Regina Hall Speaks On New Movie 'With This Ring" And Losing Her Father

Regina Hall Speaks On New Movie “With This Ring,” Getting Married And Her Father’s Death

Veteran Hollywood actress Regina Hall has been popping up on the big and small screen very frequently over the last few years and she recently opened up about landing her first-ever lead role in the upcoming Lifetime film “With This Ring.” We caught up with Regina earlier this week to chat about the film, which was produced by Tracey Edmonds and Gabrielle Union, and she also touched on a few other topics including her own “marriage pact,” her father’s death, being a sex symbol and more.

Check out some of what she had to say below:

On what makes the film so relatable for her:

Well I mean I am a woman who is single.

So, the scenes in the book and in the script (which I think did an amazing job of adapting to it), I mean, they resonate with me so much.

And what doesn’t resonate with me resonates with friends in my life. And it has been my friends that have gotten me through a lot of situations and who remind me of so many great things in my life. So I think it was just – it’s just a very well done, well-written script.

On how losing her father impacted her career choice:

I was in grad school getting my Masters in journalism and my father died. He died very, very suddenly of a stroke my very first semester. And it pushed me into really grasping the brevity of life. And then that pushed me into [thinking]: what would I really like to do?

And you know, journalism always was very interesting to me and I actually loved it as well. But I had so many deeper questions, having lost a parent so young.  It was after that that I decided that I would pursue acting. And I think that was probably the biggest catalyst.

On whether or not she knows men consider her a “sex symbol:”

Well you know what there’s two answers to that. [First] No. I’m in sweats and a baseball cap [right now] ! Maybe [other] people resonate with that but, it’s a weird thing feel like a sex symbol especially as I’ve gotten older.

But I think the other part too is, I haven’t been on social media-until five days ago- so you don’t get to hear it as much.

And  I don’t necessarily think you need to hear it, but it’s always wonderful to be supportive.

On not being offered more roles involving nudity after playing a stripper in The Best Man:

I thought after I did Best Man, people were going to ask me to strip again. But no one asked me again…I got offended! [Laughs]

I thought: ‘Oh, I’m going to be typecast. They’re going to be asking you to play [a stripper].’ Not one role. Not one person asked me to take my clothes off again.

On making a real life “marriage pact” with her friends:

Oh my God yes. I made that vow. And clearly I didn’t stick to it so, I must have come to the same conclusion that [my character] did. But, you know, I’ve had moments where my friends and I have been like ‘look, by this time next year we’re going to be married.’

On what women can learn from the movie:

I think the whole point of the movie — and I certainly resonate with this — is that, especially as black women, we can’t “wait” to be happy. And there’s not an event or relationship or, you know, something that you have planned in your head that creates that.

And I know before this movie started I was living in the – in my house, but I wanted a yard in my house. And about three years ago, I wanted to move. And I remember the first thought is, ‘oh, you know what? I should probably wait until I get married and then I’ll move.’ And then I thought ‘well, I don’t know when that is.’ And I could enjoy my yard right now, because right now is really all I have.

And I think that’s the message that I really hope women take away from it.  There are so many wonderful things and so many wonderful pieces that make up life as a whole. You know, there’s so many different elements. So just because it’s not the way you necessarily envisioned or dreamed it doesn’t mean that it’s not deliciously wonderful.

And I hope women really can know that and know that they themselves are the most valuable component in their life.

“With This Ring” airs Saturday, January 24th at 8pm and we’ll definitely be tuning in! Will you?

WENN/Lifetime