{"id":2148643,"date":"2025-11-11T11:24:04","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T11:24:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2148643"},"modified":"2025-11-11T11:24:04","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T11:24:04","slug":"ex-ohio-state-running-back-maurice-hall-writes-directs-co-stars-in-2nd-christmas-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/ex-ohio-state-running-back-maurice-hall-writes-directs-co-stars-in-2nd-christmas-movie\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-Ohio State running back Maurice Hall writes, directs, co-stars in 2nd Christmas movie"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Former Ohio State running back turned actor\/director <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sports.yahoo.com\/former-ohio-state-rb-maurice-150408435.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:Maurice Hall;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">Maurice Hall<\/a> is running it back with his second holiday-themed feature, but this time he ran a different creative route.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Credited as a co-director, co-writer, co-producer and actor, Hall is releasing his third film, and second holiday feature, with writing partner Tony L. Patterson, with &#8220;#WorstChristmasEver.&#8221; The romantic-comedy is set for a limited release in theaters on Nov. 13.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Unlike his last Christmas film, in which he starred, Hall switched positions to play the character Chris Grandberry, the main character&#8217;s ex-wife&#8217;s fianc\u00e9, in a supporting comedic role.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Former Ohio State RB &#8216;kind of fell into&#8217; latest movie role<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;They always say somebody has to be Jerry Lewis, somebody has to be Dean Martin,&#8221; Hall said. &#8220;I&#8217;m usually the Dean Martin character, but in this one, I&#8217;m more Jerry Lewis, which is fun to do. &#8230; I kind of fell into this role and really absorbed it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Former Ohio State football player Maurice Hall as featured in &#8220;#WorstChristmasEver,&#8221; the actor and writer&#8217;s third film with writing partner Tony L. Patterson.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hall and Patterson&#8217;s first Christmas movie, &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/entertainment\/former-ohio-state-football-player-110617427.html\" data-ylk=\"slk:A Heart for Christmas;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas;outcm:mb_qualified_link;_E:mb_qualified_link;ct:story;\" class=\"link  yahoo-link\">A Heart for Christmas<\/a>,&#8221; starred Hall and his daughter, Sydney Reese Hall, in a family-centric feature with a &#8220;Hallmark&#8221; feel. His latest movie still pulls from personal experiences; it is loosely based on Hall&#8217;s writing partner, Patterson, and his struggles with holiday travel.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We had that scenario, and we kind of just expounded on that,&#8221; Hall said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The film inserts a character named Billy Turner (played by B.J. Britt), a divorced dad who flies to Atlanta to join his ex-wife (played by Shanti Lowry) and her new fianc\u00e9 (played by Hall) for a Christmas celebration with their young-adult children. But the children&#8217;s flights end up being canceled, forcing Turner to spend Christmas alone with his ex-wife and fianc\u00e9.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Another win: Hall&#8217;s last Christmas movie has 7.6\/10 on IMDB<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">It&#8217;s been 13 years since Hall&#8217;s first project was released on the big screen. Three feature films and a TV series later, Hall believes he has gone through the &#8220;on-the-job&#8221; training necessary to be successful in the film and television industry. It paid off in the positive feedback Hall received for &#8220;A Heart for Christmas,&#8221; which holds a 7.6\/10 on IMDB with over 100 ratings.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Maurice Hall played running back at Ohio State from 2001-04,\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"850\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/ih5qbX3oYgfBy.FrIJIf9g--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTg1MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the-columbus-dispatch\/6e3d68a49d9d4bf0856d751e3a46a9f1\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Maurice Hall played running back at Ohio State from 2001-04,<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Does he have another crowd-pleaser in store this holiday season? Hall&#8217;s latest vision started with the lead, B.J. Britt, a staple on Hallmark Christmas movies and an actor Hall had previously competed with for several lead roles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;He brings a certain personality and certain warmth through the set that you want in a person going to be number one on the call sheet,&#8221; Hall said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">To star alongside Britt, Hall and his team brought in Taja V. Simpson (also in &#8220;A Heart for Christmas&#8221;), who shot more than 100 episodes in Tyler Perry&#8217;s &#8220;The Oval.&#8221; Along with her co-star credits, Simpson is a co-producer on this latest venture.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Taja V. Simpson and B.J. Britt in &quot;#WorstChristmasEver,&quot; former Ohio State running back Maurice Hall's third feature film.\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/fBzLTKlcjVdaM9KRbwDUlA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/the-columbus-dispatch\/a8a1640877f96644961d4e2ff50c7248\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<p>Taja V. Simpson and B.J. Britt in &#8220;#WorstChristmasEver,&#8221; former Ohio State running back Maurice Hall&#8217;s third feature film.<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hall believes the cast makes his holiday-romance-comedy mashup special.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I think you&#8217;re gonna laugh more,&#8221; Hall said. &#8221; &#8216;A Heart for Christmas&#8217; was more heartfelt. &#8230; This one, it&#8217;s like chaos. It&#8217;s the worst Christmas ever, so what can go wrong does go wrong.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"mb-4 text-xl font-bold md:text-2xl\">Meet the cast of &#8216;#WorstChristmasEver&#8217; at Columbus screening<\/h2>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Before Hall&#8217;s new film hits streaming on Tubi on Nov. 18, he&#8217;ll debut it Nov. 13 with a limited screening in Columbus. Despite feeling far removed from his Ohio State career from 2001-04, he still receives messages whenever he gets noticed from one of his acting credits.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;I always tell my friends, &#8216;Nobody at Ohio State remembers me,&#8217; &#8221; Hall said, to which his friends reply, &#8220;What are you talking about?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;It&#8217;s always reassuring when people do reach out that I&#8217;ve known for years, either from Ohio State or just from high school. &#8230; Those always feel good,&#8221; said Hall.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hall returns to his Buckeye homeland at the Studio35 theatre to kick off the release of his new film, beginning with a cast meet and greet at 5:30 p.m. <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/studio35.com\/movie\/worstchristmasever-with-maurice-hall-qa\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Tickets;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Tickets<\/a> are still available for the limited release.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><em>This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.dispatch.com\/story\/sports\/college\/football\/2025\/11\/11\/former-ohio-state-rb-maurice-hall-christmas-movie-worstchristmasever\/87143872007\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Former Ohio State RB tackles family topics in '#WorstChristmasEver';elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Former Ohio State RB tackles family topics in &#8216;#WorstChristmasEver&#8217;<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Former Ohio State running back turned actor\/director Maurice Hall is running it back with his second holiday-themed feature, but this time he ran a different creative route. Credited as a co-director, co-writer, co-producer and actor, Hall is releasing his third film, and second holiday feature, with writing partner Tony L. Patterson, with &#8220;#WorstChristmasEver.&#8221; The romantic-comedy [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2148644,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[22116,339577,350984,410802,358904,410803],"class_list":["post-2148643","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-christmas","tag-jerry-lewis","tag-latest-movie","tag-maurice-hall","tag-ohio-state","tag-sydney-reese-hall"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ex-Ohio-State-running-back-Maurice-Hall-writes-directs-co-stars-in.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148643","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2148643"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148643\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2148645,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2148643\/revisions\/2148645"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2148644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2148643"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2148643"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2148643"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}