Regina Hall on ‘breastaurants,’ ‘Support the Girls’ and the possibility of a ‘Girls Trip’ sequel

Regina Hall fasts on Mondays.

She shows up to our interview at a restaurant in Sherman Oaks barefaced in a T-shirt and jeans, a bottle of agave syrup in hand to sweeten her tea, the only thing she orders.

“I make plans for my Tuesday food,� she says. “Me and two other friends, we all fast on Mondays. And so by Monday night we’re mad.�

With seven upcoming projects, the veteran actress has very little to be upset about these days.

Up first is Magnolia Pictures’ “Support the Girls,� an indie comedy from director Andrew Bujalski (“Computer Chess,� “Results�), out Aug. 24. Hall stars as Lisa, the general manager of Double Whammies, a Hooters-style “breastaurant� in Austin, Texas.

The film is a drastic departure from last year’s “Girls Trip,� that over-the-top studio comedy that became a runaway hit and catapulted breakout star Tiffany Haddish to fame. Comparatively, “Support the Girls� employs light humor to explore gender and racial dynamics in the guise of a workplace comedy.

“It was a simple slice-of-life script,� Hall said. “I think that humanity and people’s day to day existence — there’s a beauty to that.�

Expect to see a lot more of Hall very soon — she’ll appear in Fox’s politically charged young-adult novel adaptation “The Hate U Give,� due out in October; “Black Monday,� a Showtime series starring Don Cheadle, premiering next year; 2019’s “Shaft� reboot starring Samuel L. Jackson; and “Little,� a sendup of the 1988 Tom Hanks comedy “Big,� that she just wrapped shooting alongside Issa Rae and “black-ish� star Marsai Martin.

The Times caught up with Hall ahead of the “Support the Girls� premiere to talk breastaurants, upcoming projects and the possibility of a “Girls Trip� sequel.

So are you a fan of restaurants like Hooters and Twin Peaks now?

I think now that I’ve experienced them, I get it. I can see the draw, I can see why people like them. It’s a catch-22, it’s complex. But I would totally eat in them, I know that much. As a matter of fact, I’m craving [Twin Peaks’] quesadillas and fried pickles. They had good food; I think that’s what I was most shocked about. And very engaging service.

What did you learn talking to restaurant general managers while preparing for the role?

From the women, I learned that they really are nurturers. They are like little mommies. They have jewelry, tampons, pads — everything that you can think of in case the girls are in need; they’re very protective of them. And the customers really like going there. I never think of those places as family-oriented, but their goal is to make everybody feel really comfortable and welcome, like a second home. And then after a while you do get desensitized. Like, I didn’t notice their breasts really or the outfits anymore.

Was it fun playing a character who was less glamorous than the characters you normally play?

Yeah. I didn’t have to do makeup. I mean, all she did was take her finger and swipe the eye shadow on. And then that lip liner. But I didn’t have to do foundation. I was dead set on that choice and then when I looked at it I was, like, “Lisa looks crazy.� But I wanted her to look like those people you see and they look kind of … they feel dated, they’re kind of stuck. It felt right. For me, if it goes with the character then I love it.

What was it like going from an over-the-top studio comedy like “Girls Trip� to an understated indie like “Support the Girls�?

They’re completely opposite, right? Except for the word “girls.� Obviously, craft services was probably a little better on “Girls Trip� [laughs], but they were both great. I got to work with great women. The girls in “Support the Girls� are young and they had such a freshness in their energy. But I had a blast with my peers [in “Girls Trip�]. So they’re different. Both had a story of “everything isn’t what it seems.�

How does working with your contemporaries compare to working with newbies?

They’re all great for different reasons. I was a big fan of [Queen Latifah] and Jada [Pinkett Smith]. I didn’t know Tiffany, but working with her I became a big fan. And with them I could just be crazy. On “Support the Girls� I felt like I had to be more of an example — I couldn’t be acting wild; they could go home and tell their mama about me. I didn’t have that with my peers.

What was your reaction when you saw what a runaway success “Girls Trip� became?

My dog died five days after that movie came out, so I was really too sad to celebrate it and it was kind of a blur. But nowadays when people come up or are, like, “I love the movie,� I love it. I love that women were proud of it, but I really love that black women felt positively and accurately represented.

Do you keep in touch with the rest of the cast?

I do. It’s challenging because they’re always working. Jada’s been traveling, but she and I have a playdate set. I just saw ‘La when I was in Atlanta. Tiffany’s in New York, we almost saw each other but she got there late and I had to catch a plane. We try to keep in touch; it’s actually really nice. The Flossy Posse became real.

Do you think there will be a sequel?

Yeah, I think there could be a sequel. We’re trying to see if all the elements can come together like a script and scheduling. But, yeah, we’re all definitely in talks to make it happen.

Your next movie, “The Hate U Give,� deals with some very serious subjects, including police shootings and protests. How do you think it’ll be received when it comes out?

I hope people will see it, it’s a powerful movie. Amandla [Stenberg] was so great in it. Everyone is, but it’s her story. There are already people who are, like, “We’re not going to let this book be read,� but I hope before people make a decision about the story they actually watch the movie.

You move pretty effortlessly between drama and comedy, what was it like being in the show within a show on “Insecure�?

Issa [Rae] and I have wanted to work together for a long time. My agent called me and was, like, “We have an offer for ‘Insecure’ and I was, like, “What do they want me to play, Issa’s friend?� And they’re, like, “It’s the role of Ninny, a slave.� [Laughs] And I was, like, “What?� And they sent it to me and I read it and it was hysterical.

And now you have your first regular TV series role in several years coming up soon in Showtime’s “Black Monday.� What brought you back?

Don Cheadle [laughs]. I love Don Cheadle. A big, big, big fan of his.

Had you been looking to do a cable or streaming series for a while?

Yeah, I was open to it because of the schedule. I love movies, but there’s a time frame that becomes challenging for me, so this kind of fit everything that I wanted. And I loved that it was a world that we don’t really see black women in — it’s Wall Street. And I loved that it was period [the ‘80s].

I was [also] glad that she wasn’t just the wife. I mean, [the characters] are not married at all, but you see these great scripts and then the [female character’s] story line is part of the man’s. But she has her own story line — she was a trader, the only female trader at the firm. And I loved also that they made her much more like one of the guys. She’s really smart. So as opposed to being — “C’mon guys, you shouldn’t do that� — that mothering kind, she’s slightly just as bad as they are.

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