearly 30, took her first film role as a stripper in this Black ensemble dramedy about a group of college friends converging on a wedding. The role of Candy, the Audre Lorde-loving, lap dance-giving stripper was a small one, but Hall's charisma immediately leaped off the screen. So much so that when a sequel was announced over a decade later, Hall was brought back with a much larger role, that of a school administrator haunted by her past. Rarely do actors hit it out of the park on their first film, but Hall certainly did! And she returned to hit it out of the park a second time in the Christmas-themed sequel, and now in the miniseries conclusion to the trilogy, where her stripper has reformed into the mom of the group to comedic effect. 

Watch The Best Man and The Best Man Holiday on Peacock.

2. Scary Movie (2000), Scary Movie 2 (2001), Scary Movie 3 (2003), & Scary Movie 4 (2006) — Brenda Meeks

Dimension Films/Courtesy Everett Collection

Welcome to the Scary Movie franchise, a series of films where everything is made up and the points don't matter. Have your head cut off in one film? No worries! You'll be back for the sequel! The horror spoof franchise, created by the Wayans, is basically a parody of Scream and Scream 2 with plenty of other films sprinkled in. Hall, our fledgling actor, was cast in the original as a member of the "classic high school friend group waiting around to be murdered" posse. She was slotted in to the Jada Pinkett Smith role from the Scream franchise and died a similarly epic death. But then inexplicably, her and some of her fellow corpses were reanimated for the sequel, and she became a series staple, sticking around through the first four movies with Anna Faris, and then dipping out pre-Charlie Sheen/Lindsay Lohan sex tape in Scary Movie 5. While Hall certainly has moved into slightly more dramatic roles now, she was a full-on comedy queen to start her career. 

Rent Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2, and Scary Movie 3 on HBO Max. Watch Scary Movie 4 on Netflix. 

3. Ally McBeal (2001–02) — Coretta Lipp

Fox

After a few one-off episodes on TV, Hall was brought on to the legal dramedy at the tail end of its fourth season to play Lipp, the feisty associate wooed to work under Robert Downey Jr.'s Larry Paul, in an episode where Sting (yes, the singer) is a client. Paul became a fan favorite who was set to be a major player in the show's fifth and final season. When Downey Jr. was arrested on drug charges, however, he was written off the show and Hall was upgraded to a series regular along with a largely new cast including James Marsden and Hayden Panettiere. Despite a generally positive response to Hall's Lipp, the season faltered, receiving low ratings, no awards, and an eventual cancellation. But with all the revivals happening, perhaps we haven't seen the last of Coretta Lipp. 

Watch it on Hulu. 

4. Think Like a Man (2012) & Think Like a Man Too (2014) — Candace Hall

Alan Markfield/Screen Gems/Courtesy Everett Collection

For much of the 2000s, Hall continued to grind away in Hollywood, making the Scary Movie sequels, and taking smaller roles in films like Law Abiding Citizen and Death at a Funeral. In 2012, however, she landed a role in this ensemble film about four women using Steve Harvey's book Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man to find love. Hall plays a single mom who falls for Terrence J's Michael in the original, and it is their wedding that is the impetus for action in the Las Vegas-set sequel. Most importantly though, this is the first project between Hall and the prolific producer of Black-led films Will Packer. Clearly the two hit it off as Hall went on to star in four more of Packer's productions along with this year's Oscars which Packer is producing. But it all started here with Hall's charming performance. 

Rent Think Like a Man on Prime Video and watchThink Like a Man Too on Hulu.

5. People Places Things (2015) — Diane

The Film Arcade

The roots of Regina Hall, queen of the indie dramedy, begin here with the Sundance film about an adult, recently divorced graphic novelist, played by Flight of the Conchords's Jermaine Clement, looking for love. Hall played the love interest here, who also happened to be the single mother of one of his art students. Hall is charming, but in a role that edges into a more serious space, as she grapples with her own loss as well as his continued relationship with his ex. It's still not a true leading role for Hall, but she proved here that she could certainly handle something outside of an ensemble cast. 

Watch it on Peacock. 

6. Barbershop: The Next Cut (2016) — Angie

Warner Bros. Pictures

For reasons I'll never fully understand, one year my father (who hadn't seen any of the Barbershop films) bought this DVD from the $5 bin at Wal-Mart at Thanksgiving. My entire family then watched it while home, and we were fans of the comedy (and the CeeLo Green opening song) for life. Hall arrives in this installment having skipped the first two, and plays Angie, the co-owner of the shop and leader of the half that styles women's hair. This is an ENSEMBLE with a monstrously long cast list full of big names (including Nicki Minaj, who should be cast more often) but Hall holds her own, keeping up with the comedy, while also providing some gravity for the film's more serious parts. Also, she looks great with blue hair (and should have made this list). 

Rent it on Prime Video. 

7. Girls Trip (2017) — Ryan Pierce

Michele K. Short/Universal Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

HERE WE GO. For the world at large, it was this Will Packer production that not only launched Tiffany Haddish into superstardom, but also the arrival of Hall into the mainstream. She played the Oprah-like guru at the center of the Flossy Posse, a group of college friends who join forces in New Orleans and Essence Fest to drink hallucinogenic absinthe, piss off ziplines, and dance-battle in wigs. Hall is the lead, the momentum, and the heart of this film, and while Haddish, Queen Latifah, and Jada Pinkett Smith certainly contribute greatly to the splendor of this film (one of the year's best), Hall is asked to do the most, balancing her incredible comedic chops with poignant dramatic moments, and a influencer guru air that is mesmerizing. Mr. Packer, if you are reading this PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give us a sequel. 

Rent it on Prime Video. 

8. Support the Girls (2018) — Lisa Conroy

Magnolia Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection

I am still shouting off a rooftop into the void about the fact that Regina Hall was not Oscar-nominated for this pitch-perfect performance. It's Hall's first true lead, and she delivers as Lisa, the manager of a Hooters-like "brestaurant" called Double Whammies. We follow her through a single day as she balances a slew of issues at the bar (a man is stuck in the vents, a worker got a Steph Curry tattoo in the wrong place, her manager is threatening to fire her) while also dealing with her own impending divorce. The cast of supporting characters including Haley Lu Richardson and the glorious AJ Michalka (of Aly & AJ) are all having fun, but the film IS Hall. She became the first Black actress to win Best Actress from the New York Film Critics Circle and had the movie been screened more widely, I firmly believe it would have been Oscar nominated as well. I would have held a car wash to support the campaign. 

Watch it on Hulu. 

9. The Hate U Give (2018) — Lisa Carter

Erika Doss/20th Century Fox

That same year, Hall also appeared in this YA drama based on the bestselling novel by Angie Thomas. In it, she plays the mother of Starr (Amandla Stenberg), a Black high school student who witnesses the death of her friend at the hands of the police when they are pulled over for failing to use a turn signal. While Hall's role is small, she plays the concerned mother to a tee, and nails every scene she is given as she navigates the media hailstorm that follows her daughter. This is one of Hall's few purely dramatic roles, but she, of course, handles it with all the care and polish expected, something she'll carry into her lead role in Master. 

Watch it on Hulu.

10. Little (2019) — Jordan Sanders

Eli Joshua Ade/Universal/Courtesy Everett Collection

Guess which dynamic duo is back again? Yep! It's Will Packer and Regina Hall, who are this time teaming up in a comedy about a deplorable boss who bullies everyone around her until a kid with a toy wand wishes she would turn back into a kid (and of course because it's a movie WAHLAH it works). Hall is really only present at the beginning and end of the film as her character, Jordan, is largely played by her "little" version, Marsai Martin, but Hall is chewing up every scene she's got. She's chaotically rude. She's vindictively aggressive. She's shouting at anyone in (and out of) earshot. Hall knows comedy, and she can serve it even with a few scenes. 

Rent it on Prime Video. 

11. Black Monday (2019–21) — Dawn Darcy

Nicole Wilder / Showtime/Courtesy Everett Collection

After Ally McBeal's cancellation, Hall dipped her toes in a number of brief television roles including partnerships with the Wayans, Will Packer, and a lip sync battle with Lupita Nyong'o that involves a sex swing and full The Weeknd cosplay. Her return to main character status however, was in this Showtime comedy about the fictional B-league Wall Street firm that caused the infamous 1987 stock market crash on "Black Monday." Hall plays the second fiddle to Don Cheadle, who fails to recognize her efforts because she's a woman. In addition to wearing incredible shoulder-pad laden blazers and sporting some incredible wigs, Hall is given plenty of meaty roles in the three seasons as she becomes the head of the firm, winds up in jail, and ventures into '90s fashion. While the show was underwatched, and Cheadle seemed to eat up the little awards spotlight thrown in its direction, the performance is delightful and makes me hope that "Regina Hall, Emmy Winner" is in our future. 

Watch it on Hulu. 

12. Nine Perfect Strangers (2021) — Carmel Schneider

Vince Valitutti/Hulu/Courtesy Everett Collection

Perhaps that Emmy will come this year for her work in the Liane Moriarty adaptation about a group of strangers who spend a week at a slightly sinister wellness retreat in California. If you weren't too distracted by Nicole Kidman's ludicrous accent and Melissa McCarthy choking on grapes, you got to witness Hall's embodiment of Carmel, the sweet, well-behaved, single mother hiding a lot of anger management issues. Hall is in lockstep with the bonkers-ness of the entire show and keeps up with the big name talent she stars alongside. Honestly, I'd watch a version of this where Hall gets to play every character in the cast. 

Watch it on Hulu. 

13. Master (2022) — Gail Bishop

Amazon Studios/Courtesy Everett Collection

One of Hall's pair of 2022 performances is in this Prime Video horror release set on the campus of a top tier private college in New England. Along with her much more showy and comedic performance in Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul., her work here as the college's first Black master had people declaring her the "queen" of this year's Sundance Film Festival, and she could certainly be in the hunt for awards next fall for either role. Here she largely sheds her comedic roots to play the lone Black leader on a largely white faculty as they deal with an evil force haunting the campus, something sinister at work with one of their few Black students, and a dangerous secret regarding a Black faculty member. The film tackles race with a prestige horror bent, and Hall's slow unraveling is a sight to behold. While she will presumably be channeling something different at the Oscars, she proves yet again that her talent is limitless. 

Watch it on Prime Video. 

14. Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. (2022) — Trinitie Childs

Steve Swisher/Focus Features/Courtesy Everett Collection

THIS. This is exactly the kind of meaty lead role that Regina Hall deserves (and obviously delivers dialed into perfection. In this satire, Hall plays the first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch. After her and her husband Lee-Curtis (played by the incomparable Emmy-winning actor Sterling K. Brown) are deposed from their evangelical thrones in the midst of a church scandal, the pair are attempting a great Easter comeback (much like Jesus himself once did). The couple, scraping together the shreds of dignity they have remaining as they try to reattain their former glory, are the roles actors only dream of, and Hall is able to flex both her comedy and drama chops to the fullest extent. She's entertaining, she's heartbreaking, she's wearing the most exquisite church hats to grace the silver screen. Praying to the Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and House of Gucci that she finally lands her first Oscar nom, because she certainly deserves it. 

Watch it on Peacock. 

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