Regina Hall

Regina Lee Hall is an American actress who gained prominence for her role as Brenda Meeks in the Scary Movie comedy-horror film series. She has built a career spanning comedy and drama across both film and television. In 2018, she 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 was born on December 12, 1970, to Odie Hall, a contractor and electrician, and Ruby, a teacher. She graduated from Immaculata High School and earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Fordham University in 1992. She later attended New York University, earning a master's degree in journalism in 1997. Following the sudden death of her father from a stroke during her first semester of graduate school, Hall reevaluated her goals and chose to enter the entertainment industry, beginning with a guest appearance on Sadat X's 1996 album track The Interview.

In 1997, Hall appeared in her first television commercial and began her acting career with roles on the soap opera Loving and the drama New York Undercover. She made her feature film debut in 1999 as Candace "Candy" Sparks in The Best Man, a role she reprised in the 2013 sequel The Best Man Holiday. She followed her debut with roles in Love & Basketball and the TV movie Disappearing Acts, before achieving wider recognition through the Scary Movie franchise.

Over the following decades, Hall built an extensive body of work in television and film. On television, she held main and recurring roles in Ally McBeal, Law & Order: LA, and Black Monday, while also appearing in Insecure. Her film credits include Paid in Full, Malibu's Most Wanted, King's Ransom, The Honeymooners, Law Abiding Citizen, Mardi Gras, Think Like a Man, Think Like a Man Too, About Last Night, With This Ring, People Places Things, Barbershop: The Next Cut, Girls Trip, and The Hate U Give.

For her leading performance in Support the Girls, Hall received widespread critical acclaim and her historic New York Film Critics Circle Award. In 2018, she was invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. She hosted the 2019 BET Awards and co-hosted the 94th Academy Awards in 2022 alongside Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes. In 2025, she appeared as Deandra in Paul Thomas Anderson's film One Battle After Another.

Hall has also expanded into production through her company, RH Negative. She signed a first-look deal with Showtime in 2020, a six-film deal with ViacomCBS, and a first-look agreement with MGM Alternative in 2024 to develop original unscripted projects. Her honors include an honorary doctorate from Dillard University in 2019 and an honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Fordham University in 2025. She has also served as an ambassador for Elizabeth Taylor's White Diamonds and raised support for the Scleroderma Research Foundation.