actress.
Biography
Halle was born in
Cleveland, Ohio. She was named after a landmark
building in that city. Although she is generally
considered
African American, she is biracial, with an
English-born mother, Judith Berry, and a black father,
Jerome Berry. Halle's parents divorced when she was four
years old and she was subsequently raised by her mother.
Halle has an older sister, Heidi.
Halle was a popular student at her high school and
was a cheerleader, honor society member, editor of the
school paper, class president, and prom queen. She
subsequently attended Cuyahoga Community College.
Halle entered several beauty queen contests before
becoming an actress including Miss Ohio USA, Miss Teen
All American, Miss USA, and Miss World. Her talents as
an actress have often been overshadowed by her physical
beauty.
In the late 1980's, she went to
Chicago to pursue a modeling career as well as
acting. One of her first acting projects was a
television series for local cable by Gordon Lake
Productions called "Chicago Force."
Halle auditioned for a role in an updated "Charlie's
Angels" television series by producer
Aaron Spelling. At the time, Spelling wanted one of
the "Angels" to be a woman of color. She did not get the
role but she impressed Spelling by her skills. He
encouraged her to continue perfecting her craft.
In
1989, Halle landed the role of brainy "Emily
Franklin" in the ABC television series called "Living
Dolls."
Halle's breakthrough feature film role was in "Jungle
Fever" where she played a drug addict named Vivian. Her
first co-staring role was in the film "Strictly
Business." Another one of her early roles was in a
supporting capacity in the
Flintstones movie where she played "Sharon
Stone." She played the
superhero
Storm in
2000 in the successful film,
X-Men. "Gothika" was the first film that she
"carried," i.e., the film focusing entirely on her.
She won the best actress
Oscar in
2002 for Monster's Ball, becoming the first
African American woman to win this award. Ironically
in
1999, Berry played the first African American woman
to be nominated for a best actress Academy Award,
Dorothy Dandridge, in
HBO's "Introducting Dorothy Dandridge." Another
similarity the two women shared was being born in the
same hospital.
In February
2000, Halle was involved in a automobile accident
when she struck another vehicle after running a red
light and left the scene before the police arrived.
Halle, who had sustained a head injury, later stated she
had no recollection of the accident and pled no contest
to a misdemeanor charge. She paid a fine, made
restitution to the other driver, performed community
services, and was placed on three years probation.
Having long refused to do any n--- scenes, much was
made of Halle's first topless scene in the film
"Swordfish," a thirty second scene for which she was
allegedly paid an additional $500,000. Halle followed
this with a more extended n--- love scene in
Monster's Ball.
Halle has been married twice. Her first marriage in
1992 to
baseball player David Justice ended in a
1996 divorce. Her second marriage in
2001 to musician Eric Ben? has resulted in a
2003 separation. Halle has never had children
herself, but is close to her step-daughter India from
her marriage to Benet.
In 2004, she will get her "star" on the Hollywood
Boulevard Walk of Fame in Hollywood, California.
Filmography
X2: X-Men United
2002
Die Another Day
2001 Swordfish
2001 Monster's Ball
2000
X-Men
1999 Introducing Dorothy Dandridge
1998 Oprah Winfrey Presents: The Wedding
1998 Bulworth
1998 Why Do Fools Fall In Love
1997 B.A.P.S.
1996 Race the Sun
1996 The Rich Man's Wife
1996 Girl 6
1996
Executive Decision
1995 Losing Isaiah
1994
The Flintstones
1993 Father Hood
1993 The Program
1993 CB4: The Movie
1992 Boomerang
1992 Queen [TV]
1991
Jungle Fever
1991 Strictly Business
1991 The Last Boy Scout
1989 Living Dolls
