-So, this is a wonderful film where you --
We are about -- We see you there,
but then you turn into a 13-year-old version of yourself.
-Yeah. -You're a mean boss.
-Very mean boss. -I think that came across
in the clip. You're a very nice person.
-Thank you.
-Do you enjoy playing mean people, though?
-I loved it. -Yeah.
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
You know, it's great because you don't have to apologize.
You're just rolling through.
I could say I was in character and be a monster.
You know, I could say I'm method.
But no, it was fun 'cause no one was --
you know, no one took it personally.
They knew. -Took it personally.
-Right. -You were in Atlanta, yes?
-I was in Atlanta. -So when you go to Atlanta,
you did not stay at a hotel,
which is what I would have expected.
-No. I always stay at the same place,
which is kind of an Airbnb that I love.
And this time --
So, when we're shooting "Little,"
the guy said, "Oh, you know, Tyra Banks is in your building."
And I had done Tyra's show, but I don't know her well.
But I was like, "Oh, I'm gonna go say hi."
So, this particular -- She was right across the hall.
I mean, like, right -- Like right there.
-Okay. -See you, Fred?
[ Laughter ] -Right there.
So I'm gonna go over, and I go, and I'm like,
"I don't want to yell my name." It's a pretty big building,
so I don't want to say, "Tyra, it's Regina Hall."
So I go, and I'm, like, right in the doorway.
I'm like, "It's Regina."
Now I didn't think about the fact that she --
I was distorted through the peephole.
-Yeah. -So, they don't open the door.
-But they're there? -Oh, I hear.
She's trying to disguise her voice.
-Okay. [ Laughter ]
-She brings her mother. Her mother goes,
"How can we help? Are you okay?"
'Cause they are wondering am I woman in crisis.
-Uh-huh.
-Or am I woman trying to do a setup?
-Gotcha.
-And take her and the mother and the baby.
[ Laughter ] So, I go, "You know what?
I'm gonna write a note."
I go to my -- you know, back to my apartment.
I write a note.
But the note is in code, because if it's not her...
-Right. -...I don't want to put
my name and information. -Gotcha.
-Right? [ Laughter ]
-'Cause now I'm being kidnapped. -Yeah.
You've created quite a conundrum for yourself here.
[ Laughter ]
-And then I was like, "Why'd I do it?"
And what's so great about this building is that it's airtight,
so the note can't fit under the door.
So I'm literally trying to squeeze it.
So I go home, and I go, "You know what?
We have a hair person in common, Oscar James."
And I said, "I'm gonna call Oscar,
and just say, 'Oscar, can you tell Tyra that was me?'"
'Cause I signed the note "R." -Okay.
[ Laughter ]
-But I told her the room I was in.
I was like, "But I'm in apartment...
if you want to come check me out."
-Okay, gotcha. -So, I just go in, and I'm like,
"Fine, whatever," and I get a knock.
And I look out, and it's security.
[ Laughter ]
Tyra called security and said that
either a woman needed help
or was trying to get in her apartment."
[ Laughter ]
And then security -- And then I look,
she's around the corner, and the security guard goes,
"Ugh, you actresses." He was so annoyed and disgusted.
[ Laughter ]
So annoyed.
But then I went in and met her mom.
-Okay, good. It all worked out.
-And it was great, yeah. -Good, good, good.
I'm glad it has a happy ending.
-It had a very happy ending.
-So you spent a lot of time in New York.
You went to NYU? -I did.
-Got a Master's in journalism? -I did.
-And then you taught at New Rochelle University.
-College in New Rochelle. -College in New Rochelle.
-And how were you as a teacher?
-Well, I thought I was good. I was strict.
-Okay. You were strict?
-I was strict 'cause I was young.
-Oh, interesting. Do you think younger teachers,
on the whole, are stricter?
-Well, that particular campus was for students
who were coming back to school. -Gotcha.
-I wore a head wrap. I don't why I thought
that made me look... -Just, like, academic?
-And it didn't at all. -Yeah.
-It just made me look like a woman in a head wrap.
But I wore -- Yeah, I wore a head wrap.
I thought it made me look academic.
-And then after your life in academia,
you were in New York trying to make it as an actor.
Were you one of those people who had bad New York apartments
over the years? -You know what?
I had -- Mm. [ Laughter ]
You know, my roommate and I had an apartment that a crime --
I think a murder had taken place in.
But we only stayed there three days.
We broke the lease. [ Laughter ]
-What was it that made you think --
-It was that yellow tape. The yellow tape.
-They left the yellow tape? -The yellow tape.
And I said, "We can't -- I don't know what happened,
but yellow tape means it's not good."
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
What did the Realtor say when he showed it to you?
Like, "There's some really nice touches."
-You know what?
When we looked at it, it was fine.
It was the moving in, and I was like, "Why is there --
There was a crime scene here, sir."
-Do you think in the time when you first looked at it
to when you moved in, that's when the crime happened?
-Yeah, I do. [ Laughter ]
I do. I do. And what's crazy is,
we were so excited 'cause we wanted to get it so fast
'cause the rate was so good. -Yeah.
-I was like, "I can't believe we're
getting this for this bargain price."
[ Laughter ]
"This bargain and murder-happened price."
[ Laughter ]
But we moved after about -- after like three days.
-And obviously now, everything's worked out for the best,
and it's just so lovely to have you here.
It is always a pleasure to see you.
Everybody, that's Regina Hall.