Extraordinary talent Rebecca Hall astounded people when she brought us her adaptation of Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel Passing to the big screen in her writing and directorial debut in 2021. There was much talk in social circles that this remarkable actor, known for disappearing into her roles, was also a triple threat of remarkable depth. However, even more surprising was learning that this white woman, who dared take on the topic of white-passing, was in fact, telling her own story.

Rebecca is the daughter of Sir Peter Hall, a Knighted Commander of the Order of the British Empire, founder of The Royal Shakespeare Company, and Director of England’s National Theater; and Maria Ewing, a celebrated American opera and jazz singer. The hidden ancestry on her maternal side, previously shrouded in mystery, revealed that she descends from Black slaves, with her mother and grandfather needing to pass for white. Given a life rich in such profound discoveries, it’s no surprise to learn that this multi-talented woman is also a gifted painter.

Rebecca is not new to this artform, when she was younger, she would draw the faces of the actors in her father’s stage productions and has been using painting to develop character since the start of her acting career. Characters include her role in Christopher Nolan’s The Prestige (2006) that brought her widespread recognition, Vicky in Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008), which earned her a Golden Globe nomination for her role as Vicky, and later delivered a powerful performance in Ben Affleck’s crime thriller The Town (2010). In addition to her film credits, her stage credits have earned her a Drama Desk Award (2009) for The Cherry Orchard, an Outer Critics Circle Award (2014) for Machinal, and a Drama League Award (2018), for Animal, among others. And, of course, there’s the recent blockbusters Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) proving Hollywood’s commitment to turn this serious thespian into a movie star.