So can you talk a little bit about what was special about those college friendships and what those people mean to you?

Oh, my goodness.

So there was, like, a group of us, and w- there were my two best friends in college, Dina and Vanessa, and we, I mean, they, they're a part of such a, a specific and formative part of your life.

You know, it's that beginning of adulthood, but you're still not an adult and you're...

But it's that kind of first forge into the world without your parents.

And so they become like a family.

You all are clinging to each other, having probably some of the best and worst experiences in life-

Right.

So what was it like growing up Regina? Loaded question.

Very good questions.

Well, you know, it started out pretty good.

I had two loving parents.

My dad was an engineer and he developed some of the parts that were in the first capsules that went up into space.

My mother was an entertainer.

She sang with Tommy Dorsey and his big band.

How did you begin to rebuild trust with them, Regina?

Were you once going to become a nun?

I was.

I was going to be Sister Hall.

But Regina Hall's Hollywood takeover was meant to be.

Regina is absolutely one of the best doing it today.

I'm

going to cry.

Take care.

And what's the premise on this one? What movies are y'all spoofing?

Oh, gosh.

Well, we're spoofing.

Well, obviously, we're spoofing mom.

Shout out to Octavia Spencer.

And I mean, I think we've got a lot in there for everyone.

I mean, there's sinners, there's get out, there's smile, there's substance.

and

[laughs]

Like, if you were a hooker, and you were like, "Are there any customers, clients?" And then you, if there are not, then you go, and if there are, you work.

Yeah

... you know, Color.

So I had been a huge fan, so I, I got to a- I had to pre-read.

I had like four or five auditions.

And it was great because I didn't know if I was gonna get a job, 'cause I didn't get so many jobs that I was like, "Well, this is just another one." But at least I was getting to audition in front of Keenen.

How did that shape you?

Just think it made me understand the brevity of life.

You know what I mean? It was sobering.

You know what I mean? It was sobering to be 20s, in your early 20s, and lose that kind of foundation and what you would consider protection, you know, when you're a young woman.

You were studying journalism at NYU at the time, right? Mm-hmm.

Yep.

First semester.

A lot of didn't get the jobs.

But like, did you have a vision for what you wanted that to be?

No, I just thought I wanted to work with great people and learn and do good work.

I didn't want to be stuck in one thing.

I think that was a big thing.

But I also think when you're just starting, you're just happy to work, right? You're not like, well, I was.

I don't want to speak for anyone else.

I was happy to work.

How many times did you read that script before you felt like you had a way in?

How do you feel about being like all the awards buzz and being nominated for stuff?

It's nice.

I'm not nominated.

Well, the film is.

The film is nominated.

Paul is nominated.

And three of my co-stars are nominated.

It's not like Tom

Is it

true that you went to bartending school? at Columbia.

I went to bartending school.

Columbia? Yeah, they have a bartending class that you can take.

How did that go? It was a fun class.

The problem with the class is you're not supposed to swallow.

That's...

I was going to say, did you work with Lucy? I

How do you describe this, this film?

You know, it's, it's interesting because it's, it, it...

there, there may be themes that echo today, but I think those themes just echo, you know, historically.

But the film, it's really a father-daughter story.

I mean, and, and there's so much in it.

There's a lot of humor, a lot of action.

But he started ruminating about this film 20 years ago.

Yeah.

in the 90s.

It was great.

It was great.

It was great.

And so we used to go out a lot.

And then my mom was like, my dad was like, what are you doing? You have to get a job or something.

I either had to get a job or go back to school.

together.

Hmm.

... he'd want me to, but I had a friend who said, "Do you wanna make extra money doing commercials?" And she was like, "I'll introduce you to my manager." I met her manager.

That manager...

I couldn't show up for auditions 'cause I was like, "I p- I'm doing my thesis.

I can't show up to an audition." But I did, and then I took a class in acting, and I think it, it was very healing-

Thank you for saying that.

In terms of comedy, yeah, because it's like, you know, if you say Amy Poehler, it doesn't matter.

Right? We all know who it is.

What's it been like? What's the level of excitement around this movie? I feel like I have heard so much rumble about it.

Yeah.

It's exciting.

I mean, first of all, you know I'm a huge PTA fan, so I love all of his work and it's great to see him be able to do this on a, on a different scale than his other movies.

It's not ... they're all amazing, but he got an opportunity to do a different scale of film.

And I, I think also there's something to be said about a movie that has a lot that you don't know.

You know, you watch the trailer and this is a component of the story, but there's so many other elements and it's always good to laugh.

(laughs)