Halle Highlights: Halle Berry Covers May 2007 Issue of 'Ebony'

Halle Highlights, a feature here at Ultimate Halle Berry, continues to showcase some of the standout moments (interviews, awards, magazine covers, etc.) from Academy Award winner Halle Berry's multi-decade career.

Back in May 2007, Berry covered Ebony magazine's Power 150 issue, where she talked about her utilizing her power, her latest projects at the time ('Perfect Stranger', 'Things We Lost in the Fire', etc.) and her desire to have a baby. Read the full article below:

Halle Berry's 'Mother Land' Is Now Titled 'Never Let Go'; Filming Underway and Additional Cast Announced

Oscar winner Halle Berry is now filming her upcoming horror thriller 'Never Let Go', formerly entitled 'Mother Land', with director Alexandre Aja and additional casting details have been released about who will tackle the roles of her twin sons. More details below:

DEADLINE: Percy Daggs IV (The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey) and Anthony B. Jenkins (Florida Man) have been set to join Halle Berry in Lionsgate‘s thriller Never Let Go (fka Mother Land) from 21 Laps.

The film currently in production follows a mother (Berry) and her fraternal twin sons (Daggs and Jenkins) who have been tormented by an evil spirit for years and are convinced to never let go of their family’s protective bond. But when one of the boys questions if the evil is real, their connection is severed, triggering a terrifying fight for survival.

Alexandre Aja (Crawl) is directing from a script by Kevin Coughlin & Ryan Grassby. The film will be produced by 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine, who have delivered such hits as Arrival, Free Guy and Stranger Things, as well as Aja. Exec producers are Berry, Holly Jeter and 21 Laps’ Emily Morris. Chelsea Kujawa and Scott O’Brien are overseeing the project for Lionsgate. And deals were negotiated for the studio by Robert Melnik.

Halle Berry & Angelia Jolie Face Off In 'Maude v Maude'; Warner Bros. Nabs Rights To Action Thriller

Oscar winners Halle Berry and Angelina Jolie will share the screen for the first time in the upcoming action thriller 'Maude v Maude', which sparked a bidding war amongst multiple studios with Warner Bros. securing the winning bid. More details below:

DEADLINE: Following an intense multi-studio bidding war that went into the weekend, Warner Bros has landed the package Maude v Maude, with Oscar winners Angelina Jolie and Halle Berry attached to star.

Roseanne Liang is on board to direct from Scott Mosier’s script. Berry and Jolie will produce along with Berry’s producing partner Holly Jeter via their banner HalleHolly, along with Jeff Kirschenbaum and Joe Roth who will produce through RK Films. Mosier and Liang will exec produce.

Exact details are being kept under wraps, but and insider describes the pic as a “Bond vs. Bourne” type of global action thriller with locations to be announced.

Halle Berry Stuns In White At 95th Academy Awards

Oscar winner Halle Berry attended the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday, March 12th, with her musician boyfriend Van Hunt in a stunning Tamara Ralph gown.

The actress was on hand to present the Best Actor and Best Actress trophies alongside last year's winner Jessica Chastain after Will Smith was banned from the ceremony.

Berry became emotional after Michelle Yeoh was announced as the winner. The moment was history-making given that Yeoh became the second woman of color to ever receive the Best Actress honor. The first was Berry, who won back in 2002 for 'Monster's Ball'.

Halle Berry To Lead Thriller ‘Mother Land’ For Lionsgate

As Halle Berry continues to film 'Our Man From Jersey' with Mark Wahlberg, the actress already has lined up one of her next gigs by signing on to star and executive produce the supernatural thriller 'Mother Land', for Lionsgate with Alexandre Aja on board to direct.

DEADLINE EXCLUSIVE: Oscar winner Halle Berry (Monster’s Ball) is set to star in thriller Mother Land for Arrival and Stranger Things outfit 21 Laps. Lionsgate will launch sales on the hot package at next week’s Cannes market.

Crawl, The Hills Have Eyes and Piranha 3D filmmaker Alexandre Aja is aboard to direct the feature, which will chart the story of a mother and her twin sons who have been tormented by an evil spirit for years. When one of the boys questions whether the evil is real, the family’s sacred bond is broken, and it becomes a fight for survival.

The film is expected to go into production next year, and international sales will launch this month in Cannes.

Producing for 21 Laps are Shawn Levy, Dan Cohen and Dan Levine. Genre specialist Aja will also produce. Berry and Holly Jeter will be executive producers. The script was written by Kevin Coughlin and Ryan Grassby.

Berry recently starred on John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and also made her directorial debut on boxing pic Bruised. She is in post-production on Netflix movie The Mothership.

Lionsgate’s Production President Erin Westerman said: “We’re so thrilled to be working again with Halle and Alex. Halle is a force on screen – she’s the perfect person to convey the psychological terror of this mother trying to protect her family. And who better than Alex to ratchet up the tension. Powerhouse producers 21 Laps are going to deliver an elevated thriller that will keep audiences on the edge of their seat.”

Lionsgate’s Cannes market slate will also include the Dirty Dancing sequel (more on that here) and the Hunger Games prequel. Berry is repped by WME. Aja is represented by WME, Industry Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson et al.

Halle Berry Visits 'The Tonight Show' For 'Moonfall'

Halle Berry stopped by 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon', to promote her new film 'Moonfall' and discuss her New Year's wedding prank gone wrong, as well as, take part in an Emoutional Interview. Watch all of the hilarious action below:

Halle Berry Stars As Cleopatra In New Caesars Sportsbook Ad

Dressed as as Cleopatra and looking stunning, Halle Berry stars in a hilarious series of commercials for Caesars Sportsbook with comedian JB Smoove. Watch them below:

'Moonfall': Halle Berry's Character Poster Revealed

Character posters for Roland Emmerich’s disaster epic 'Moonfall' showcases the film’s leads - Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and John Bradley, looking up to the skies.

In the film, the world stands on the brink of annihilation when a mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit and sends it hurtling toward a collision course with Earth. With only weeks before impact, NASA executive Jocinda "Jo" Fowler teams up with a man from her past and a conspiracy theorist for an impossible mission into space to save humanity.

Halle Berry's 'Bruised' Scores 4 NAACP Image Nominations

The nominations for 2022 NAACP Image Awards were announced earlier this week and 'Bruised', the directorial debut from Halle Berry, scored four nominations.

Outstanding Independent Motion Picture
American Skin
Bruised
CODA
Test Pattern
The Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain

Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture
Andra Day – The United States vs. Billie Holiday
Halle Berry – Bruised
Jennifer Hudson – Respect
Tessa Thompson – Passing
Zendaya – Malcolm & Marie

Outstanding Breakthrough Performance in a Motion Picture
Ariana DeBose – West Side Story
Danny Boyd, Jr. – Bruised
Jalon Christian – A Journal for Jordan
Lonnie Chavis – The Water Man
Sheila Atim – Bruised

The Anthony Anderson-hosted ceremony will air on February 26, 2022, on BET and simulcast on several of its sister ViacomCBS Networks and CBS.

Halle Berry Pens Touching Tribute To Sidney Poitier

Trailblazer to Trailblazer! Sidney Poitier, the first black man to win an Oscar for Best Actor, passed away on January 6, 2022, at the age of 94 and Halle Berry, the first black woman to win an Oscar for Best Actress, thanked him for "decades of friendship".

In a new feature for Variety, the award-winning actress expands on her initial statement and pens a touching tribute to her late friend. Read her moving words below:

Halle Berry Pens Tribute to Sidney Poitier: ‘An Angel Watching Over All Of Us’

I grew up idolizing Sidney Poitier.

I was around 9 when he flickered into my world on a television replay of “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner.” I was a latchkey kid in Cleveland, daughter of a white, single mother and a Black father — whose union their parents had frowned upon. In the film, Sidney and his co-star, Katharine Houghton, play an interracial couple whose parents also struggle with their children’s relationship. There I sat in front of my mom’s old console, mesmerized, as I watched my family’s dynamic play out. For the first time in my childhood, I felt seen. Understood. Validated. The world already knew Sidney, who died last week at 94, as a formidable performer. But I first experienced him as a mirror.

I watched that film over and over again, through my middle-school years and beyond. By then, my mother had moved our family from a Black enclave in Cleveland’s inner city to the suburbs, where I became one of a few Black students in a sea of Caucasian faces. I was a child who, like my parents’ interracial relationship, never quite fit in. In those years, it was rare to see Blacks in leading roles, much less have our narratives celebrated or even acknowledged. Cicely Tyson and Diana Ross were on the scene, as was the fresh memory of Dorothy Dandridge, the Black actress I idolized as much as I did Sidney. Back then, their mere presence was itself a form of protest. A challenge to the notion of whiteness as humanity’s high-water mark. Still, those images were scarce. As a child born to a white woman and a Black man, I felt alone and misunderstood. “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” as great art does, was an affirmation that I mattered. Also, it gave others a window into my reality, of what it felt like to navigate the world with both Black and white parents.

Sidney’s impact on me did not end there. Over the years, I looked to him as a sterling example, as a template of manhood and all that is honorable. I was just 4 when my parents separated, when my father’s alcoholism upended our family. As imperfect as my dad was, as deep of a wedge as his fury drove between us, I loved him, missed him, longed to have him close. In my mind’s eye, and in my father’s absence, Sidney epitomized what a man should be: unflappable and courageous, eloquent and proud, charming and handsome. He even physically resembled my father. I wasn’t yet born in 1964 when Sidney became the first Black man to win an Academy Award for best actor for his role in “Lilies of the Field.” But years later, when I witnessed the moment in a Black History class, I could not look away. Sidney’s grace and poise, the intention with which he spoke, the dignified way he carried himself — all of it resonated with me. Though I hadn’t met him, and did not dream that I ever would, I felt strongly connected to him.

That connection has followed me through my career. Nearly 40 years later when I began work on “Bruised,” my foray into directing, I was inspired by Sidney. He was brave. He took chances. He was a fighter. He demanded respect, just as his character once had when he confronted a white man in the 1967 film “In the Heat of the Night.” In the film, Sidney plays Philadelphia police detective Virgil Tibbs. When a plantation owner named Mr. Endicott (Larry Gates) slaps Virgil, Sidney’s character immediately slaps him back, and he does not wince when he does so. That scene became a defining moment for Black people everywhere, and it was an exchange Sidney insisted be included in the movie.

“There were some flaws in the script that had to be corrected,” Sidney said in an interview. “I felt certain things were not appropriate in terms of the reality of the times.” He told the film’s producers: “In my life, whether I’m a detective or not, and I don’t care where I am, if such a thing happened to me, the likelihood is I would respond. And my response would certainly not be to absorb it.” That was not designed to be a big social comment. It was an actor’s note based on a man’s humanity. Like the character he played, Sidney simply would not allow himself to be diminished. His courage unleashed in me a sense that I, too, could stand in my power. I, too, could refuse to be diminished and perform the kinds of roles that I desired. On my own terms.

Sidney’s journey to Hollywood was more unlikely than my own. He grew up on Cat Island in the Bahamas as the youngest child of impoverished tomato farmers. At the age of 15, and with just three dollars in his pocket, he moved to New York. With little formal education, he eked out an existence as a dishwasher and ditch digger while teaching himself to read. He eventually spotted an ad from the American Negro Theatre in Harlem and auditioned to become part of the company.

Because of his thick Caribbean accent, however, he was turned away. That rejection did not dampen his resolve, but instead strengthened it. Sidney purchased a radio and began mimicking the pronunciations of American newscasters. When he returned to the theater’s acting school, volunteering to work as a janitor, he finally secured his spot. His break came in 1946 when Harry Belafonte, another student at the school, missed a rehearsal attended by a Broadway producer. In stepped the determined Sidney, who was eventually cast as Probulos in “Lysistrata.” That role opened the door for his illustrious body of work to follow, including “The Defiant Ones,” ”A Raisin in the Sun” and “To Sir, With Love.”

Sidney also directed nine films. In fact, though he is widely applauded for his scores of searing portrayals, his work behind the scenes was as important as his on-screen work. It served as a blueprint for future filmmakers, for Black people who yearned to demonstrate their value on both sides of the camera. At a time when it was completely unheard of for a Black person to direct, Sidney defied expectations and forged ahead, directing “Stir Crazy,” the third-highest-grossing film of 1980, behind “The Empire Strikes Back” and “9 to 5.” It was the first film with a Black director to earn $100 million at the domestic box office. In so doing, Sidney created an opening for me and other filmmakers to follow. He did more than blaze a trail, he cleared a forest.

Sidney selected his roles carefully. In a nation that routinely demonized Blacks both on-screen and off, and in a media landscape that showed little respect for our humanity, he knew he did not have the luxury of playing characters that would further denigrate us. “It’s a choice, a clear choice,” he once said in an interview. “If the fabric of the society were different, I would scream to high heaven to play villains and to deal with different images of Negro life that would be more dimensional. But I’ll be damned if I do that at this stage of the game.” For that stance, and as the civil rights movement took a more defiant turn in the late 1960s, he received criticism even from some in his own community. Yet I respected his choices. He intended to present our people with the same dignity he strode through the world with. He relied only on his own moral compass, on his own sense of how to best use his gift. “I did not go into the film business to be symbolized as someone else’s vision of me,” he once said. His artistic choices were his way of raising his voice.

Years after I admired Sidney from afar, I met my idol in person. I was at work on the 1999 HBO film “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,” the story of another trailblazer who made history when she was nominated for an Oscar. I’d arranged to interview him, to glean what I could about Sidney’s memories of Dorothy, as well as to hear what it was like to be Black in Hollywood during a time when there was little place for us in the industry. I greeted Sidney, eyes dancing, cheeks lifted — and then I froze. It is the only time in my life when I have been rendered speechless! I was so overwhelmed by his powerful presence, his regal aura, I could not get my words out. For several minutes, I just sat there and stared at him.

Being the gentleman that he was, Sidney took the lead in our exchange until I regained my composure and managed to speak. With his warm manner, with the same grace he displayed on-screen across the decades, he put me at ease. He shared how he and Dorothy felt an instant kinship. He connected to her sense of honesty and vulnerability, said he viewed her as a fawn in need of protection. He also felt she’d been robbed of an Oscar for her lead role in “Carmen Jones.” “As Black people,” he told me, “we must learn to swallow it bitter and spit it sweet” — a phrase I’ve clenched tightly throughout my career. Sidney understood how often artists of color are overlooked, how our talent is so frequently discounted. He did not let that reality define him. At the end of our two-hour meeting, I left with my head held high and my chest poked out because he paid me the highest compliment. “I can’t imagine anyone other than you bringing my dear friend Dorothy to the screen,” he said. “You embody the essence of who she was.” It is a conversation I will forever treasure.

A few years later, my tongue got tied yet again when I saw Sidney at a gala. He was seated at my table alongside his wife Joanna. I glanced over at him and … Could. Not. Move. In an attempt to calm myself and restore my voice, I began talking with Joanna. Once I found my confidence, I told Sidney how much he meant to me. “You look like you could be one of mine,” he quipped, noting what he saw as my resemblance to his daughters. I realized then that, whenever I’d see Sidney, my knees would weaken and my words would vanish. That is just how important he was in my world. He wasn’t just America’s first Black film hero. He was nobility and class personified.

In 2002, nearly 40 years after Sidney accepted his Academy Award, I took my place in the Kodak Theatre for the Oscar ceremony. On that evening, Sidney, who was seated in the balcony with his family, was to be presented with an honorary Oscar. I thought that would be the highlight of the event. I’d been nominated for my role in “Monster’s Ball,” but I truly did not believe I would win. My family seemed to feel the same. “No matter what happens,” they told me, “you’ve already won. Nobody can take this moment away from you.” Deep down they felt as I did, that some other name would be called. In fact, I’d already made peace with that. My fellow nominees were all so talented that if any of them had earned the gold, I would not have felt robbed.

I was so persuaded one of them would win, I didn’t even prepare a speech. When Russell Crowe, red envelope in hand, uttered the phrase, “And the Oscar goes to … Halle Berry, ‘Monster’s Ball,’” I sat frozen, my body stuck in that seat, my spirit floating somewhere above me. “Get up, get up, you gotta get up!” my manager urged me. I don’t even remember walking up to the stage, nor do I recall the rapturous applause. My first memory is seeing Denzel Washington stand up. My next memory is hearing Russell say in my ear, “Breathe, mate. Breathe!” In the absence of a written speech, my subconscious came pouring forth, a mix of gratitude and astonishment, a recognition of those who’d paved my way — just as Sidney had.

As I concluded my rambling speech I looked up and saw dear Sidney, high in the balcony seemingly with a halo surrounding him, looking over me as a proud father would. Our paths had crossed all those years earlier when I, wide-eyed and frizzy-headed, watched him in awe from my living-room sofa. Decades later in that arena, our lives became inextricably connected — he, the first Black man to garner a leading-man Oscar, and I, the first Black woman to accomplish the same in my category. I was as tongue-tied in that moment as I was when I’d initially met him, as moved as I still am when I watch his films. History will remember Sidney as a giant of the screen, a legendary actor and director, a performer whose enormous talents were eclipsed only by his kindness. I will recall him as my first mirror, and the true measure of a man — and I will forever see him as the angel in the balcony watching over all of us.

Halle Berry is an Oscar-winning actor, director and activist.

Featured Film: 'Monster's Ball' (November 2021)

Occasionally, we take a look at one of Halle Berry's movies and some of the highlights of that particular period in her life. This month marks 20 years since 'Monster's Ball' made its world premiere at American Film Institute Festival on November 11, 2001, and set Berry on a history making path eventually leading to an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Visit our official Instagram page (@UltimateHalleBerry) for highlights throughout the month.

Halle Berry & Cardi B Curate All-Female 'Bruised' Soundtrack

Halle Berry joins forces with Grammy winner Cardi B to executive produce the first all-female hip-hop sountrack for her forthcoming directorial debut 'Bruised', which is slated to hit theaters on November 17th and Netflix a week later on November 24th.

“I can’t wait to show it,” Berry tells Variety. “I have to tell you, one of the things I’m most excited about is the title song that H.E.R. sang… and she killed it. So I can’t wait to share with everyone and am super excited.”

Hand-selected by executive producers Berry and Cardi B, the film’s soundtrack features six original songs by award-winning and multi-platinum female artists, including Cardi B (“Bet It”), Saweetie (“Attitude”), City Girls (“Scared”), H.E.R. (“Automatic Woman”), Flo Milli (“Blast Off”) and Latto (“Tha Fuck”). The tracks by H.E.R. and City Girls, both prominently featured in critical moments of the film, are expected to get a considerable push as awards season continues to unfold. In addition, the track by Miami duo Yung Miami and JT gritty, better known as City Girls, which is featured during a key sequence on-screen, will be the first single released on Nov. 5. Listen to parts of the song down below.

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'Moonfall' Extended Teaser: Halle Berry Tries To Stop The Moon

Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and John Bradley are on a mission to save the Earth from a collision with the moon in the extended teaser trailer for 'Moonfall', a scifi epic directed by Roland Emmerich that races into theaters on February 4, 2022.

Halle Berry Launches Second Collection With Sweaty Betty

Halle Berry has teamed up with lifestyle brand Sweaty Betty again!

The actress, along with her health and wellness platform rē•spin, has collaborated with the activewear brand for the second time to co-design stylish workout and athleisure clothes you'll want to add to your wardrobe, and the collection is live on the Sweaty Betty website

"It became obvious to me as a young adult that I had to change my lifestyle to prioritise wellness. This was going to allow me to live longer, reach all my dreams, become a mother, and have a family. I carried on that philosophy throughout my life because I’ve seen the benefits of consciously choosing to lead a lifestyle that prioritizes wellness."

Halle Berry Honored At 2021 Elle Women In Hollywood Event

On Tuesday (10/19) in Los Angeles, Halle Berry was honored as one of ELLE’s Women in Hollywood for her most recent movie Bruised, which she directs and stars in.

“I can't tell you what it means to be in this room and feel our femininity because it's palpable and it's real,” Berry said. “By watching you, I’ve been able to dream, I’ve been able to have a path made for a little Black girl from Cleveland.”

She also thanked Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins for “being a beacon and leading the way” for other women directors.

“You allowed me to know that maybe I could direct a film one day,” Berry said. “There are so many times where, as women, we don’t think we have the right to direct, we can only be the dancing fucking bear. Well, you know what? We can be more than the dancing fucking bear.”

Halle Berry Participates In Keynote Conversation For espnW: Women + Sports Summit 2021 (Video)

Academy Award winner Halle Berry sat down with for a keynote conversation with Malika Andrews at the espnW: Women + Sports Summit 2021 in La Jolla, Caliornia on Monday, October 18, wher she discussed her latest role in the film 'Bruised'.

Halle Berry Covers Women In Hollywood Issue Of 'Elle'

Trailblazer Halle Berry, who is still the only black Best Actress winner, is one of the nine stars featured on the November issue of Elle magazine, celebrating the honorees for this year's Women In Hollywood event, which will take place tomorrow (10/19).

When Halle Berry first read the script of her most recent film, Bruised—which she directs and stars in—she knew it wasn’t going to work for her. The Netflix movie, about a troubled mixed martial arts fighter who tries to get back into the sport when she regains custody of her son, was clearly written for an actress who could play an Irish Catholic woman in her early twenties. Berry was drawn to the intensely physical and emotional story, and identified with the motherhood subplot, but she recognized that the lead role would have to be reworked if a Black woman in her fifties was going to play her—even if it was a Black woman who has looked ageless for her entire career.

Another actress was considering the project, and Berry’s agent told her to wait to see if the film came to her instead. “I couldn’t stop thinking about it, and I became obsessed,” Berry says. When the other actress eventually passed, Berry was ready. “I was then able to make my pitch for how I could reimagine it for someone like me,” Berry says. She helped rework the screenplay, and after meeting with several potential directors, she realized that she might be the best person for that job, too. The resulting film is harrowing and deeply affecting, with Berry again doing what she does best: showing us a complicated Black woman in a way we haven’t seen before onscreen.

Bruised shows Berry doing what she does best: portraying a complicated Black woman in a new way. But this time around, she’s also behind the camera.

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'Bruised' Q&A: Halle Berry Talks Directorial Debut With Netflix

On the hees of the trailer for 'Bruised', Academy Award-winner Halle Berry sat down with Netfix Film to discuss what drew her to the role of Jackie Justice and her journey to directing.

'Bruised' Trailer: Halle Berry Fights For Redemption

Netflix has unveiled the official trailer for 'Bruised', the first feature directed by Academy Award winner Halle Berry, which will be released in select theaters on November 17th and to the streamer on November 24th.

In the film, a disgraced MMA fighter (Berry) finds redemption in the cage and the courage to face her demons when the son she had given up as an infant unexpectedly reenters her life.

Halle Berry To Receive Career Achievement From Critics Choice

DEADLINE: Jennifer Hudson, Halle Berry, Barry Jenkins and Anthony Anderson are among this year’s honorees for the Critics Choice Association’s Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. Inaugurated in 2014, the annual event has honored standout achievements in Black filmmaking, and this year will be the first to incorporate excellence in television as well. It will take place on Monday, December 6, at the Fairmont Century Plaza Hotel and will feature 20 award categories.

Academy Award-winning actress Berry will receive the Career Achievement Award as a tribute to her extraordinary roles over the years, as well as her upcoming directorial debut Bruised, in which she also stars as the disgraced MMA fighter Jackie Justice. It opens November 17 in theaters and hits Netflix on November 24. Berry’s career has spanned three decades, including performances in Die Another Day, Jungle Fever, Losing Isaiah, Bulworth, Swordfish, John Wick and as legendary actress in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, for which she won an Emmy. She is the first and only Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar, for her performance in Monster’s Ball in 2002.

“Berry’s iconic performances throughout her career have showcased her brilliance as an actor and blazed the trail for Black performers who have come after her,” said Shawn Edwards, a CCA board member and executive producer of Celebration of Black Cinema & Television. “She has become the personification of excellence as she transitions from being in front of the camera to sitting in the director’s chair.”