Halle Berry biography, Oscar, kids, daughter, age, net worth, awards 2025

Halle Berry's Biography

Halle Berry is an American actress and the first woman of color to win an Academy Award. She is known for her roles in movies like "X-Men," "Monster's Ball," "Cloud Atlas," and many others. Throughout her career, she has experienced numerous ups and downs. Her filmography includes both blockbuster "A-list" movies and smaller, experimental projects.

Early Years

Halle Maria Berry was born in Cleveland on August 14, 1966. Originally, her first and second names were switched, and her parents named their daughter after the local Halle's Department Store. Her mother, Judith, worked as a nurse. Her father, Jerome, worked with his wife at a psychiatric clinic before becoming a bus driver.

In 1970, the Berry couple divorced following a difficult period: Jerome abused Judith almost daily, often in front of Halle and her older sister Heidi. Since the father left, the family has heard nothing about him and doesn't know what became of him.

While attending Bedford High School, Halle led an active life: she was the head of the cheerleading team, participated in the school newspaper, and was elected class president. After graduating, she enrolled at Cuyahoga Community College and got a job as a sales consultant in the children's department.

While attending Bedford High School, Halle was the head of the cheerleading team

The beginning of the '80s was marked by Berry's participation in beauty pageants. After passing through various selections, she won the Miss Teen All-American pageant in 1985. A year later, she repeated her success by winning Miss Ohio, which paved her way to compete for the title of the most beautiful girl in the USA.

At the national beauty pageant, the first prize went to Christy Fichtner, while Halle came in second and proceeded to Miss World. She was the first woman of color representative from the USA in the history of the competition. The American made it to the finals and finished as the 5th runner-up. Upon returning home, she decided to focus more on her modeling career.

In 1989, Halle moved to New York, where the chances of advancing her career were higher. After initial failures, she was catastrophically short on money and spent a week sleeping in a homeless shelter. As soon as she found her first serious job, she faced another hurdle: the budding actress was diagnosed with diabetes.

Acting Career

Health issues didn't prevent Halle Berry from making a noticeable debut. Her appearance in the TV series "Living Dolls" (1989) helped her solve financial problems and feel more confident. She then received an offer from Spike Lee to star in "Jungle Fever" (1991), and in the film "The Last Boy Scout" (1991), she played alongside Bruce Willis.

"Boomerang" (1992), featuring Berry in one of the roles, was very well received by audiences. The result – two MTV Award nominations for "Breakthrough Performance" and "Most Desirable Female". In the fantasy comedy "The Flintstones" (1994), Berry also managed to shine, earning a "Saturn Award" nomination.

After "Executive Decision" (1996), "Bulworth" (1998), and a series of other solid mid-range films in the movie industry, Berry found herself back on television with "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge" (1999). For the first time, she served as an executive producer and collected awards from leading ceremonies: an "Emmy", a "Golden Globe", and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Her subsequent role as the weather-controlling superhero Storm in "X-Men" (2000) opened up great prospects, as the creators initially planned several films. She, along with Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Famke Janssen, indeed stayed in the mutant universe for a long time.

Halle Berry as Storm

A year later, Halle appeared fully nude for the first time in the film "Swordfish" (2001). That same year, the drama "Monster's Ball" was released. Berry loved the script so much that she agreed to significantly cut her fee just so the producers could fit it into the budget. It paid off as she earned an Oscar, a Silver Bear from the Berlin Film Festival, and a BAFTA Award for her role in Marc Forster's drama.

Halle Berry Wins Best Actress: 74th Oscars (2002)

"Die Another Day" (2002) – a new James Bond series with Pierce Brosnan – was simultaneously an interesting and profitable project for Berry: her fee as the new "Bond girl" was $4 million.

In 2002, Halle Berry starred in a new James Bond series

Berry's return to the "X2: X-Men United" (2003) franchise delighted both fans of the actress and the character. Filming for "Gothika" (2003), which took place shortly afterward, had to be briefly interrupted: during a scene with Robert Downey Jr., Berry broke her arm.

It seemed her career was on the rise when she received an offer to play another comic book heroine, this time in her own project. The studio promised a $14 million fee and possible sequels. However, "Catwoman" (2004) by Pitof, featuring Sharon Stone and Benjamin Bratt, failed in every aspect: it brought losses to its creators, faced criticism from audiences, and was nominated for a "Golden Raspberry Award".

Berry got a break while working on the dubbing for the animated film "Robots" (2005), and television also came to the rescue: for "Their Eyes Were Watching God" (2005), the actress was again nominated for an "Emmy" and a "Golden Globe". However, both times she was surpassed by S. Epatha Merkerson.

Halle Berry accepts her RAZZIE

In the third part of the mutant franchise "X-Men: The Last Stand" (2006), Berry might not have played. She didn't get along too well with Bryan Singer, the director of the previous two parts, and felt that Storm was not developing as a character and was not contributing enough to the plot. Only Brett Ratner's taking over as director and the studio's guarantees of more screen time convinced her to sign the contract.

Halle Berry Breaks Down Her Career, from X-Men to Bruised

In 2007, Berry worked again with Bruce Willis in "Perfect Stranger" (2007) and also received her own star on the "Hollywood Walk of Fame".

In 'Frankie & Alice', Halle played a woman with a mental disorder

The film "Frankie & Alice" (2009) turned out to be experimental and controversial, where Berry played a woman with a mental disorder, whose numerous personalities complicate her life and interaction with people.

After a brief hiatus, Berry joined the star-studded cast of Garry Marshall's anthology "New Year's Eve" (2011). The comedy managed to collect at the box office, but both audiences and critics received the film coolly.

CLOUD ATLAS Interview with Tom Hanks and Halle Berry

"Cloud Atlas" (2012) – a film that continues to spark debate. In the sci-fi film by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis, each actor played several roles, transforming beyond recognition. Berry mentioned that the makeup was so realistic that she couldn't always recognize her colleagues, even when talking face-to-face.

The experiments continued the following year. "The Call" (2013) was acknowledged at the "Saturn Awards", did well at the box office, and was well-received by audiences, while "Movie 43" (2013) became much more infamous, mainly in a negative way. This film was a collection of crazy stories featuring world-class stars like Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, and Chloë Grace Moretz. But even this did not save the project from fan dissatisfaction.

In 2014, Berry transformed into Storm for the fourth time in "X-Men: Days of Future Past" (2014) (after which the role of Storm was taken over by the young actress Alexandra Shipp), and also got her own sci-fi series "Extant" (2014). It started off well and was even renewed for a second season, but that was the end of it.

In the following decade, the actress rarely appeared on big screens. Among the notable premieres she participated in were "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" and the third part of "John Wick" with Keanu Reeves.

Halle Berry Training with Taran

However, in 2020, the actress presented her directorial debut – the sports drama "Bruised", in which she also played the lead role. The story centers on an MMA fighter trying to regain custody of her son.

Initially, Berry auditioned for the lead role. When the script came to her, the character was a white Irish woman, and the producers wanted to cast Blake Lively. However, Berry felt such a strong connection with the character that she managed to convince them to cast her instead.

Bruised - Official Trailer

The project was supposed to be directed by Nick Cassavetes, but it didn't work out. No one wanted to take the director's chair, and then the studio representatives recommended Berry.

Halle Berry's Personal Life

Actress Halle Berry was in a relationship with dentist John Ronan from 1989 to 1991. Several years after their split, her ex-boyfriend sued Halle, demanding repayment of his loans. According to him, John borrowed money to help Berry build her career. The court found his arguments unsubstantial.

In 1993, Halle married baseball player David Justice for the first time. Their marriage lasted until 1997. The wedding bells rang for the actress a second time in 2001 when she married musician Eric Benet. He courted her for two years before she said "yes." However, they soon faced problems, likely related to Eric's infidelity: he even underwent treatment for sex addiction. They finalized their divorce in 2005.

During the same period, Halle met model Gabriel Aubry at a photo shoot. The couple did not rush to get married, but in 2008 their daughter Nahla Ariela was born. Two years later, their relationship ended. This led to a loud and lengthy court battle. Aubry fought for full custody of the child and for support from his former domestic partner. He prevented Halle from taking the girl to France, where Olivier Martinez, Halle's boyfriend at the time, lived. Their confrontations resulted in mutual accusations in the press, court injunctions against proximity, and even fights between Olivier and Gabriel. Eventually, Berry had to pay to reach a peaceful agreement.

Halle and Martinez married in 2013, and that same year they became parents. They named the boy Maceo Robert. In 2015, the couple filed for divorce, and a year later, they settled all formalities. They remained on friendly terms and co-parent their son.

In 2020, it became known that the actress was dating musician Van Hunt. Her partner is three years her junior.

Halle Berry Now

In 2022, the actress could be seen in the sci-fi thriller "Moonfall" alongside Patrick Wilson. In 2023, she starred with Mark Wahlberg in the action movie "The Union." Also, the premiere of the science fiction film "The Mothership" from Netflix, featuring Berry in the leading role, was expected in 2024. However, in February, the company announced the suspension of filming – extensive reshoots were required, which exceeded the budget. Halle has repeatedly said that at this stage of her life, she finds directing far more compelling than acting:

...I'm more inspired by the fact that we, women, feel confident enough to tell our stories. And we have a place where we can tell our stories. For too long, our experience has been conveyed through male perspectives.

Halle Berry: latest news and articles

Sam Wade

It would be cool to see Halle Berry as Storm in X-men. I like how it would look :)

2021-04-16 11:14:47
Betty Goodman

For me she will always be a catwoman but with Halle Berry I remeber only this film, honestly nothing else comes to my mind

2021-04-12 14:07:50
Jackson Caleb Richardson

I liked her very much in Gothika, very cool role, gentle and at the same time strong. It was a gold time when the film was released

2021-04-10 08:27:02
Jane Hansen

I remember I watched with her Catwoman and I was in shock, she is a cool actress.

2021-04-07 20:51:20
Nathaniel Adam Jenkins

Gothika is a cool movie, Berry is amazing there. And in the video for Limp Bizkit she starred on hype.

2021-01-16 19:35:19