Dahéli Hall facts for kids

Dahéli Hall is an American actress, stand-up comedian, writer, and director. She is best known for her time as a cast member on the sketch comedy series MADtv.

About Dahéli Hall

Her Early Life and Education

Dahéli Hall was born in Gainesville, Florida. She grew up in Miami, Florida. Her father is from Jamaica, and her mother is from Haiti.

She studied at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts. There, she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1998. Later, she earned a Master of Fine Arts degree. This was in Producing for Film and TV from the University of Southern California.

Her Comedy and Acting Career

Dahéli Hall is a writer, director, and comic actress. She was a cast member on Season 13 of MADtv in 2008. She also appeared on BET's prank dating show Hell Date.

She has created several web series for her website, www.Tickles.Tv. She also made short films. Two of her films, The Memo (2004) and Mandingo in a Box (2006), were finalists in the HBO short film awards.

What is Her Comedy About?

Dahéli Hall believes comedy is a great way to express herself. She says her style mixes humor and intelligence. She thinks people are most open when they laugh. This is a perfect time to get them thinking and talking.

Her films and stand-up comedy often explore social issues. These issues often relate to black people. For example, her short film The Memo is a comedy. It shows the funny problems of a character named Ted. He doesn't realize a "black revolution" has begun.

Another film, Mandingo in a Box, humorously explores ideas about what people look for in a partner. Hall also worked as a creative producer for The Peace Process. This documentary is about a young man. He tries to be a good example in his community. His community has many gangs.

Teaching and Mentoring

Dahéli Hall has also taught acting. She was a substitute instructor at the LA County High School for the Arts. She taught improvisation to high school students.

Her first teaching job was in 2005. She taught documentary filmmaking at the Zeitgeist Community Learning Center. She taught high school students how to make their own short documentary films.

She has also been a guest lecturer at many colleges. These include Los Angeles Valley College and the University of Georgia. She gave a lecture in New York. It was about "Gender Politics in the Performing Arts."

In 2013, Hall was a mentor for the NYUinLA Mentorship Program. She helped young people for eight months.

Today, Dahéli Hall puts on her own comedy show every month. It is called Dahéli Live!. You can find episodes of her show on YouTube.

Dahéli Hall on MADtv

Hall joined the cast of MADtv in 2008. She was a feature performer in Season 13. She was the fourth African-American female cast member in the show's history. She was also the only one who was Afro-Caribbean. Hall appeared in five episodes of that season.

Films and Projects

Filmography

Here are some of the films and TV shows Dahéli Hall has been in:

• The 10th Date (tv movie) (2017)
• Angry Black Women (short) (2016)
• I Was a Teenage Wereskunk (2016)
• Mascots (stage hand) (2016)
• Exchange (2016)
• Fall Into Me (tv Series) (2016)
• The Late Night Experiment with Motown Maurice (tv series) (2015)
• Grace and Frankie (tv series) (2015)
• Cain Enabled (tv series) (2015)
• Sam & Cat (tv series) (2014)
• Little Knockers (video short) (2013)
• BioShock Infinite (video game) (2013)
• You, Me & The Circus (2012)
• 6Gun (short) (2011)
• Yacht Rock (tv series short) (2010)
• Hot Yoga (video short) (2009)
• MADtv (tv series) (2008)
• Mandingo in a Box (short) (2006)
• The Memo (short) (2003)

Other Creative Works

Dahéli Hall has also worked behind the scenes on many projects:

• Angry Black Women (co-writer, executive producer, producer)
• Exchange (creator, executive producer, director)
• Mandingo in a Box (writer, director)
• Peace Process (writer, creative producer)
• The Memo (writer, executive producer, director)

Her film The Memo (2003) was shown at the 2004 Tiburon Film Festival. Mandingo in a Box (2006) was part of the ABFF Independent series in 2013.

Angry Black Women (2016) was chosen as one of 63 independent pilots. This was at the 12th Annual New York Television Festival. Exchange (2016) was created, directed, and produced by Hall. It was one of 12 short films shown on Disney Channel's online services and YouTube. These shorts were made for young viewers.