Halle Berry is no stranger to pushing her body to its limits for her roles. In a recent interview with her ‘The Union’ co-star Mark Wahlberg, the 57-year-old actress discussed the physical challenges she’s faced while filming action movies.
Berry shared that over the years, she has mastered Brazilian jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kickboxing, taekwondo, and even learned capoeira specifically for her role in 2004’s ‘Catwoman’. She mentioned that she’s been knocked out three times while working on set.
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Listing her injuries, Berry revealed she has broken an arm, five ribs (two while filming her 2021 directorial debut ‘Bruised’ and three during 2019’s ‘John Wick: Chapter 3’, her tailbone, two toes, and one of her middle fingers. Wahlberg, 53, also shared his own injuries, including a torn meniscus and a separated shoulder, joking that his ego has taken a few hits as well.
Berry also recounted training to hold her breath for nearly two and a half minutes for her 2012 film ‘Dark Tide’, describing the experience as feeling like “eternity.” She added that playing Storm in the ‘X-Men’ films came with its own challenges, particularly when she was suspended in the air for extended periods during filming.
In ‘The Union’, directed by Julian Farino, Wahlberg plays Mike, a construction worker from New Jersey whose life is turned upside down when his long-lost high school sweetheart, Roxanne (played by Berry), reappears after 25 years. Describing his experience working with Berry, Wahlberg said he’s always been a huge fan and admired her work, calling the experience of working with her “an absolute joy.”
‘The Union’ is available for streaming on Netflix starting 16th August.
–Farheen Ali