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Halle Berry

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Halle Berry
Berry visiting with sailors and Marines during the opening day of Fleet Week New York 2006.
Born
Halle Maria Berry
Spouse(s)David Justice (1992–1996)
Eric Benét (2001–2005)
AwardsNBR Award for Best Actress
2001 Monster's Ball
BAFTA Award for Best Lead Actress nomination
2001, Monster's Ball
BET Award for Best Actress
2003,
'
Black Reel Awards
2002, Best Actress: Monster's Ball
2000, Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series: Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
Websitehttp://www.hallewood.com/

Halle Maria Berry (/ˈhælɪ ˈbɛrɪ/; born August 14, 1966)[1] is an American actress and former fashion model and beauty queen. Berry has received Emmy and Golden Globe awards for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,[2] and an Academy Award for Best Actress in 2002 for her performance in Monster's Ball, becoming the only woman of African-American descent to have won the award for Best Actress. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood and also a Revlon spokeswoman.[3][4] She is attempting to expand into the production side of Hollywood.[5]

Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, finishing runner-up in Miss USA (1986), and winning the Miss USA World 1986 contest.[2] Her breakthrough feature film role was in the 1991 Jungle Fever. This led to roles in The Flintstones (1994), Bulworth (1998), X-Men (2000) and its sequels, and Die Another Day. She also won a worst actress Razzie award in 2005 for Catwoman, and accepted the award in person.[6]

Divorced from baseball player David Justice and musician Eric Benét, Berry has been dating French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry since November 2005.

Early life

Berry's parents selected her first name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a local landmark in her birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio. She is the daughter of Liverpool-born Englishwoman Judith Ann (née Hawkins)[7] and African-American Jerome Jesse Berry. Berry's maternal grandmother, Nellie Dicken, was born in Sawley, Derbyshire, England, while her maternal grandfather, Earl Ellsworth Hawkins (an American), was born in Ohio.[8] Berry's parents divorced when she was 4 years old and she was subsequently raised by her mother, a psychiatric nurse. Her father was an orderly in the same psychiatric ward where her mother worked and later became a bus driver. Berry said in published reports that she was estranged from her father since her childhood.[9]

Berry studied at Bedford High School, and she worked in the children's department at Higbee's Department store. She subsequently attended the Cuyahoga Community College. In the 1980s, she entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Teen All-American in 1985 and Miss Ohio USA in 1986.[2] Other entries included Miss USA (first runner-up in 1986 to Christy Fichtner of Texas, the second of the Texas Aces), and sixth place in Miss World 1986 (the winner being Trinidad and Tobago's Giselle Laronde). In the Miss USA 1986 pageant interview competition, she said she hoped to become an entertainer or to have something to do with the media. Her interview was awarded the highest score by the judges.[10]

In 1989, during the taping of the short-lived television series Living Dolls, Berry lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus type 1.[11]

Acting career

Berry signs autographs for US soldiers in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In the late 1980s, Berry went to Chicago to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. One of her first acting projects was a television series for local cable by Gordon Lake Productions called Chicago Force. In 1992, Berry was cast as the love interest in the video for R. Kelly's seminal single, "Honey Love".[12]

In 1989, Berry landed the role of Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series Living Dolls (a spin-off of Who's the Boss?). Her breakthrough feature film role was in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, in which she played a drug addict named Vivian. Her first co-starring role was in the 1991 film Strictly Business. In 1992, Berry portrayed a career woman who falls for Eddie Murphy in the romantic comedy Boomerang. That same year, she caught the public's attention as a headstrong biracial slave in the TV adaptation of Queen: The Story of an American Family, based on the book by Alex Haley. Berry also played the sultry secretary who seduced Fred Flintstone in the live-action Flintstones movie as "Sharon Stone".[13]

Playing a former drug addict struggling to regain custody of her son in Losing Isaiah (1995), Berry showed she could tackle more serious roles, holding her own opposite co-star Jessica Lange. She portrayed Sandra Beecher in Race the Sun (1996), which was based on a true story, and co-starred along side Kurt Russell in Executive Decision. From 1996 onwards, she was a Revlon spokeswoman for seven years and renewed her contract in 2004.[14][4]

In 1998, Berry received praise for her role in Bulworth as an intelligent woman raised by activists who gives politician Warren Beatty a new lease on life. The same year,she played the singer Zola Taylor, one of the three wives of pop singer Frankie Lymon, in the biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love. In the 1999 film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, she portrayed the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award. In the HBO biopic, Berry's performance was recognized with several awards, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe.[2] (She was also one of the producers of the project.)

Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm in the movie adaptation of the comic book series X-Men (2000) and its sequels X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). In 2001, Berry appeared in the film Swordfish, which featured her first on-screen nude scene.

In 2001, Berry appeared as Leticia Musgrove, the wife of an executed murderer, in the film Monster's Ball. Her performance was awarded the National Board of Review and the Screen Actors Guild prizes, and earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Berry made history by becoming the first African-American woman to receive a Best Actress Academy Award.[15]

Her win at the Academy Awards led to two famous "Oscar moments." In accepting her award, she gave an emotional acceptance speech honoring previous black actresses who had never had the opportunity. One year later, when presenting the Best Actor award, winner Adrien Brody ran on stage and, instead of giving her the standard peck on the cheek, planted a long, wet, open-mouthed kiss on Berry.

International success

File:Halle Berry in Hamburg 2004.jpg
Berry in Hamburg in 2004.

As Bond girl Jinx in the 2002 blockbuster Die Another Day, Berry famously recreated the scene from Dr. No, bursting from the surf to be greeted by James Bond, as Ursula Andress had 40 years earlier.[15] In late 2003, she starred in the psychological thriller Gothika opposite Robert Downey Jr. The same year, she was named #1 in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.[16] Her next lead role was in the film Catwoman, for which she was awarded a "worst actress" Razzie award in 2005. She accepted the award in person with a sense of humor, considering it an experience of the "rock bottom" in order to be "at the top".[6] Holding the Academy Award in one hand and the Razzie in the other she said, "I never in my life thought that I would be here, winning a Razzie. It's not like I ever aspired to be here, but thank you. When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser, then there's no way you could be a good winner".[15]

Berry next appeared in the Oprah Winfrey-produced ABC TV movie Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005), an adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's novel, in which Berry portrayed Janie Crawford, a free-spirited woman whose unconventional sexual mores upset her 1920s contemporaries in her small community. Meanwhile, she voiced the character of Cappy, one of the many mechanical beings in the animated feature Robots (2005). In 2006, Hasty Pudding Theatricals gave her the Woman of The Year award.[17]

File:Halle Berry on red carpet Robots movie.jpg
Berry on the red carpet of robots.

She starred in the thriller Perfect Stranger with Bruce Willis and wrapped shooting on Things We Lost in the Fire with Benicio del Toro. She is set to star in Class Act, based on the real life story of a teacher whose students helped her run for political office, and Tulia, which will reunite her with Monster's Ball costar Billy Bob Thornton.

Berry is making the transition to working on the production side of film and television. She is working with author Angela Nissel to executive-produce a comedy series based on Nissel's two memoirs, The Broke Diaries and Mixed: My Life in Black and White.[5] Berry has served many years as the face of Revlon cosmetics and also served as the face of Versace. She is featured in Maxim magazine's Girls of Maxim gallery.[18]

Berry is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, earning $14 million each for Gothika and Catwoman.[3] In July 2007, she topped In Touch magazine's list of the world's most fabulous 40-something celebrities. On April 3, 2007, she was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Kodak Theatre at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard for her contributions to the film industry.[19][20]

Personal life

Berry at the 2003 ComicCon in San Diego, CA.

Berry has been married twice. Her first marriage, in 1992 to former baseball player David Justice, ended in divorce in 1996. Justice played with the Atlanta Braves and experienced a measure of fame as the team rose to prominence in the early 1990s. The couple found it difficult to maintain their relationship while he was playing baseball and she was filming elsewhere. Berry has stated publicly that she was so disappointed after her breakup with Justice that she considered taking her own life.[21]

Berry's second marriage was to musician Eric Benét. They met in 1997 and married in 2001.[22] Berry credited Benét with support after she was involved in a February 2000 car accident. She suffered a concussion and left the scene of the accident before the police arrived, resulting in a misdemeanor charge. The incident became fodder for comedians. Berry stated she felt "really good about the resolution"; she pled no contest, paid a fine and was placed on three years' probation.[23]

The couple, however, separated in 2003.[22] After the separation, Berry stated, "I want love, and I will find it, hopefully".[24] While married to Benét, Berry planned to adopt Eric's daughter, India, but this never occurred. The divorce was finalized in January 2005.[25]

In November 2005, she began dating French-Canadian supermodel Gabriel Aubry, who is ten years her junior. The couple met at a Versace photoshoot.[26] After six months with Aubry, she stated in an interview, "I'm really happy in my personal life, which is a novelty to me. You know, I'm not the girl that has the best relationships".[27]

Berry revealed on Extra that she plans to adopt children. "I will adopt if it doesn't happen for me naturally", she said. "I will definitely adopt. And I probably will adopt even if it does happen naturally".[24] Later she stated, "I never want to be married again. I guess you could say I have bad taste in men. But I no longer feel the need to be someone's wife. I don't feel like I need to be validated by being in a marriage".[28]

Wikinews has related news:

After initially denying rumors that she was pregnant, Berry confirmed in September 2007 that she was three months pregnant with Aubry's child.[29] She has stated that she hopes to have a second child right away.[30]

Berry in the media

Berry has stated that the manner in which people have reacted to her is often the result of ignorance. Her own self-identification has been influenced by her mother. She is quoted as saying

After having many talks with my mother about the issue, she reinforced what she had always taught me. She said that even though you are half black and half white, you will be discriminated against in this country as a black person. People will not know when they see you that you have a white mother unless you wear a sign on your forehead. And, even if they did, so many people believe that you have an ounce of black blood in you then you are black. So, therefore, I decided to let folks categorize me however they needed to.[31]

While taping the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 19, 2007, Berry displayed a distorted image of her face, remarking: "Here's where I look like my Jewish cousin!" During the editing of the program, the comment was obscured by a laugh track. The New York Post "Page Six" article that reported the story included Berry's reaction: "Berry, 41, who sounded like she was near tears, told Page Six last night: '"What happened was I was backstage before the show and I have three girls who are Jewish who work for me. We were going through pictures to see which ones looked silly, and one of my Jewish friends said [of the big-nose picture], 'That could be your Jewish cousin!' And I guess it was fresh in my mind, and it just came out of my mouth. But I didn't mean to offend anybody. I didn't. I didn't mean any harm. - and after the show I realized it could be seen as offensive, so I asked Jay to take it out, and he did.'"[32]

Berry also appears in the Limp Bizkit music video for Behind Blue Eyes for the motion picture soundtrack for the movie Gothika

Filmography

Year Title Role Other Notes
1989 Living Dolls Emily Franklin on TV (cancelled after 13 episodes)
1991 Knots Landing Debbie Porter on TV (cast member in 1991)
Jungle Fever Vivian
Strictly Business Natalie
The Last Boy Scout Cory
1992 Boomerang Angela Lewis
1993 Queen: The Story of an American Family Queen on TV (miniseries) Halle Berry won the Image Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Television Movie or Mini-Series
CB4 Herself Cameo
Father Hood Kathleen Mercer
The Program Autumn Haley
1994 The Flintstones Sharon Stone
1995 Solomon & Sheba Nikhaule/Queen Sheba on TV
Losing Isaiah Khaila Richards
1996 Executive Decision Jean
Race the Sun Miss Sandra Beecher
Girl 6 Cameo
The Rich Man's Wife Josie Potenza
1997 B*A*P*S Nisi
1998 The Wedding Shelby Coles on TV
Bulworth Nina
Why Do Fools Fall in Love Zola Taylor
Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Dorothy Dandridge on TV, an HBO Movie. Berry won the Emmy, Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (She was also executive producer)
2000 X-Men Ororo Munroe/Storm
Welcome to Hollywood Documentary
2001 Swordfish Ginger Knowles
Monster's Ball Leticia Musgrove Berry won the Best Actress Academy Award
2002 Die Another Day Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson
2003 X2: X-Men United Ororo Munroe/Storm
Gothika Miranda Grey
2004 Catwoman Patience Phillips / Catwoman Berry won the Razzie for her performance, and was nominated for the Kids' Choice Awards, USA - Blimp Award as Favorite movie Actress
2005 Their Eyes Were Watching God Janie Starks
Robots Cappy (Voice)
2006 X-Men: The Last Stand Ororo Munroe/Storm
2007 Perfect Stranger Rowena Price
Things We Lost in the Fire Audrey Burke
2008 Tulia Vanita Gupta Upcoming
Class Act Tierney Cahill Upcoming
Who is Doris Payne? Doris Payne Upcoming
Nappily Ever After Venus Johnson Upcoming

Awards

Year Award Category Film Result
1995 NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Queen Won
2000 Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Lead Actress - Miniseries or Movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge Won
Golden Globe Award Best Actress - Miniseries or TV Movie Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Actress - Miniseries or TV Movie Won
Black Reel Awards Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series Won
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special Won
2001 Academy Award Best Actress Monster's Ball Won
Screen Actors Guild Awards Best Actress - Motion Picture Won
British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Lead Actress Nominated
NBR Best Actress Won
2002 Black Reel Awards Best Actress Won
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress Swordfish Won
BET Awards Best Actress Won
2003 BET Awards Best Actress Nominated
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress Die Another Day Won
2004 Golden Raspberry Awards Worst Actress Catwoman Won
NAACP Image Award Outstanding Actress Gothika Nominated
BET Awards Best Actress Won
2005 BET Awards Best Actress Nominated
2006 NAACP Image Award Outstanding Supporting Actress - TV series Their Eyes Were Watching God Nominated

References

Citations
  1. ^ Although a 1968 birthdate is found in Britannica, NYTimes and MSN, she stated in interviews prior to August 2006 that she would turn 40 then. See: FemaleFirst, DarkHorizons, FilmMonthly, and see also CBS. Verified 2007-05-05.
  2. ^ a b c d "Halle Berry Biography". People.com. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  3. ^ a b "Witherspoon tops actress pay list". 999 Today. 999Network. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  4. ^ a b Bayot, Jennifer (2002-12-01). "Private Sector; A Shaker, Not a Stirrer, at Revlon". New York Times. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  5. ^ a b Adalian, Joseph (2006-09-18). "Weitzes mix it up at NBC". Variety TV. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  6. ^ a b Piccalo, Gina (2007-11-01). "Halle Berry: A career so strong it survived Catwoman". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  7. ^ "Halle Berry looking for X factor". Retrieved 2007-02-07. "Lawrence Van Gelder, "Arts Briefing," New York Times May 26, 2003". Retrieved 2008-2-2. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  8. ^ "Ancestry of Halle Berry". Geneology.com. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  9. ^ "Showbiz". The Age. 2003-01-28. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  10. ^ "Pageant Almanac - Miss USA 1986 Scores". Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  11. ^ "Halle Berry – Oscar winning actress and Type 1 diabetic". Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  12. ^ Halle Berry, R. Kelly. Born into the 90's. Jive Records. {{cite AV media}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Unknown parameter |date2= ignored (help)
  13. ^ "Berry: Ripe for success". BBC-News. 25 March 2002. Retrieved 2007-02-19.
  14. ^ "Revlon - Supplier News - renewed its contract with actress Halle Berry; to introduce the Pink Happiness Spring 2004 Color Collection - Brief Article". BNET Research Center. CNET Networks. 2003-12-15. Retrieved 2007-12-23.
  15. ^ a b c "Halle Berry Biography: Page 2". People.com. Retrieved 2007-12-20.
  16. ^ "FHM Readers Name Scarlett Johansson World's Sexiest Woman; Actress Tops Voting in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006 Readers' Poll". Business Wire. 2006-03-27. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  17. ^ "And the Pudding Pot goes to...". Harvard University Gazette. President and Fellows of Harvard College. 2006-02-03. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  18. ^ "Girls of Maxim: Halle Berry". Maxim Online. Dennis Digital. Retrieved 2007-12-15.
  19. ^ Hollywood Chamber of Commerce. "Hollywood Walk of Fame Recent Ceremonies". Retrieved 2007-04-04.
  20. ^ "Halle Berry Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame". Fox News. 2007-04-04. Retrieved 2007-12-13.
  21. ^ "My Sights Are Set on Motherhood". Parade (magazine). 2007-04-01. Retrieved 2007-07-24.
  22. ^ a b Steven M. Silverman (October 2, 2003). Halle Berry, Eric Benet Split People. Accessed 2008-01-13.
  23. ^ Touré"Portrait of a Lady". USA Weekend. 2001-01-20. Retrieved 2007-04-02.
  24. ^ a b "Second Chance at Love". US Online. 2006-07-14. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  25. ^ Steven M. Silverman (January 10, 2005).Halle Berry Finalizes Split from Benet. People. Accessed 2008-01-13.
  26. ^ Halle Berry Steps Out with Her New Man. (February 15,2006) People. Accessed 2008-01-10.
  27. ^ Todd Williams (November 18, 2007) Halle Berry – Great Expectations Rollingout.com. Accessed 2008-01-10.
  28. ^ "Halle Berry: "I'll Never Marry Again"". HalleBerryWeb.com. May 22, 2006. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
  29. ^ "Halle Berry expecting her first baby". MSNBC. September 4, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  30. ^ Michael Tarm (October 2, 2007). Halle Berry Says She Wants Another Child. Washington Post. Accessed 2008-01-10.
  31. ^ "Halle Berry's position on Racial Discrimination". Retrieved 2007-12-21.
  32. ^ "Berry Nose Better Than That". New York Post. 2007-10-24. Retrieved 2007-12-21.
Publications
  • Banting, Erinn. Halle Berry, Weigl Publishers, 2005 - ISBN 1590363337
  • Gogerly, Liz. Halle Berry, Raintree, 2005 - ISBN 1410910857
  • Naden, Corinne J. Halle Berry, Sagebrush Education Resources, 2001 - ISBN 0613861574
  • O'Brien, Daniel. Halle Berry, Reynolds & Hearn, 2003 - ISBN 1903111382
  • Sanello, Frank. Halle Berry: A Stormy Life, Virgin Books, 2003 - ISBN 1852270926
  • Schuman, Michael A. Halle Berry: Beauty Is Not Just Physical, Enslow, 2006 - ISBN 0766024679
Wikiquote has quotations related to Halle Berry.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Halle Berry.
Preceded by
Lisa Barlow
 Miss Ohio USA
1986 		Succeeded by
Hallie Bonnell
Preceded by
Brenda Denton
 Miss USA World
1986 		Succeeded by
Clotilde Cabrera
Preceded by Bond girl
2002 		Succeeded by

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