AYA * In 2002 Halle Berry made Oscar
history. She became the first woman to win the Best Actress Oscar. It took 73 years since
the inaugural ceremony of the Oscars for a woman of color, a black woman, to win the
best actress Oscar. Hollywood, the Academy and every entertainment industry for that
matter has been infused with white supremacy. It runs deep. But Halle Berry has pushed hard
from an early age to stick to her passions and become the icon that we know now.*
AYA Halle Berry was born to an African
American father and Liverpool born white mother in Ohio. Halle saw her father abuse her mother
until they divorced when Halle was five years old. And ever since then she has lost all
contact with her estranged father. While attending community college, Halle entered various beauty
pageants, and went as far as winning Miss Teen All American in 1985 and Miss Ohio USA
in 1986. In 1986 she was Miss USA first runner- up. Moreover Halle was the first African-American
Miss World entrant in 1986. Halle then moved to New York City altogether, to pursue a modeling
career. She slept at a homeless shelter at one point, until she secured a few tv show
appearances shortly in 1989. Halle was 23 years old and realized that her dreams to
become a successful actress waited for her in Los Angeles, and so she moved there.
AYA Her film debut was in 1991 in Spike
Lee's Jungle Fever, along with two other movies Strictly Business and The Last Boy Scout.
During the 90s Halle carved her image of being a malleable and marketable actress.
(MORE) AYA (CONT'D)
She appeared in successful films that proved just that in Boomerang, Queen:
The Story of an American Family, Flintstones and Losing Isaiah (opposite Jessica Lange)as
well as BAPS, Bulworth and Why Do Fools Fall In Love.
AYA * In 1999 Berry starred in an HBO
bio pic about Dorothy Dandridge, called Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. Dandridge was the very
first African American actress in history to get nominated for
the Best Actress Oscar, but lost to Grace Kelly in 1955. This film must have been a
major experience for Berry as it was one that she fought hard for to be produced. She served
as a co-producer on it too. This film won multiple awards and Berry received a Golden
Globe as well as an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress. This film truly opened a lot of doors
for Berry who was about to hit her career pinnacle.*
AYA When the 2000s rolled in Halle
Berry starred in a number of memorable and mainstream films like in X-Men, Swordfish,
Gothika, Cat woman, Die Another Day, and even did voiceover in Robots. But amid these high
budget films, there was one particular one with a mere $4 million budget that ascended
Berry to become the best actress; 2001’s Monsters Ball. The film costarred Billy Bob
Thornton who plays a racist cop who then has a change of heart when he meets Berry’s
character a woman who faces tragedy after tragedy. Heath Ledger and Sean Combs starred
in this film too. This massively successful film brought to light themes like child/parent
relationships, racism, poverty and the justice system.
2. AYA
The 2002 Academy Awards made big waves in race inclusivity because the two
best acting oscars went to two African Americans. Denzel Washington became the second ever black
man to win the Best Actor Oscar for Training Day and Halle Berry became the first ever
black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar. To this day Halle’s benchmark still stands.
AYA Halle continued starring in the X-
Men franchise, she starred in more science fiction and action films like Cloud Atlas,
Kingsman:The Golden Circle and John Wick 3. She starred in a few thrillers on top like
in Perfect Stranger, Dark Tide and The Call. Moreover she has coproduced a 2019 comedy
series called Boomerang, starred and directed Bruised and starred and co produced Kidnap.
AYA * Halle Berry along with
being an incredibly beautiful woman, shows talent in
playing diverse characters in all film genres. She exhibits vulnerability, femininity and
strength from within that makes her one of the most successful leading ladies in Hollywood.*
3.