Halle Berry is opening up about her historic Academy Award win and how that moment made her feel “heartbreak.”
Berry, 54, is a living icon and herstory-maker. In 2002, Berry became the first Black woman to win an Oscar for best actress for her leading role in Monster’s Ball. During her acceptance speech, she thanked those who came before her, including Dorothy Dandrige, #Lena Horne, and Diahann Carroll. After that, she said she’d now opened a door for ”every nameless, faceless woman of color” watching at home.
While the moment was a blessing, the actress says that it also was heartbreaking. During an interview with Variety this week, Berry expressed how disappointed she is about no Black women being nominated for Best Actress since her win. “I thought #CynthiaErivowas going to do it last year,” Berry said. “I thought #RuthNegga had a really good shot at it too,” said the actress who is currently set to make her debut as a features director at the Toronto Film Festival with the drama “Bruised.” “I thought there were women that rightfully, arguably, could have, should have. I hoped they would have, but why it hasn’t gone that way, I don’t have the answer.”
Berry said she is still trying to figure out exactly how she feels about her win, saying that it was “one of [her] biggest heartbreaks.” ”The morning after, I thought, ‘Wow, I was chosen to open a door.’ And then, to have no one … I question, ‘Was that an important moment, or was it just an important moment for me?’ I wanted to believe it was so much bigger than me. It felt so much bigger than me, mainly because I knew others should have been there before me, and they weren’t.”
The award-winning star said that she should have never thought that the honor would have changed anything, Variety reports. “Just because I won an award doesn’t mean that, magically, the next day, there was a place for me,” she said. “I was just continuing to forge a way out of no way.”
Hopefully, things start to change. In the meantime, Berry is preparing for “Bruised,” which stars the actress playing a mixed martial arts fighter. “Bruised” will premiere at the film festival on Sept. 12.
