Halle Berry
- Actress
- Producer
- Director
Halle Maria Berry was born Maria Halle Berry on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio and raised in Oakwood, Ohio to Judith Ann Berry (née Hawkins), a psychiatric nurse & Jerome Jesse Berry, a hospital attendant. Her father was African-American and her mother is of mostly English and German descent. Halle first came into the spotlight at seventeen years when she won the Miss Teen All-American Pageant, representing the state of Ohio in 1985 and, a year later in 1986, when she was the first runner-up in the Miss U.S.A. Pageant. After participating in the pageant, Halle became a model. It eventually led to her first weekly TV series, 1989'sLiving Dolls (1989),where she soon gained a reputation for her on-set tenacity, preferring to "live" her roles and remaining in character even when the cameras stopped rolling. It paid off though when she reportedly refused to bathe for several days before starting work on her role as a crack addict inSpike Lee'sJungle Fever (1991)because the role provided her big screen breakthrough. The following year, she was cast asEddie Murphy's love interest inBoomerang (1992),one of the few times that Murphy was evenly matched on screen. In 1994, Berry gained a youthful following for her performance as sexy secretary "Sharon Stone" inThe Flintstones (1994).She next had a highly publicized starring role withJessica Langein the adoption dramaLosing Isaiah (1995).Though the movie received mixed reviews, Berry didn't let that slow her down, and continued down her path to super-stardom.
In 1998, she received critical success when she starred as a street smart young woman who takes up with a struggling politician inWarren Beatty'sBulworth (1998).The following year, she won even greater acclaim for her role as actressDorothy Dandridgein made-for-cable'sIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999),for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series. In 2000, she received box office success inX-Men (2000)in which she played "Storm", a mutant who has the ability to control the weather. In 2001, she starred in the thrillerSwordfish (2001),and became the first African-American to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards, for her role as a grieving mother in the dramaMonster's Ball (2001).
In 1998, she received critical success when she starred as a street smart young woman who takes up with a struggling politician inWarren Beatty'sBulworth (1998).The following year, she won even greater acclaim for her role as actressDorothy Dandridgein made-for-cable'sIntroducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999),for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series. In 2000, she received box office success inX-Men (2000)in which she played "Storm", a mutant who has the ability to control the weather. In 2001, she starred in the thrillerSwordfish (2001),and became the first African-American to win Best Actress at the Academy Awards, for her role as a grieving mother in the dramaMonster's Ball (2001).
What Roles Has Halle Berry Turned Down?
What Roles Has Halle Berry Turned Down?
Halle Berryhas won an Oscar, co-starred in a James Bond movie, and played comic book stars. But she's also missed out on some famous - and infamous - roles along the way.
