Actor Irma P Hall, star of Soul Food and the Coen brothers’ The Ladykillers , has died at the age of 91.

Hall died on Tuesday, her family confirmed alongside a statement that described her as “a beloved actress, author, poet, educator and public speaker whose contributions touched countless lives throughout her remarkable career”.

In an acting career that spanned six decades, Hall starred opposite Denzel Washington , Oprah Winfrey, Robin Williams and Tom Hanks, and worked with directors including Michael Mann, the Coen brothers and Jonathan Demme.

Born in Texas in 1935, Hall was raised with a passion for the arts as the daughter of saxophone player Samuel Player. For 27 years she worked as a high school teacher in Houston before pivoting to acting the early 1980s.

“I always believed I could do whatever I wanted,” she said in a 2001 interview.…