Regina Hall interview: ‘Nine Perfect Strangers,’ ‘The Oscars’
“I loved every bit of her,” declares Regina Hall while discussing her character Carmel Schneider in “Nine Perfect Strangers.” “The good and the bad. I liked not knowing whatever Carmel was going to do. She was a fun ride who my heart went out to.” Watch our exclusive video interview above.
In the Hulu drama, nine stressed city dwellers visit a boutique health-and-wellness resort that promises healing and transformation. The resort’s director is a woman on a mission to reinvigorate their tired minds and bodies. In addition to Hall, the all-star cast includes Oscar winner Nicole Kidman, Oscar nominee Melissa McCarthy, Oscar nominee Michael Shannon and Emmy winner Bobby Cannavale.
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“Nine Perfect Strangers” was created and written by 11-time Emmy winner David E. Kelley. It’s based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Liane Moriarty. It was a reunion for Hall and Kelley, who worked together 20 years ago when the actress played Corretta Lipp on “Ally McBeal.” “It just all came together,” she explains. “He could have thought of me behind the scenes. I like to think that he was over there saying, ‘It has to be Regina!’ But no, the team reached out, and we reached out, and it just all came together.”
Prior to filming, Hall only had scripts for the first two or three episodes, which meant she had no idea her character Carmel attacked Kidman’s character Masha in such a brutal way. “I was horrified that she went that far,” the actress says. “I was like, ‘No, Carmel! No! What happened?’ There was the scene where she runs and attacks her and Nicole was like, ‘You should choke me harder, honey.’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, God! No!’ It [was] fun. There’s no doubt that it’s fun. But it’s such a fine line. I really still did want people to have compassion and root for Carmel.”
On March 27, Hall co-hosted the 94th Academy Awards with Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes. When told the telecast was eligible for the Best Variety Special (Live) Emmy, the actress was quick to respond, “We should win that just because that’s going to be the most memorable in history!” Of course she was referring to the slap heard around then world when Will Smith smacked Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. “I had so much fun with the ladies,” she continues. “I did not know Amy before then and I had a great time just creating with both of them.”
