Halle Berry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Halle Berry
Berry in 2017
Born	Maria Halle Berry (1966-08-14) August 14, 1966 (age 58) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Education	Cuyahoga Community College
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1989–present
Spouse(s)	David Justice ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 1997)​ Eric Benét ​ ​ (m. 2001; div. 2005)​ Olivier Martinez ​ ​ (m. 2013; div. 2016)​
Partner(s)	Gabriel Aubry (2005–2010)
Children	2
Awards	Full list

Halle Maria Berry (born August 14, 1966) is a famous American actress. She started her career as a model and took part in several beauty contests. She was the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant and placed sixth in the Miss World 1986 contest.

Halle Berry became well-known for her role in the romantic comedy Boomerang (1992), where she starred with Eddie Murphy. This led to other big roles in movies like The Flintstones (1994) and Bulworth (1998). She also starred in the TV film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she won important awards like an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award.

In the 2000s, Berry became one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood. She made history by winning the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the drama Monster's Ball (2001). She was the first African-American woman to win this award. She also played popular characters like Storm in the X-Men movies (2000–2014) and a Bond girl named Jinx in Die Another Day (2002).

Later, Berry continued to act in various films, including Perfect Stranger (2007), Cloud Atlas (2012), and The Call (2013). In 2014, she started her own production company called 606 Films. She also starred in and helped produce the TV series Extant (2014–2015). More recently, she appeared in action films like Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017) and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019). In 2020, she directed her first movie, the Netflix drama Bruised, where she also played the main role.

Berry has been a spokesperson for Revlon cosmetics since 1996. She has been married three times and has two children.

Early Life and Beauty Contests

Halle Berry was born Maria Halle Berry in Cleveland, Ohio, on August 14, 1966. Her mother, Judith Ann, was from England, and her father, Jerome Jesse Berry, was African-American. When she was five, her name was legally changed to Halle Maria Berry. Her middle name came from a local department store in Cleveland called Halle's.

Halle's parents divorced when she was four years old. She and her older sister, Heidi, were raised by their mother. Halle grew up in Oakwood, Ohio, and went to Bedford High School. There, she was a cheerleader, an honor student, and the editor of the school newspaper. She was also crowned prom queen.

After high school, she studied at Cuyahoga Community College. In the 1980s, she entered several beauty contests. She won Miss Teen All American in 1985 and Miss Ohio USA in 1986. In the 1986 Miss USA pageant, she was the first runner-up. She also became the first African-American contestant in the Miss World 1986 pageant, where she finished sixth.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting Out in Acting (1989–1999)

In 1989, Halle Berry moved to New York City to become an actress. At first, she struggled and even lived in a homeless shelter for a short time. Things got better, and she was cast in the TV series Living Dolls. During this time, she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. After Living Dolls ended, she moved to Los Angeles.

Berry at the 1997 Essence Awards

In 1992, Berry had a big role in the romantic comedy Boomerang, starring with Eddie Murphy. The next year, she gained attention for her role as a strong slave in the TV show Queen: The Story of an American Family. She also starred in Race the Sun (1996) and with Kurt Russell in Executive Decision. From 1996, she became a spokesperson for Revlon for many years.

In 1998, Berry was praised for her role in Bulworth. She also played singer Zola Taylor in the movie Why Do Fools Fall in Love. In 1999, she starred in the HBO movie Introducing Dorothy Dandridge. This was a very important project for her, as she played the first African American woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Berry won an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award for this performance.

Becoming a Global Star (2000–2004)

Halle Berry played the mutant superhero Storm in the X-Men film (2000) and its sequels, X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).

In 2001, Berry starred as Leticia Musgrove in Monster's Ball. Her powerful performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress. This was a historic moment, as she became the first African-American woman to win this award. In her acceptance speech, she honored other black actresses, saying, "This moment is so much bigger than me. This is for every nameless, faceless woman of color who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened."

Berry at the German premiere of Catwoman in 2004

In 2002, she played Bond girl Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson in the hit movie Die Another Day. She even recreated a famous scene from an earlier James Bond film. During filming, she had a minor eye injury that needed a short operation.

In 2003, Berry starred in the thriller Gothika with Robert Downey, Jr.. She broke her arm during a scene, which caused filming to stop for eight weeks. The movie was a moderate success.

In 2004, Berry starred in Catwoman. While she was paid a lot for the role, the movie was not well-received by critics. She even accepted the "Worst Actress" Razzie Award for her performance in person, holding her Oscar from Monster's Ball and showing a good sense of humor about it.

Continuing Her Career (2005–Present)

Berry at New York Fleet Week in 2006

In 2005, Berry appeared in the TV film Their Eyes Were Watching God, which was produced by Oprah Winfrey. She also lent her voice to the animated movie Robots.

In 2007, she starred in the thriller Perfect Stranger with Bruce Willis. Later that year, she played a widow in the drama Things We Lost in the Fire. Critics praised her performance in this film.

In April 2007, Halle Berry received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for her contributions to movies. By the end of that decade, she was one of Hollywood's highest-paid actresses.

In the independent drama Frankie and Alice (2010), Berry played a woman with a rare disorder where she had different personalities. She earned an award and a Golden Globe Award nomination for this role. She also appeared in the romantic comedy New Year's Eve (2011) with many other stars.

In 2012, Berry starred in the science fiction film Cloud Atlas with Tom Hanks. In this movie, she played six different characters across many centuries.

Berry at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International

Berry found more success with the crime thriller The Call (2013), which was a surprise hit at the box office.

From 2014 to 2015, Berry starred in the CBS drama series Extant, playing an astronaut. She also started her production company, 606 Films, named after a law she supported to protect children from paparazzi.

In 2017, she starred in the action thriller Kidnap, where she played a mother trying to save her kidnapped son. She also joined the cast of the action-comedy sequel Kingsman: The Golden Circle (2017).

In 2019, Berry played an assassin named Sofia in the action film John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum. She also became an executive producer for the BET TV series Boomerang, based on her earlier film.

In 2020, Halle Berry made her debut as a director with the movie Bruised. She also starred in the film as a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. The movie was released on Netflix in 2021. In 2023, she signed with Range Media Partners to continue her work as a producer and director.

Activism and Causes

Berry with House Minority Whip Katherine Clark in December 2023

Halle Berry has used her fame to support important causes. In 2006, she joined other celebrities to successfully fight against a proposed natural gas facility off the coast of Malibu, California. She cared about protecting the air and ocean.

In 2013, she appeared in a video for Gucci's "Chime for Change" campaign, which helps raise money and awareness for women's issues like education, health, and justice. In August 2013, Berry spoke in front of the California State Assembly to support a bill that would protect children of celebrities from being harassed by photographers. The bill passed later that year.

In May 2024, Berry spoke out to support more research and education about menopause, a natural part of life for women. She believes it's important to talk openly about it and remove any shame.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video game

Music videos

Awards and Nominations

See also

• List of African American firsts
• List of female film and television directors
• List of LGBT-related films directed by women