Halle Berry Reflects on Being the Only Black Woman to Win Best Actress Oscar
Being the only Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar in Academy Awards history, Halle Berry has talked candidly about her experience.
Berry considers the changes that have occurred since she received the prize in 2002 for her performance in Monster’s Ball in the new Apple TV+ documentary ‘Number One On The Call Sheet’. Since then, no other Black woman has received the honor, despite her historic accomplishment.
According to Berry, the victory caused her to reflect on its significance and ask if it had a real influence on her community or women of color. The 13 Black women who have been nominated for Best Actress since her triumph—none of whom have taken home the trophy—are also highlighted in the documentary.
Berry reflects on the likelihood that a Black woman would win the award in recent years and remembers a time when she was alongside Andra Day and Viola Davis, who were both nominated for ‘Black Bottom’ by Ma Rainey and ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’ by Andra Day. Frances McDormand won the Oscar for ‘Nomadland’, but she felt sure one of them would win.
Image Courtesy: Halle Berry/ Instagram
Berry admits that there are institutional obstacles in place, saying that Black women should stop aiming for something that was never intended for them since the system is not made for them. She thinks that rather than aiming for approval from a system that doesn’t always involve them, the real worth of art is found in its capacity to change lives.
In addition, Taraji P. Henson and Whoopi Goldberg offer their perspectives on the dearth of Black Best Actress winners in the documentary. Henson agrees that the industry frequently places Black women in supporting roles rather than starring ones, which she believes limits their chances for recognition, while Goldberg, the winner of Best Supporting Actress, queries why there aren’t more Black women in this category.
Image Courtesy: Halle Berry/ Instagram
Berry had previously stated in an interview that because there are so few options for Black women in Hollywood, she does not have the luxury of selecting roles that are deserving of an Oscar. Instead of just waiting for a job that would create Oscar excitement, she emphasized that winning the Oscar was about having a passion for the work and taking chances.
–Farheen Ali
