Halle Berry

At 57 years old, Halle Berry has this physical status:

Halle Maria Berry (born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress.

Berry received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in Monster's Ball (2001), becoming the first woman of African American descent to have won the competition and placing fourth in the Miss World 1986.

Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy Boomerang (1992), with Eddie Murphy, which resulted in roles in films such as the family drama The Flintstones (1994), the political comedy-drama Bulworth (1999), and the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she received a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Berry played Storm in X-Men (2000), the thrillers Swordfish (2001) and Gothika (2003), and the spy film Die Another Day (2002), where she played Bond girl Jinx, in addition to her Academy Award.

She appeared in X-Men sequels, X2 (2003), and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

She has appeared in Cloud Atlas (2012), the crime thriller The Call (2013), X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014), and the action film Kingsman: Chapter 3 (2019). Berry was one of Hollywood's highest-paid actors of the 2000s, and she was instrumental in the creation of several of the films in which she appeared.

Berry is also a Revlon spokesmodel.

She was previously married to baseball player David Justice, singer-songwriter Eric Benét, and actor Olivier Martinez.

Martinez and model Gabriel Aubry have a child each.

Early life

Maria Halle Berry, a white English immigrant from Liverpool who immigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, and Jerome Jesse Berry, an African-American man, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 14, 1966. At the age of five, Halle Maria Berry's name was legally changed to Halle Maria Berry. Her parents selected her middle name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a Cleveland landmark. 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. Berry and her older sister Heidi Berry-Henderson were raised solely by their mother, and they divorced when Berry was four years old. She has been estranged from her father since childhood, and she denied that she had no idea if he was alive in 1992. Berry recalled her mother being assaulted on a daily basis, kicked down stairs, and struck in the head with a wine bottle.

Berry grew up in Oakwood, Ohio, where she graduated from Bedford High School as a cheerleader, honor student, editor of the school newspaper, and prom queen. At Higbee's Department store, she worked in the children's department. She then attended Cuyahoga Community College. She appeared in numerous beauty competitions in the 1980s, winning Miss Teen All American 1985 and Miss Ohio USA in 1986. She was the 1986 Miss USA first runner-up to Christy Fichtner of Texas. She said she wanted to be an entertainer or have something to do with the media in the Miss USA 1986 pageant interview competition. The judges gave her interview the highest mark. She was the first African-American Miss World entrant in 1986, where she came sixth and Trinidad and Tobago's Giselle Laronde was named Miss World.

Personal life

John Ronan, a Chicago dentist, appeared from March 1989 to October 1991. Ronan sued Berry for $80,000 in what he said were unpaid loans to help with her career in November 1993. Berry argued that the money was a gift, but a judge dismissed the suit because Ronan did not identify Berry as a debtor when he filed for bankruptcy in 1992.

According to Berry, a beating by a former abusive boyfriend during the filming of The Last Boy Scout in 1991 punctured her eardrum, causing her to lose 80% of her hearing in her left ear. She hasn't identified the perpetrator, but she did say he was someone "well-known in Hollywood" that she had never met. "I'm so tired of people assuming I'm the guy [who did it]," Christopher Williams, her former boyfriend, accused Wesley Snipes of being responsible for the incident in 2004. Wesley Snipes busted her eardrum, not me."

In a MTV celebrity baseball game in February 1992, Berry saw baseball player David Justice on TV for the first time. Berry gave her phone number to Justice when a reporter from Justice's hometown of Cincinnati told her that Justice was a fan. On January 1, 1993, Berry married Justice shortly after midnight. Berry confessed to being so distraught that she considered suicide following their split in February 1996. On June 24, 1997, Berry and Justice were officially divorced.

Berry pleaded no contest to charges of missing the scene of a car accident in May 2000 and was sentenced to three years of probation, fined $13,500, and sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

Following a two-year courtship, Berry married her second husband, singer-songwriter Eric Benét, on January 24, 2001. Benét underwent therapy for sex addiction in 2002 and by early October 2003, they had split, with the divorce finalized on January 3, 2005.

Berry began dating French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, who she encountered at a Versace photoshoot in November 2005. In March 2008, Berry gave birth to their daughter. Berry and Aubry announced on April 30, 2010 that their friendship had started some months before. Berry and Aubry were embroiled in a public custody fight in January 2011, primarily focusing on Berry's desire to relocate with their daughter from Los Angeles, where Berry and Aubry lived, to France, where Berry and Aubry started dating in 2010 after they met while filming Dark Tide in South Africa. Aubry resisted the move on the grounds that it would jeopardize their joint custody arrangement. A judge denied Berry's request to relocate the couple's daughter to France in November 2012 in light of Aubry's objections. Aubry and Martinez were both hospitalized for injuries after participating in a physical altercation at Berry's residence less than two weeks later on November 22, 2012. Martinez carried out a resident's arrest on Aubry, and since it was a domestic violence occurrence, Aubry was banned from approaching Berry, Martinez, and the child with whom he shares custody with Berry until November 29, 2012. Aubry obtained a provisional restraining order against Martinez on November 26, 2012, claiming that the conflict began when Martinez threatened to murder Aubry if he did not allow the couple to move to France. Images depicting significant damage to Aubry's face were widely distributed in the media. Leaked court papers included photographs showing significant injuries to the latter's face. Berry's counsel announced on November 29, 2012, that Berry and Aubry had signed an amicable custody deal in court. A Superior Court decision in June 2014 ordered Berry to pay Aubry $16,000 a month in child care (roughly 200k/year), as well as a retroactive payment of $115,000 and a sum of $300,000 for Aubry's attorney fees.

Berry and Martinez announced their engagement in March 2012 and then married in France on July 13, 2013. Berry gave birth to their son in October 2013. The pair announced divorcing in 2015 after two years of marriage. The divorce was supposed to have been finalized in December 2016, but the litigation is now open in November 2020.

Berry began dating Grammy Award-winning American singer Van Hunt in 2020, which was revealed on her Instagram.

Berry, along with Pierce Brosnan, Cindy Crawford, Jane Seymour, Dick Van Dyke, Téa Leoni, and Daryl Hannah, all fought against the Cabrillo Natural Gas facility that was built off the coast of Malibu in 2006. "I care about the air we breathe, I care about the marine life and the ocean's ecosystem," Berry said. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the operation in May 2007. Hasty Pudding Shety Pudding is a student at the University of On the year she was crowned Woman of The Year by the Royal Institute of the British Agricultural Association. In February 2008, Berry was involved in a nearly 2,000-bank cell phone bank campaign for Barack Obama. In April 2013, she appeared in a video clip for Gucci's "Change for Change" campaign, which aims to raise funds and understanding of women's problems in terms of education, health, and justice. Berry testified alongside Jennifer Garner in August 2013 in favor of a bill that would shield celebrities' children from harassment by photographers. In September, the bill was passed.

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Career

Berry moved to New York City in 1989 to fulfill her acting aspirations. She ran out of money and briefly lived in a homeless shelter and a YMCA during her early days there. Her situation had improved by the end of the year, and she appeared in the role of model Emily Franklin in the ABC television series Living Dolls, which was shot in New York and was a spin-off of the hit show Who's the Boss? She lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during Living Dolls' taping. She migrated to Los Angeles after Living Dolls' cancellation.

Berry's debut in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever (1991), in which she played Vivian, a heroin addict, was a minor character. Berry appeared in Strictly Business for the first time in the same year. Berry portrayed a career woman who falls for the lead character played by Eddie Murphy in the romantic comedy Boomerang in 1992. In the television version of Queen: The Story of an American Family, based on Alex Haley's book, she captured the public's notice the following year. Berry appeared in "Sharon Stone," a sultry secretary who tries to seduce Fred Flintstones.

In Losing Isaiah (1995), opposite Jessica Lange, Berry played a more serious role, playing a former heroin addict struggling to regain custody of her son. Sandra Beecher appeared in Race the Sun (1996), which was based on a true tale, shot in Australia, and co-starred Kurt Russell in Executive Decision. She served as a Revlon spokeswoman for seven years before resigning in 2004.

Berry starred in the 1997 comedy film B*A*P*S as an intelligent woman raised by activists who give a politician (Warren Beatty) a new lease on life. In the biopic Why Fools Fall in Love, she played Zola Taylor, one of three wives of pop singer Frankie Lymon.

Dorothy Dandridge's 1999 film Introducing Women was the first African American woman to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and she led her first African American woman to this award, co-produced, and continued to wait for it to come through. Berry's work was recognized with numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and the Golden Globe Award.

In the film version of the comic book series X-Men (2000) and its sequels, Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm, X-Men (2004). Berry appeared in the film Swordfish, which was her first topless scene in 2001. She was initially 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 large increase in the amount Warner Bros. gave her; she was undoubtedly paid an extra $500,000 for the short film. Berry denied these accounts, telling one interviewer that they amused her and that they "did for a lot of buzz for the film." She said she made Swordfish because her then-husband, Eric Benét, supported her and encouraged her to take risks after turning down multiple roles that necessitated nudity.

In the 2001 film Monster's Ball, Berry appeared as Leticia Musgrove, the struggling wife of an executed murderer (Sean Combs). In an odd coincidence, she was the first African American woman to be nominated for Best Actress and born in Cleveland, Ohio, and was born in the same hospital as Berry; in an interesting twist, she was the first African American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress; earlier in her career, she portrayed Dorothy Dandridge, the first African American woman to be nominated for Best Actress. "Congratulations to Halle Berry and Denzel Washington for giving us hope and making us proud," the NAACP announced. If this is a sign that Hollywood is finally prepared to offer opportunities and judge results based on experience rather than on skin color, it is a good thing." This position sparked controversies. Much media buzz and discussion among African Americans was generated following her graphic nude love scene starring a black character played by co-star Billy Bob Thornton. Many in the African-American community were outraged by Berry's participation in the role. "I don't really see a reason to ever go this far." Berry replied, "I don't even see a reason to go back to that far." It was a rare film. That scene was rare and pivotal, and it was crucial to be there, and it would be a very special script that would need something like that again."

After winning the Oscar, Berry requested a higher price for Revlon ads. Ron Perelman, the head of the cosmetics company, congratulated her, expressing how grateful she was for his company that she modeled for. "Of course, you'll have to pay me more," She replied. Perelman roared off in a rage. In accepting her award, she gave a toast to recent black actresses who may not have had the opportunity. "This moment is so much bigger than me," she said. This is for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance to dance tonight because the door has been opened."

In the 2002 blockbuster Die Another Day, Bond actress Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson recreated a scene from Dr. No. 1's emergence from the sea to be welcomed by James Bond as Ursula Andress had 40 years ago. Berry's bikini and knife were ordered as a tribute by Lindy Hemming, a costume designer on Die Another Day. "It's splashy," "exciting," "sexy," "provocative," and "it will keep me out there after winning an Oscar," Berry said. Jinx was voted the fourth most difficult girl on television of all time, according to an ITV news poll. When a piece of smoke grenade flew into her eye, Berry was upset during filming. It was removed in a 30-minute procedure. After Berry received the Academy Award, rewrites were hired to give her more screen time for X2.

She appeared in the psychological thriller Gothika opposite Robert Downey, Jr. in November 2003, when she broke her arm in a scene with Downey, who twisted her arm too much. For eight weeks, production was suspended. It was a moderate success at the US box office, grossing $60 million; overseas, it earned another $80 million. Berry appeared in the film's motion picture soundtrack, "Behind Blue Eyes," by Nu metal band Limp Bizkit. She was crowned No. 1 in the same year last year. According to a survey by the FHM, the 100 Sexiest Women in the World is number one.

Berry appeared in the film Catwoman as the title role, earning her US$12.5 million. Critics are unanimously describing it as one of the worst films ever made. She was given the Worst Actress Razzie Award for her appearance, and she arrived at the ceremony to accept the award in person (while keeping her Oscar from Monster's Ball) with a sense of humour, considering that it was "at the bottom" in order to be "at the top." "I never in my life imagined that I would be up here, winning a Razzie," she said holding the Academy Award in one hand and the Razzie in the other. I'm not like I ever aspired to be here, but thank you. My mother told me when I was a child that if you were not a good loser, you would not be a good winner."

Berry's next film appearance was in Oprah Winfrey's production Their Eyes Were Watching God (2004), an extension of Zora Neale Hurston's book "Were Watching God," depicting a free-spirited woman with eccentric sexualities in a small neighborhood in a small neighborhood in a small neighborhood. For her role, she received her second Primetime Emmy Award nomination. She appeared as an executive producer in Lackawanna Blues in 2005, and she became a voice for Cappy, one of the many mechanical beings in the animated film Robots.

Berry appeared in the horror film "Perfect Stranger" (2007), playing a reporter who goes undercover to find the killer of her childhood friend. Despite Berry and Willis' presence, the film grossed a modest US$73 million worldwide and received lukewarm feedback from critics, who said that it is "too convoluted to function" and has a twist ending that is both frustrating and superfluous." Things We Lost in the Fire, co-starring Benicio del Toro, was her first film appearance in 2007 as a widow befriending the struggling friend of her late husband's struggling friend. The film was the first time she worked with Danish Susanne Bier, a female director, giving her a new sense of "thinking the same way," which she loved. Although the film grosses US$8.6 million in international theatre, writer praises came about it; the Austin Chronicle described it as "an impeccably constructed and perfectly paced drama of domestic and internal turmoil"; "Berry is superb here, as good as she's ever been" despite the film's worldwide premiere.

Berry was named a member of the Hollywood Walk of Fame in April 2007 for her contributions to Hollywood, and by the end of the decade, she established herself as one of Hollywood's top-paid actresses, grossing $10 million per film.

Berry portrayed a young multiracial American woman with a dissociative identity disorder who is battling against her alter identity in order to portray her authentic self in the film Frankie and Alice (2010). The film received a limited theatrical release, prompting mixed critical reaction. The Hollywood Reporter also described the film as a "well-wrought psychological drama that delves into one woman's psyche" and found Berry to be "spellbinding" in it. Best Actress and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama, respectively, for her best Actress and Best Actress nomination. She was also in Garry Marshall's romantic comedy Eve (2011), with Michelle Pfeiffer, Jessica Biel, Robert De Niro, Josh Duhamel, Zac Efron, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Sofa Vergara among others. In the final stages, she played the supporting role of a nurse befriending a man. (De Niro). Although critics sluggishly panned the film, it was still earned US$142 million around the world.

Berry starred in The Wachowskis' epic science fiction film Cloud Atlas (2012), with each of the actors portraying six distinct characters over a period of five centuries. Olivier Martinez, then-husband, starred in the little-seen thriller Dark Tide, and Jim Broadbent led an ensemble cast opposite Tom Hanks and Jim Broadbent. Cloud Atlas, which was budgeted at US$128.8 million, earned worldwide recognition for its popularity and audiences, gaining polarized reactions from both critics and viewers.

Berry appeared in a segment of the independent anthology comedy Movie 43 (2013), which the Chicago Sun-Times characterized as "the Citizen Kane of hysteria." In the crime thriller The Call (2013), Berry had more success with her next appearance as a 9-1-1 operator. In the crime thriller The Call (1999), she got a call from a girl kidnapped by a serial killer. Berry was attracted to "the possibility of being part of a film that was so liberating for women." We don't often get to do roles like this, where ordinary people become brave and do something amazing." The film was described as "an aesthetically frightening thriller," by Manohla Dargis of The New York Times, while reviewer Dwight Brown said that "the script gives Berry a blue-collar character she can make approachable, vulnerable, and brave []." The Call was a sleeper hit, grossing US$68.6 million around the world.

Berry joined CBS drama series Extant in 2014, where she played Molly Woods, an explorer who is still struggling to connect with her husband and android son after spending 13 months in space. Critics generally supported the show's two seasons until 2015. "She [Halle Berry] brings a touch of honor and heft to Molly, a new intelligence that allows you to buy her as an explorer and to see what's been happening to her as frightening rather than ridiculous," USA Today said. Berry's all in, and you float along." Berry formed 606 Films, a film company based on production partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, in 2014. It is named after the Anti-Paparazzi Bill, SB 606, was introduced by the actress and was signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown in the fall of 2013. The new company emerged as part of a transfer between Berry and Extant.

Kevin Hart's stand-up comedy concert film What Now? Berry appeared herself, opposite Kevin Hart, at a poker game tournament that goes horribly wrong. "Calling All My Lovelies" by Bruno Mars from his third studio album, 24K Magic (2016), she performed uncredited vocals. In 2017, Kidnap, a kidnap film starring Berry, was released. When her son is kidnapped by the vehicle's occupants, she appeared in the film as a diner waitress tailing a car. Kidnap's earnings earned mixed reviews from writers, who felt that it "strays into poorly scripted exploitation too often to profit from its pulpy premise or the still-impressive talents of [Berry]. In the action comedy sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017), she appeared as an agent employed by a shadowy American spy group, as part of an ensemble cast starring Colin Firth, Taron Egerton, Mark Strong, Julianne Moore, and Elton John. Although critical reaction to the film was mixed, it earned US$414 million worldwide.

During the 1992 Los Angeles riots in Deniz Gamze Ergüven's drama Kings (2017), alongside Daniel Craig, Berry starred as a working-class mother. Following its initial screening at the Toronto International Film Festival and as part of a general lukewarm reception, Variety said, "It should be said that Berry has given some of the best and worst performances of the last quarter-century, but it is certainly the only one that swings to both extremes in the same film." On the first episode of TBS' Drop the Mic, Berry competed against James Corden in the first rap contest.

In the film John Wick: Chapter 3 – She played Sofia, an assassination attempt, which was released by Lionsgate on May 17, 2019. She is, as of February 2019, executive producer of BET's television series Boomerang, based on the film in which she appeared. On February 12, 2019, the series premiered.

Berry made her directorial debut with the film Bruised, in which she plays Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter who reunites with her estranged son. In September 2020, the film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020 and was released on Netflix in November 2021. Berry's performance was lauded by Deadline for her job.

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