Biography
Malynda Hale is an actress, filmmaker, singer-songwriter, cultural commentator, and storyteller based in Los Angeles. Working across film, television, music, and digital media, her work explores themes of identity, humanity, faith, race, and emotional connection through cinematic storytelling and character-driven narratives.
Most recently she starred in the feature film Bull Street alongside Loretta Devine and Amy Madigan, currently streaming on Amazon. She made her directorial debut with the short film Curtain Call, which screened at festivals internationally including Bend Film Festival (Oscar-qualifying), Ojai Film Festival, Light Reel Film Festival, and Middlebury New Works Festival. Her second short film Au Gratin, starring Tiffany Daniels, Loretta Devine, and Jay Donnell, was selected for the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival, Wyoming International Film Festival, Light Reel Film Festival in Washington D.C., and the Martha's Vineyard African American Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying festival. She is the founder of JMV Entertainment, a production company focused on developing film, television, and media projects rooted in meaningful storytelling.
As a performer, Malynda has appeared in stage productions of Once on This Island, Dreamgirls, and Bye Bye Birdie, as well as national commercials and the Lifetime Movie Network films A Hunt for Truth alongside Willa Ford and Lust, Lies and Polygamy On stage she has performed at the Troubadour Theatre Company and the Garry Marshall Theatre, where she also served as assistant producer. A proud member of Sag-Aftra and Actors Equity Association, she brings extensive stage and screen experience to every role.
As a singer-songwriter, Malynda is a member of The Recording Academy and has won Best Female Vocalist at the Hollywood Music in Media Awards, Best Pop Music Video at the Indie Music Channel Awards, and Pop Song of the Year at the Josie Music Awards. She has opened for artists including Smokey Robinson, OTown, Tyrone Wells, and Ernie Halter, and has performed for audiences ranging from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Lakers to the California Democratic Convention. Her music has been featured on the CBS soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful and the Disney Channel series Saturdays. She was also a featured soloist on WhyHunger's Drum Together version of The Beatles' Come Together, alongside Ringo Starr and many other notable figures.
As a cultural commentator and creator, Malynda has cultivated a cross-platform audience of over 400,000 and has been featured on CNN, ABC News Live, NPR, Roland Martin Unfiltered, Good Morning America, Wired, The Daily Beast, Blavity, Courier Newsroom, and The Female Lead. WIRED named her one of the top influencers shaping the 2024 election. She has been honored as a Hero Against Hate by the Anti-Defamation League and received the Medal of Valor from the Auschwitz Jewish Center Foundation. She hosts the podcast #WeNeedToTalk, focused on powerful conversations at the intersection of culture, politics, faith, social justice, and identity. Past guests have included Cornel West, Sarah Jakes Roberts, Michelle Williams, Kyla Pratt, and more.
She is the founder of The Black Voices Heard Project, a multimedia storytelling initiative amplifying Black voices and experiences through interviews, photography, and film. She is a Persist Network member, a Builders Movement partner, and has collaborated with organizations including When We All Vote, EarthDay.org, Stand Up America, and ACE For Change.
Across every medium she works in, Malynda is passionate about telling stories that create empathy, challenge systems, and connect people more deeply to one another.
