Ranked #41 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 Women of 2005 list.
Harvard University's Hasty Pudding Theatricals' 2006 Woman of the Year
Was born in Cleveland but grew up in Oakwood Village, Ohio. She still has family there.
Ranked #5 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" supplement.
Ranked #7 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 Women of 2002 list.
Is the first actress to star in a "Bond-film" following an Academy Award win.
Ranked #6 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement.
Well known for "living" her roles, she refused to bathe for two weeks in preparation for a role as a crack addict in Fiebre salvaje (1991).
Received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on April 3, 2007.
Is one of 6 African-American actresses to win an Oscar in a competitive category. In chronological order the others are: Hattie McDaniel for Lo que el viento se llevó (1939), Whoopi Goldberg for Ghost (Más allá del amor) (1990), Jennifer Hudson for Dreamgirls (2006), Mo'Nique for Precious (2009) and Octavia Spencer for Criadas y señoras (2011).
Is an active participant with the Jenesee Center (for abused women and children) in Los Angeles.
Ranked #55 on Maxim magazine's Hot 100 Women of 2007 list.
Saved from choking on a fig by Pierce Brosnan during shooting of the love scene on Cuba for Muere otro día (2002).
Is one of 10 African-American actresses to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar. The others in chronological order are: Dorothy Dandridge, Diana Ross, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Whoopi Goldberg, Angela Bassett, Gabourey Sidibe, Viola Davis and Quvenzhané Wallis.
Studies acting under Ivana Chubbuck.
Lives in Los Angeles and Malibu, California.
Early in her career, she auditioned for the role of Tina Turner in Tina (1993), but lost out to Angela Bassett who went on to receive a Best Actress Oscar nomination for her performance.
Was given her Oscar-winning role of Leticia Musgrove in Monster's Ball (2001) after both Angela Bassett and Vanessa Williams turned the role down.
Was named "Sexiest Woman Alive" by Esquire magazine in 2008.
Has a half-sister, Renee Berry (born 1959), from her father Jerome Berry's marriage to Edwina Taylor.
Favorite and least favorite words as respectively revealed to host James Lipton on Inside the Actors Studio: Halle Berry (2007) are "Chutzpah" and "Nigger".
When she "won" the Razzie® Award as Worst Actress of 2004 for Catwoman, Berry became the first Oscar winner ever to attend and accept her Razzie Award in person.
Was in a relationship with Michael Ealy (July 2004-October 2005).
Stated that it was her role as a mother in Cosas que perdimos en el fuego (2007) that led her to make the decision to become a mother herself.
Returned to work 8 months after giving birth to her daughter Nahla in order to begin filming Frankie & Alice (2010).
(September 21, 2011) Broke her foot after tripping over a rock whilst chasing her daughter Nahla on a day off from filming El atlas de las nubes (2012) in Majorca, Spain.
Wanted to play the lead roles in El silencio de los corderos (1991) and Una proposición indecente (1993), but was not even allowed to audition for either part.
Canceled her appearance on the Oscars on February 26, 2012, due to her broken foot.
Lived in Saint-Hypolite (North of Montreal, Quebec, Canada from October 2008 until April 2010.
Lived in Cape Town, South Africa with her daughter Nahla and ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubry whilst filming Marea letal (2012) (July-September 2010).
Was in a relationship with Gabriel Aubry from 2005 to 2010. They have a daughter together.
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 41, a daughter Nahla Ariela Aubry on March 16, 2008. Child's father is her now ex-boyfriend, Gabriel Aubry.
(July 13, 2013) Married for the 3rd time her boyfriend of 2 years Olivier Martinez following a 17-month-long engagement.
Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 47, a son Maceo Robert Martinez on October 5, 2013. Child's father is her 3rd husband, Olivier Martinez.
Was 4 months pregnant with her son Maceo when she completed filming X-Men: Días del futuro pasado (2014).
Appeared in a PSA for the "Children's Diabetes Foundation" (2009).
Met French husband-to-be Olivier Martinez on the set of Marea letal (2012).
Returned to work 3 months after giving birth to her son Maceo to begin filming Extant (2014).
Was the 121st actress to receive an Academy Award; she won the Best Actress Oscar for Monster's Ball (2001) at The 74th Annual Academy Awards (2002) on March 24, 2002.
Personal Quotes
On Dorothy Dandridge: ...You have to find a way to be sad on every day, in every scene, in every moment. And always try to hide the sadness. And (then) you'll get the essence of who she was.
During her Oscar acceptance speech: This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It's for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett Smith, Angela Bassett, Vivica A. Fox... and it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance, because the door tonight has been opened.
On choosing both serious and popcorn-movie roles: There's art and there's commerce. You have to find a way to mesh the two. It's important to do the little movies just for the love of the art. But it's those big movies that take you around the world and make you globally famous.
I'll never get married again, and I always hate to say never to anything, but I will never marry again.
I was black growing up in an all-white neighborhood, so I felt like I just didn't fit in. Like I wasn't as good as everybody else, or as smart, or whatever.
Blackness is a state of mind and I identify with the black community. Mainly, because I realized, early on, when I walk into a room, people see a black woman, they don't see a white women. So out of that reason alone, I identify more with the black community.
I spent a lot of time with a crown on my head.
The worst thing a man can ever do is kiss me on the first date.
I don't see a white woman. I see a black woman, even though my mother is white [her father Jerome is black]. Knowing that has made my life easier, I think.
I want to be the next Spike Lee. I want to help other black folks to get into Hollywood and be successful in Hollywood.
What is my real purpose here? I've looked at what I do. I make believe and make movies. I entertain people and get paid for it. Sometimes it seems like such a shallow existence. How insignificant in the scheme of life.
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. And I hope to God I never see these people again. - on accepting her Razzie Award for Worst Actress.
I never wanted to be a model. My modeling career was nothing but a stepping stone to my acting career and that's all I ever saw it as. A pointless rock in the river that has to be stepped on in order to get to the meaningful oasis of acting.
I guess you could say I have bad taste in men. But I no longer feel the need to be someone's wife.
(On receiving a film festival award while pregnant) I am three times the girl I used to be. This is the second red carpet where I didn't have to think about sucking in my stomach - because I can't!
You think you know what love is - until you have a child and discover that unconditional mother love.
I once was stupid enough to say, in a previous relationship, 'I'm going to be with this person forever,' and realised, as I grew, that I don't know if forever is possible.
Humor is always part of the best hours in life.
When you have children, you get to see things all over again. So I've never laughed as hard, I've never done more silly things. And I go to great lengths to make my daughter laugh.
[on the difference between wants and needs] I don't think nudity is ever necessary.
[on her evolving style and archiving her clothes] My style has evolved in a nice way, but everyone has bad moments. Someone just showed me a photo from the '80s in which I was wearing a polka-dot and flower-print suit with puffy sleeves. At the time I thought I was stylin'! But no.
[on what she's learned through the growth of her career and aging] Throughout my career I have been talked out of things I wanted to do, and when I look back I think, I should have followed my instincts. I relied on others to guide me because I thought they knew better. But as I've gotten older, I've learned to trust myself.
[on having short hair] I think I am at my best when my hair is short. It's easier to take care of and more of who I am. Women are conditioned to think we need long hair. I see that happening with my daughter. She is so in love with her hair right now. She says, "Look, Mommy - it's so long!". As women, we think it defines us, and we learn that at a young age.
[on her fashion advice for anyone] Don't be a slave to trends. People who are never develop their own style. I have friends who are tragic - always trying to wear the latest thing, and it doesn't always look good on them. I mean, that may be good on Kate Moss on the runway, but honey, you can't pull it off.
I'm a hopeless romantic - and I won't stop until I get it right!
I'm embracing the fact that with each new year comes a new line on my face, and that just makes me more of who I'm evolving into.
(Gifs and photos: source_Tumblr)
(Gifs and photos: source_Tumblr)
Salary
| Executive Decision (1996) | $1.000.000 |
| Swordfish (2001) | $2.500.000 |
| Monster's Ball (2001) | $600.000 |
| Die Another Day (2002) | $4.000.000 |
| Gothika (2003) | $6.000.000 |
| Catwoman (2004) | $14.000.000 |
| Perfect Stranger (2007) | $10.000.000 |
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