Halle Berry

Halle Maria Berry (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respelling; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing sixth in Miss World 1986. Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy Boomerang (1992), alongside Eddie Murphy, which led to roles in The Flintstones (1994) and Bulworth (1998) as well as the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

Berry established herself as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood during the 2000s. For her performance of a struggling widow in the romantic drama Monster's Ball (2001), Berry became the only African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress, and the first woman of color. Berry took on high-profile roles such as Storm in four installments of the X-Men film series (2000–2014), the henchwoman of a robber in the thriller Swordfish (2001), Bond girl Jinx in Die Another Day (2002), and the title role in the much-derided Catwoman (2004).

A varying critical and commercial reception followed in subsequent years, with Perfect Stranger (2007), Cloud Atlas (2012) and The Call (2013) being among her notable film releases in that period. Berry launched a production company, 606 Films, in 2014 and has been involved in the production of a number of projects in which she performed, such as the CBS science fiction series Extant (2014–2015). She appeared in the action films Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and made her directorial debut with the Netflix drama Bruised (2020).

Berry has been a Revlon spokesmodel since 1996. She was formerly married to baseball player David Justice, singer-songwriter Eric Benét, and actor Olivier Martinez. Berry has two children. She shares her first child with her former partner Gabriel Aubry, a model, and she shares her second child with Martinez.

Early life

Berry was born Maria Halle Berry in Cleveland, Ohio,<ref name="actors">"Halle Berry". Inside the Actors Studio. Bravo, October 29, 2007.</ref> on August 14, 1966,<ref>Although Britannica Kids gives a 1968 birthdate Template:Webarchive, (from the original on August 17, 2012), she stated in interviews prior to August 2006 that she would turnTemplate:Nbsp40 then. See: FemaleFirst, DarkHorizons, FilmMonthly Template:Webarchive, and see also Profile, cbsnews.com; accessed May 5, 2007.</ref> to Judith Ann (née Hawkins), a first generation American whose mother, Nelle Hawkins, (née Dicken), came from Liverpool,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and Jerome Jesse Berry, an African-American man.<ref name="actors" /> Her name was legally changed to Halle Maria Berry at the age of five.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her parents selected her middle name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a local landmark in Cleveland.<ref name="actors" /> Berry's mother worked as a psychiatric nurse, and her father worked in the same hospital as an attendant in the psychiatric ward; he later became a bus driver.<ref name="actors" /> They divorced when Berry was four years old, and she and her older sister Heidi Berry-Henderson<ref name="nea">Template:Cite news</ref> were raised exclusively by their mother.<ref name="actors" /> She has been estranged from her father since childhood,<ref name="actors" /><ref name="Showbiz">Template:Cite web</ref> noting in 1992 that she did not even know if he was still alive.<ref name="nea" /> Her father was abusive to her mother, and Berry has recalled witnessing her mother being beaten daily, kicked down stairs, and hit in the head with a wine bottle.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Berry has also said that she was bullied as a child and, as a result, learned how to fight and protect herself.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

Berry grew up in Oakwood, Ohio,<ref>The Woman Who Would Be Queen | PEOPLE.com Template:Webarchive Retrieved May 20, 2018.</ref> and graduated from Bedford High School, where she was a cheerleader, honor student, editor of the school newspaper, and prom queen.<ref name=Hurts/> She worked in the children's department of Higbee's department store. She then continued her studies at Cuyahoga Community College. In the 1980s, she entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Teen All American 1985 and Miss Ohio USA 1986.<ref name="peo1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> She was the 1986 Miss USA first runner-up, with Christy Fichtner of Texas taking home the crown.<ref name="peo1" /> In the Miss USA 1986 pageant interview competition, Berry said she hoped to become an entertainer or do some kind of work in media. Her interview was awarded the highest score by the judges.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1986, Berry became the first African-American to represent the United States at the Miss World beauty pageant. She placed sixth, with Trinidad and Tobago's Giselle Laronde being crowned Miss World.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Career

Early work and breakthrough (1989–1999)

In 1989, Berry moved to New York City to pursue her acting ambitions.<ref name="Noelle">Template:Cite web</ref> During her early time there, she ran out of money and briefly lived in a homeless shelter and a YMCA.<ref name="CurrentBio1999">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>"Halle Berry: From homeless shelter to Hollywood fame" (April 2007). Reader's Digest (White Plains, New York USA: Reader's Digest Association, Inc.), p. 89: Reader's Digest: "Is it true that when you moved to New York to begin your acting career, you lived in a shelter?" Berry: "Very briefly. ... I wasn't working for a while."</ref><ref>US Weekly (April 27, 2007). "Halle Berry was homeless. Berry slept at a shelter in NYC after her mom refused to send her money."</ref> Her situation improved by the end of that year, and she was cast in the role of model Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series Living Dolls, which was shot in New York and was a spin-off of the hit series Who's the Boss?.<ref name="CurrentBio1999" /> During the taping of Living Dolls, she lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes.<ref>Pérez-Peña, Richard (May 17, 2006). Beyond 'I'm a Diabetic', Little Common Ground Template:Webarchive, The New York Times; accessed December 24, 2010.</ref><ref>Hoskins, Mike (April 25, 2013). "Revisiting the Great Halle Berry Diabetes Ruckus" Template:Webarchive, DiabetesMine.com; accessed March 20, 2013.</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the cancellation of Living Dolls, she moved to Los Angeles.<ref name="CurrentBio1999" />

File:Halle Berry (46604499724).jpg

Berry at the 1997 Essence Awards

Berry's film debut was in a small role for Spike Lee's Jungle Fever (1991), in which she played Vivian, a drug addict.<ref name="actors" /> That same year, Berry had her first co-starring role in Strictly Business. In 1992, Berry portrayed a career woman who falls for the lead character played by Eddie Murphy in the romantic comedy Boomerang. The following 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 was also in the live-action Flintstones film as Sharon Stone, a sultry secretary who attempts to seduce Fred Flintstone.<ref name="Sharon">"Berry: Ripe for success" Template:Webarchive, BBC News, March 25, 2002; accessed February 19, 2007.</ref>

Berry tackled a more serious role, playing a former drug addict struggling to regain custody of her son in Losing Isaiah (1995), starring opposite Jessica Lange. She portrayed Sandra Beecher in Race the Sun (1996), which was based on a true story, shot in Australia, and co-starred alongside Kurt Russell in Executive Decision. Beginning in 1996, she was a Revlon spokeswoman for seven years and renewed her contract in 2004.<ref name="PSASNaSaR">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>"Revlon – Supplier News – renewed its contract with actress Halle Berry; to introduce the Pink Happiness Spring 2004 Color Collection – Brief Article" Template:Webarchive (December 15, 2003), CNET Networks; accessed December 23, 2007.</ref>

She starred alongside Natalie Deselle Reid in the 1997 comedy film B*A*P*S. In 1998, Berry received praise for her role in Bulworth as an intelligent woman raised by activists who gives a 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 HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> she portrayed Dorothy Dandridge, the first African American woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. It was to Berry a heartfelt project that she introduced, co-produced and fought intensely for it to come through.<ref name="actors" /> Berry won awards including a Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award.<ref name="peo1" /><ref>Parish, James Robert (October 29, 2001). The Hollywood Book of Death: The Bizarre, Often Sordid, Passings of More than 125 American Movie and TV Idols, Contemporary Books of McGraw Hill; Template:ISBN</ref>

Worldwide recognition (2000–2004)

Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm in the film adaptation of the comic book series X-Men (2000) and its sequels, X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014). In 2001, Berry appeared in the film Swordfish, which featured her first topless scene.<ref name="Hyland">Hyland, Ian (September 2, 2001) "The Diary: Halle's bold glory", Sunday Mirror; accessed July 5, 2009.</ref> At first, she was opposed to a sunbathing scene in the film in which she would appear topless, but Berry eventually agreed. Some people attributed her change of heart to a substantial increase in the amount Warner Bros. offered her;<ref>Davies, Hugh (February 7, 2001). "Halle Berry earns extra £357,000 for topless scene" Template:Webarchive, The Telegraph; accessed April 29, 2008.</ref> she was reportedly paid an additional $500,000 for the short scene.<ref>D'Souza, Christa (December 31, 2001). "And the winner is..." Template:Webarchive, The Telegraph; accessed August 16, 2010.</ref> Berry denied these stories, telling one interviewer that they amused her and "made for great publicity for the movie."<ref name="Hyland" /><ref>"Swordfish: Interview With Halle Berry" Template:Webarchive, Cinema.com. Accessed May 10, 2012.</ref> After turning down numerous roles that required nudity, she said she decided to make Swordfish because her then-husband, Eric Benét, supported her and encouraged her to take risks.<ref name="ebony">"Halle's big year" (November 2002), Ebony.</ref>

Berry appeared as Leticia Musgrove, the troubled wife of an executed murderer (Sean Combs), in the 2001 feature film Monster's Ball. Her performance was awarded the National Board of Review and the Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress. She became the only African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.<ref name="indiewire">Template:Cite web</ref> The NAACP issued the statement: "Congratulations to Halle Berry and Denzel Washington for giving us hope and making us proud. If this is a sign that Hollywood is finally ready to give opportunity and judge performance based on skill and not on skin color then it is a good thing."<ref>"NAACP Congratulates Halle Berry, Denzel Washington" (March 2002), U.S. Newswire; accessed October 29, 2015.</ref> This role generated controversy. Her graphic nude love scene with a racist character played by co-star Billy Bob Thornton was the subject of much media chatter and discussion among African Americans. Many in the African-American community were critical of Berry for taking the part.<ref name="ebony" /> Berry responded: "I don't really see a reason to ever go that far again. That was a unique movie. That scene was special and pivotal and needed to be there, and it would be a really special script that would require something like that again."<ref name="ebony" />

Berry asked for a higher fee for Revlon advertisements after winning the Oscar. Ron Perelman, the cosmetics firm's chief, congratulated her, saying how happy he was that she modeled for his company. She replied, "Of course, you'll have to pay me more." Perelman stalked off in a rage.<ref>Davies, Hugh (April 2, 2002). "Berry seeks higher adverts fee" Template:Webarchive, The Telegraph; accessed April 1, 2008.</ref> In accepting her award, she gave an acceptance speech honoring previous black actresses who had never had the opportunity. She said, "This moment is so much bigger than me. This is for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened."<ref>Poole, Oliver (March 26, 2002). "Oscar night belongs to Hollywood's black actors", The Telegraph; accessed April 1, 2008.</ref>

Upper body shot of Berry dressed in brown and gold evening gown and holding an autograph pen.

Berry at the German premiere of Catwoman in 2004

As Bond girl Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson in the 2002 Die Another Day, Berry filmed a homage to Dr. No, emerging from the surf to be greeted by James Bond as Ursula Andress had 40 years earlier.<ref>"Berry recreates a Bond girl icon" Template:Webarchive (April 12, 2002), Telegraph Observer.</ref> Lindy Hemming, costume designer on Die Another Day, had insisted that Berry wear a bikini and knife as a homage.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Berry has said of the scene: "It's splashy," "exciting," "sexy," "provocative" and "it will keep me still out there after winning an Oscar."<ref name="ebony" /><ref>Die Another Day Special Edition DVD 2002.</ref> According to an ITV news poll, Jinx was voted the fourth toughest girl on screen of all time.<ref>Template:Usurped. MI6 News.</ref> Berry was hurt during filming when debris from a smoke grenade flew into her eye. It was removed in a 30-minute operation.<ref>Hugh Davies (April 10, 2002). "Halle Berry hurt in a blast during Bond film scene." Template:Webarchive The Telegraph; accessed April 1, 2008.</ref> After Berry won the Academy Award, rewrites were commissioned to give her more screentime for X2.<ref>"The X-Men 2 panel" Template:Webarchive (July 30, 2002), joblo.com; accessed March 12, 2008.</ref>

She starred in the psychological thriller Gothika opposite Robert Downey, Jr. in November 2003, during which she broke her arm in a scene with Downey, who twisted her arm too hard. Production was halted for eight weeks.<ref>"Halle Berry talks about Gothika", iVillage.co.uk; accessed October 29, 2015.</ref> It was a moderate hit at the United States box office, taking in $60 million; it earned another $80 million abroad.<ref name="action" /> Berry appeared in the nu metal band Limp Bizkit's music video for "Behind Blue Eyes" for the motion picture soundtrack for the film. The same year, she was named No. 1 in FHMTemplate:'s 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.<ref>"FHM Readers Name Scarlett Johansson World's Sexiest Woman; Actress Tops Voting in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006 Readers' Poll" (March 27, 2006), Business Wire; accessed January 1, 2008.</ref>

Berry starred as the title role in the film Catwoman,<ref name="action">Sharon Waxman (July 21, 2004). "Making Her Leap Into an Arena Of Action; Halle Berry Mixes Sexiness With Strength" Template:Webarchive, New York Times. Accessed April 1, 2008.</ref> for which she received US$12.5 million.<ref>David Gritten (July 30, 2004). "Curse of the Best Actress Oscar", The Telegraph; accessed October 29, 2015.</ref> It is widely regarded by critics as one of the worst films ever made.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She was awarded the Worst Actress Razzie Award for her performance; she appeared at the ceremony to accept the award in person (while holding her Oscar from Monster's Ball)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> with a sense of humor, considering it an experience of the "rock bottom" in order to be "at the top."<ref name="AcssisC">Template:Cite news</ref> 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 up 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."<ref name="peo2">"Halle Berry Biography: Page 2" Template:Webarchive, People.com; accessed December 20, 2007.</ref>

Established actress and career fluctuations (2005–2013)

Head and shoulders shot of a smiling Berry with dark hair pulled back, wearing a lace shirt and turquoise necklace.

Berry at New York Fleet Week in 2006

Her next film appearance was in the Oprah Winfrey-produced ABC television film Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005), an adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's novel, with Berry portraying a free-spirited woman whose unconventional sexual mores upset her 1920s contemporaries in a small community. She received her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination for her role. Also in 2005, she served as an executive producer in Lackawanna Blues, and landed her voice for the character of Cappy, one of the many mechanical beings in the animated feature Robots.<ref>Bob Grimm (March 17, 2005). "CGI City" Template:Webarchive, Tucson Weekly; accessed October 28, 2015.</ref>

In the thriller Perfect Stranger (2007), Berry starred with Bruce Willis, playing a reporter who goes undercover to uncover the killer of her childhood friend. The film grossed a modest US$73 million worldwide, and received lukewarm reviews from critics, who felt that despite the presence of Berry and Willis, it is "too convoluted to work, and features a twist ending that's irritating and superfluous."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Her next 2007 film release was the drama Things We Lost in the Fire, co-starring Benicio del Toro, where she took on the role of a recent widow befriending the troubled friend of her late husband. The film was the first time in which she worked with a female director, Danish Susanne Bier, giving her a new feeling of "thinking the same way," which she appreciated.<ref>"Things We Lost in the Fire", Entertainment Weekly, October 15, 2007.</ref> While the film made US$8.6 million in its global theatrical run,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> it garnered positive reviews from writers; The Austin Chronicle found the film to be "an impeccably constructed and perfectly paced drama of domestic and internal volatility" and felt that "Berry is brilliant here, as good as she's ever been."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In April 2007, Berry 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,<ref>"Halle Berry Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame", foxnews.com, April 4, 2007; accessed December 13, 2007.</ref> and by the end of the decade, she established herself as one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, earning an estimated $10 million per film.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In the independent drama Frankie and Alice (2010), Berry played the leading role of a young multiracial American woman with dissociative identity disorder struggling against her alter personality to retain her true self. The film received a limited theatrical release, to a mixed critical response. The Hollywood Reporter nevertheless described the film as "a well-wrought psychological drama that delves into the dark side of one woman's psyche" and found Berry to be "spellbinding" in it.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She earned the African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She next made part of a large ensemble cast in Garry Marshall's romantic comedy New Year's Eve (2011), with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Sofía Vergara, among many others. In the film, she took on the supporting role of a nurse befriending a man in the final stages (De Niro). While the film was panned by critics, it made US$142 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2012, Berry starred as an expert diver tutor alongside then-husband Olivier Martinez in the little-seen thriller Dark Tide,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and led an ensemble cast opposite Tom Hanks and Jim Broadbent in The Wachowskis's epic science fiction film Cloud Atlas (2012), with each of the actors playing six different characters across a period of five centuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Budgeted at US$128.8 million, Cloud Atlas made US$130.4 million worldwide,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and garnered polarized reactions from both critics and audiences.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

File:Halle Berry by Gage Skidmore.jpg

Berry at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con

Berry appeared in a segment of the independent anthology comedy Movie 43 (2013), which the Chicago Sun-Times called "the Citizen Kane of awful."<ref name="sun-times">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Berry found greater success with her next performance, as a 9-1-1 operator receiving a call from a girl kidnapped by a serial killer, in the crime thriller The Call (2013). Berry was drawn to "the idea of being a part of a movie that was so empowering for women. We don't often get to play roles like this, where ordinary people become heroic and do something extraordinary."<ref name="Grant">Template:Cite news</ref> Manohla Dargis of The New York Times found the film to be "an effectively creepy thriller,"<ref name="Dargis">Template:Cite news</ref> while reviewer Dwight Brown felt that "the script gives Berry a blue-collar character she can make accessible, vulnerable and gutsy[...]."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Call was a sleeper hit, grossing US$68.6 million around the globe.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Continued film and television work (2014–present)

In 2014, Berry signed on to star and serve as a co-executive producer in CBS drama series Extant,<ref>"Halle Berry To Topline CBS Series 'Extant'", deadline.com, October 4, 2013.</ref> where she took on the role of Molly Woods, an astronaut who struggles to reconnect with her husband and android son after spending 13 months in space. The show ran for two seasons until 2015, receiving largely positive reviews from critics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>"CBS Sets Premiere Dates for 'Under the Dome', New Drama 'Extant'" Template:Webarchive, variety.com, January 15, 2014.</ref><ref>"CBS Sets Summer Slate: Halle Berry's 'Extant' Premiere Pushed a Week" Template:Webarchive (March 11, 2014), TheWrap.com.</ref> USA Today remarked: "She [Halle Berry] brings a dignity and gravity to Molly, a projected intelligence that allows you to buy her as an astronaut and to see what has happened to her as frightening rather than ridiculous. Berry's all in, and you float along."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Also in 2014, Berry launched a new production company, 606 Films, with producing partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas. It is named after the Anti-Paparazzi Bill, SB 606, that the actress pushed for and which was signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013. The new company emerged as part of a deal for Berry to work in Extant.<ref>"Halle Berry, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas Name 606 Films Shingle After Anti-Paparazzi Bill", deadline.com, March 6, 2014.</ref>

In the stand-up comedy concert film Kevin Hart: What Now? (2016), Berry appeared as herself, opposite Kevin Hart, attending a poker game event that goes horribly wrong.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She provided uncredited vocals to the song "Calling All My Lovelies" by Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kidnap, an abduction thriller Berry filmed in 2014, was released in 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the film, she starred as a diner waitress tailing a vehicle when her son is kidnapped by its occupants. Kidnap grossed US$34 million and garnered mixed reviews from writers, who felt that it "strays into poorly scripted exploitation too often to take advantage of its pulpy premise — or the still-impressive talents of [Berry]."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> She next played an agent employed by a secret American spy organisation in the action comedy sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), as part of an ensemble cast, consisting of Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore, and Elton John. While critical response towards the film was mixed, it made US$414 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Alongside Daniel Craig, Berry starred as a working-class mother during the 1992 Los Angeles riots in Deniz Gamze Ergüven's drama Kings (2017). The film found a limited theatrical release following its initial screening at the Toronto International Film Festival,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and as part of an overall lukewarm reception,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Variety noted: "It should be said that Berry has given some of the best and worst performances of the past quarter-century, but this is perhaps the only one that swings to both extremes in the same movie."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Berry competed against James Corden in the first rap battle on the first episode of TBS's Drop the Mic, originally aired on October 24, 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

She played Sofia, an assassin, in the film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum, which was released on May 17, 2019, by Lionsgate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She is, as of February 2019, executive producer of the BET television series Boomerang, based on the film in which she starred. The series premiered February 12, 2019.<ref name="Pilot">Template:Cite web</ref>

Berry made her directorial debut with the feature Bruised in which she plays a disgraced MMA fighter named Jackie Justice, who reconnects with her estranged son. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was released on Netflix in November 2021.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Berry received a positive review from Deadline for her performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In January 2023, Berry signed with Range Media Partners as a producer and director.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Media image

Berry was ranked No. 1 on PeopleTemplate:'s "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" list in 2003 after making the top ten seven times and appeared No. 1 on FHMTemplate:'s "100 Sexiest Women in the World" the same year.<ref>Gary Susman (May 1, 2003). X-Appeal . Entertainment Weekly; accessed October 6, 2012.</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> She was named Esquire magazine's "Sexiest Woman Alive" in October 2008, about which she stated: "I don't know exactly what it means, but being 42 and having just had a baby, I think I'll take it."<ref>"Halle Berry Is the Sexiest Woman Alive, 2008" Template:Webarchive (October 10, 2008), Esquire.com; accessed May 10, 2012.</ref><ref>"Esquire names Halle Berry 'sexiest woman alive'" Template:Webarchive (October 7. 2008). The Brownsville Herald; accessed May 10, 2012.</ref> Men's Health ranked her at No. 35 on their "100 Hottest Women of All-Time" list.<ref>The 100 Hottest Women of All-Time Template:Webarchive, Men's Health; accessed January 3, 2012.</ref> In 2009, she was voted #23 on Empire's 100 Sexiest Film Stars.<ref>"The 100 Sexiest Movie Stars: #23. Halle Berry" Template:Webarchive, Empireonline.com; accessed May 10, 2012.</ref> The same year, rapper Hurricane Chris released a song titled "Halle Berry (She's Fine)" extolling Berry's beauty and sex appeal.<ref>"Halle Berry (She's Fine)" Template:Webarchive, Youtube.com; accessed October 6, 2012.</ref> At the age of 42 (in 2008), she was named the "Sexiest Black Woman" by Access Hollywood's "TV One Access" survey.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Born to an African-American father and a white mother, Berry has stated that her biracial background was "painful and confusing" when she was a young woman, and she made the decision early on to identify as a black woman because she knew that was how she would be perceived.<ref name=Noelle/>

Personal life

Berry dated Chicago dentist John Ronan from March 1989 to October 1991.<ref>"Actress Halle Berry hit with $80,000 lawsuit by Chicago dentist", Jet, December 13, 1993.</ref> In November 1993, Ronan sued Berry for $80,000 in what he claimed were unpaid loans to help launch her career.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead link</ref> Berry contended that the money was a gift, and a judge dismissed the case because Ronan did not list Berry as a debtor when he filed for bankruptcy in 1992.<ref name=Hurts>Template:Cite news</ref>

According to Berry, a beating from a former abusive boyfriend during the filming of The Last Boy Scout in 1991 punctured her eardrum and caused her to lose 80% of her hearing in her left ear.<ref name=Hurts/> She has never named the abuser, but she said that he was someone "well known in Hollywood". In 2004, her former boyfriend Christopher Williams accused Wesley Snipes of being responsible for the incident, saying, "I'm so tired of people thinking I'm the guy [who did it]. Wesley Snipes busted her eardrum, not me."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Berry first saw baseball player David Justice on TV playing in an MTV celebrity baseball game in February 1992. When a reporter from Justice's hometown of Cincinnati told her that Justice was a fan, Berry gave her phone number to the reporter to give to Justice.<ref name=Hurts/> Berry married Justice shortly after midnight on January 1, 1993.<ref>Don O'Briant, "Ringing in '93 - with wedding bells" Template:Webarchive, Atlanta Journal (January 10, 1993), Nl.newsbank.com; accessed March 7, 2010.</ref> Following their separation in February 1996, Berry stated publicly that she was so depressed that she had considered taking her own life.<ref name="MSASoM">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Hamida Ghafour (March 21, 2002). "I was close to ending it all, says actress", Telegraph.co.uk; accessed April 1, 2008.</ref> Berry and Justice were divorced on June 20, 1997.<ref>"Divorce between Halle Berry, David Justice final" Template:Webarchive, The Albany Herald, June 25, 1997; accessed October 29, 2015.</ref>

In May 2000, Berry pleaded no contest to a charge of leaving the scene of a car accident; she was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $13,500, and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Berry married her second husband, singer-songwriter Eric Benét, on January 24, 2001, following a two-year courtship.<ref name="ebony" /><ref name="People2003-10-02">Template:Cite news</ref> Benét underwent treatment for sex addiction in 2002.<ref name="Contactmusic">Template:Cite web</ref> By early October 2003, they had separated,<ref name="People2003-10-02" /> and their divorce was finalized on January 3, 2005.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Peopledivorced>Template:Cite news</ref>

In November 2005, Berry began dating French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, whom she had met at a Versace photoshoot.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Berry gave birth to their daughter in March 2008.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 30, 2010, Berry and Aubry announced that their relationship had ended some months earlier.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2011, Berry and Aubry became involved in a highly publicized custody battle,<ref name="custody">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="custody2">Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="custody3">Template:Cite magazine</ref> centered primarily on Berry's desire to move with their daughter from Los Angeles, where Berry and Aubry resided, to France, the home of French actor Olivier Martinez, whom Berry had started dating in 2010, having met him while filming Dark Tide in South Africa.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Aubry objected to the move on the ground that it would interfere with their joint custody arrangement.<ref name="custody4">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In November 2012, a judge denied Berry's request to move the couple's daughter to France.<ref name="custody5">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Less than two weeks later, on November 22, 2012, Aubry and Martinez were both treated at a hospital for injuries after engaging in a physical altercation at Berry's residence. Martinez performed a citizen's arrest on Aubry and, because it was considered a domestic violence incident, was granted a temporary emergency protective order preventing Aubry from coming within 100 yards of Berry, Martinez, and the child with whom he shares custody with Berry, until November 29, 2012.<ref name="custody6">Template:Cite magazine</ref> In turn, Aubry obtained a temporary restraining order against Martinez on November 26, 2012, asserting that the fight had begun when Martinez had threatened to kill Aubry if he did not allow the couple to move to France.<ref name="custody7">Template:Cite news</ref> Leaked court documents included photos showing significant injuries to Aubry's face, which were widely displayed in the media.<ref name="custody8">Template:Cite web</ref> On November 29, 2012, Berry's lawyer announced that Berry and Aubry had reached an amicable custody agreement in court.<ref name="custody9">Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2014, a Superior Court ruling called for Berry to pay Aubry $16,000 a month in child support as well as a retroactive payment of $115,000 and $300,000 for Aubry's attorney fees.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Berry and Martinez confirmed their engagement in March 2012,<ref>Are Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez getting married? Template:Webarchive Marie Claire; accessed January 29, 2012.</ref><ref>"Olivier Martinez confirms engagement to Halle Berry, clears up ring debate, opens Villa Azur on South Beach this weekend" Template:Webarchive, The Miami Herald, March 10, 2012; accessed March 10, 2012.</ref> and married in France on July 13, 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2013, Berry gave birth to their son.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2015, after two years of marriage, the couple announced they were divorcing.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The divorce was finalized in December 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2023, issues dealing with custody and child support were settled.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Berry started dating American musician Van Hunt in 2020, which was revealed through her Instagram.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Activism

File:Halle Berry and Katherine Clark 2023.jpg

Berry with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark in December 2023

Along with Pierce Brosnan, Cindy Crawford, Jane Seymour, Dick Van Dyke, Téa Leoni, and Daryl Hannah, Berry successfully fought in 2006 against the Cabrillo Port Liquefied Natural Gas facility that was proposed off the coast of Malibu.<ref>"Actors join protest against project off Malibu", NBC News, October 23, 2005.</ref> Berry said, "I care about the air we breathe, I care about the marine life and the ecosystem of the ocean."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the facility.<ref>"The Santa Barbara Independent Cabrillo Port Dies a Santa Barbara Flavored Death" Template:Webarchive, The Santa Barbara Independent, May 24, 1007.</ref> Hasty Pudding Theatricals gave her its 2006 Woman of The Year award.<ref>"And the Pudding Pot goes to..." Template:Webarchive (February 2, 2006), Harvard University Gazette; accessed January 1, 2008.</ref> Berry took part in a nearly 2,000-house cellphone-bank campaign for Barack Obama in February 2008.<ref>"Halle Berry, Ted Kennedy: 'Move On' for Obama" (February 29, 2008), Chicago Tribune.</ref> In April 2013, she appeared in a video clip for Gucci's "Chime for Change" campaign that aims to raise funds and awareness of women's issues in terms of education, health, and justice.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In August 2013, Berry testified alongside Jennifer Garner before the California State Assembly's Judiciary Committee in support of a bill that would protect celebrities' children from harassment by photographers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The bill passed in September.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In May 2024, Berry advocated for more research and education on menopause by supporting a bill introduced by Senators Patty Murray and Lisa Murkowski. Berry said, "I'm in menopause, OK?... The shame has to be taken out of menopause. We have to talk about this very normal part of our life that happens. Our doctors can't even say the word to us, let alone walk us through the journey."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1991	Jungle Fever	Vivian
	Strictly Business	Natalie
	Template:Sortname	Cory
1992	Boomerang	Angela Lewis
1993	CB4	Herself
	Father Hood	Kathleen Mercer
	The Program	Autumn Haley
1994	Template:Sortname	Sharon Stone	<ref name="Sharon" />
1995	Losing Isaiah	Khaila Richards
1996	Executive Decision	Jean
	Girl 6	Herself
	Race the Sun	Miss Sandra Beecher
	Template:Sortname	Josie Potenza
1997	B*A*P*S	Denise "Nisi"
1998	Bulworth	Nina
	Why Do Fools Fall in Love	Zola Taylor
	Welcome to Hollywood	Herself
2000	X-Men	Ororo Munroe / Storm
2001	Swordfish	Ginger Knowles
	Monster's Ball	Leticia Musgrove
2002	Die Another Day	Giacinta "Jinx" Johnson
2003	X2	Ororo Munroe / Storm
	Gothika	Miranda Grey
2004	Catwoman	Patience Phillips / Catwoman
2005	Robots	Cappy	Voice role
2006	X-Men: The Last Stand	Ororo Munroe / Storm
2007	Perfect Stranger	Rowena Price
	Things We Lost in the Fire	Audrey Burke
2010	Frankie & Alice	Frankie Murdoch / Alice / Genius	Also producer
2011	New Year's Eve	Nurse Aimee
2012	Dark Tide	Kate Mathieson
	Cloud Atlas	Various Roles
2013	Movie 43	Emily	Segment: "Truth Or Dare"
	The Call	Jordan Turner
2014	X-Men: Days of Future Past	Ororo Munroe / Storm
2016	Kevin Hart: What Now?	Money Berry
2017	Kidnap	Karla Dyson	Also producer
	Kings	Millie Dunbar
	Kingsman: The Golden Circle	Ginger Ale
2019	John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum	Sofia Al-Azwar
2020	Bruised	Jackie "Pretty Bull" Justice	Also director and producer
2022	Moonfall	Jocinda "Jo" Fowler
Template:Strikethrough	The Mothership	Sara Morse	Filmed in 2021, abandoned in 2024 during endless post-production<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2024	The Union	Roxanne Hall
	Never Let Go	Momma	Also executive producer
2026	Crime 101	TBA	Filming

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1989	Living Dolls	Emily Franklin	Main Cast
1991	Amen	Claire	Episode: "Unforgettable"
	Template:Sortname	Jaclyn	Episode: "Love, Hillman-Style"
	They Came from Outer Space	Rene	Episode: "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow"
	Knots Landing	Debbie Porter	Recurring Cast: Season 13
1993	NAACP Image Awards	Herself / Co-Host	Main Co-Host
	Alex Haley's Queen	Queen Jackson Haley	Episode: "Part 1-3"
1994	A Century of Women	Herself	Episode: "Part 1-2"
1995	Solomon & Sheba	Nikhaule / Queen Sheba	Television film
1996	Martin	Herself	Episode: "Where the Party At"
1996–1997	Essence Awards	Herself / Co-Host	Main Co-Host
1997	World Music Awards	Herself / Host	Main Host
1998	Behind the Music	Herself	Episode: "Lionel Richie"
	Intimate Portrait		Episode: "Halle Berry"
	Mad TV	Herself / Host	Episode: "Halle Berry"
	The Wedding	Shelby Coles	Episode: "Part 1-2"
	Frasier	Betsy	Voice role; Episode: "Room Service"
1999	Introducing Dorothy Dandridge	Dorothy Dandridge	Television film; also executive producer
1999–2008	Biography	Herself	Recurring Guest
2001	Great Streets		Episode: "The Champs Elysees"
2002	E! True Hollywood Story		Episode: "The Bond Girls"
	Mad TV		Episode: "Episode #8.7"
	The Bernie Mac Show		Episode: "Handle Your Business"
2003	Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway		Episode: "Episode #2.8"
	Saturday Night Live	Herself / Host	Episode: "Halle Berry / Britney Spears"
	Style Star	Herself	Episode: "Halle Berry"
	Punk'd		Episode: "Episode #2.5"
	Making the Video		Episode: "Limp Bizkit: Behind Blue Eyes"
2004	Rove		Episode: "Episode #5.9"
	Getaway		Episode: "Getaway Goes to Hollywood"
	4Pop		Episode: "Pärstäkerroin voittaa aina"
2005	Their Eyes Were Watching God	Janie Crawford	Television film
2009	NAACP Image Awards	Herself / Co-Host	Main Co-Host
2011	The Simpsons	Herself	Voice role; Episode: "Angry Dad: The Movie"
2012	Sesame Street		Episode: "Get Lost, Mr. Chips"
2014–2015	Extant	Molly Woods	Main role; 26 episodes (also executive producer)
2017	Drop the Mic	Herself	Episode: "Halle Berry vs. James Corden & Anthony Anderson vs. Usher"
2021	American Masters		Episode: "How It Feels To Be Free"
2022	Soul of a Nation		Episode: "Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising"
	Celebrity IOU		Episode: "Halle Berry's Beautiful Gift"

Video game

Year	Game	Role
2004	Catwoman	Patience Phillips/Catwoman

Music videos

Year	Song	Artist
1994	"(Meet) The Flintstones"	The B-52s
1998	"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)"	Pras featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mya
2003	"Behind Blue Eyes"	Limp Bizkit

See also

• List of African American firsts
• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women

General bibliography

• Banting, Erinn. Halle Berry, Weigl Publishers, 2005. Template:ISBN.
• Gogerly, Liz. Halle Berry, Raintree, 2005. Template:ISBN.
• Naden, Corinne J. Halle Berry, Sagebrush Education Resources, 2001. Template:ISBN.
• O'Brien, Daniel. Halle Berry, Reynolds & Hearn, 2003. Template:ISBN.
• Sanello, Frank. Halle Berry: A Stormy Life, Virgin Books, 2003. Template:ISBN.
• Schuman, Michael A. Halle Berry: Beauty Is Not Just Physical, Enslow, 2006. Template:ISBN.

External links

• Template:Facebook
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• Template:People
• Template:TV Guide person
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• Template:C-SPAN