Halle Berry Reflects on Being the Only Black Best Actress Oscar Winner: 'Did It Really Change Anything for Women of Color?'
Halle Berry is opening up about being the first — and only — Black woman to have won the Oscar for best actress in the nearly 100-year history of the Academy Awards.
In the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, Berry reflects on what has happened since she won the Oscar in 2002, for her role in Monster's Ball. In that time, no other Black actress has taken home the award.
More from The Hollywood Reporter
Spanish Marital Drama 'Querer' Wins Series Mania
Ava DuVernay, Olivia Colman, Javier Bardem Sign Open Letter Criticizing Oscars' Response to 'No Other Land' Co-Director Attack
Kenan Thompson to Receive Reel Works ChangeMaker Award (Exclusive)
'It's forced me to ask myself, did it matter?' Berry asks. 'Did it really change anything for women of color? For my sisters? For our journey?'
The documentary shows a montage of Black actresses losing out to white women at the Oscars. Overall, 15 Black actresses have been nominated for the honor, including, most recently, Cynthia Erivo, who's been nominated twice. This year, Erivo was nominated for her role in Wicked but lost to Anora star Mikey Madison.
Berry says in the documentary that she thought a Black actress had a good chance of winning in 2021.
'A few years ago, I was at the table with Andra Day, and I was across the room from Viola Davis, and they were both nominated for stellar performances [Day for The United States vs. Billie Holoday and Davis for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom], and I felt 100 percent sure that this was the year one of them was gonna walk away with this award,' she says, adding: 'For equally different and beautiful reasons, they both deserved it, and I thought for sure.'
However, Frances McDormand went on to collect her third Oscar, for Nomadland.
'The system is not really designed for us, and so we have to stop coveting that which is not for us,' Berry adds. 'Because at the end of the day, it's 'How do we touch the lives of people?' and that fundamentally is what art is for.'
In the documentary, Taraji P. Henson and Whoopi Goldberg also express incredulity over the lack of Black best actress Oscar winners.
'Wait a minute, none of us were good enough?' Goldberg asks. 'Nobody? In all of these people, nobody?… What are we missing here? This is a conversation people have every year.'
Goldberg is one of 10 Black women who have won the Oscar for best supporting actress. Henson has a theory about why there are more supporting actress wins for Black women.
'I don't think the industry really sees us as leads, you know?' she says in the documentary. 'They give us supporting [actress awards] like they give out candy canes. That just — I don't know what to do with that. Because what are you saying to me?'
Best of The Hollywood Reporter
Harvey Weinstein's "Jane Doe 1" Victim Reveals Identity: "I'm Tired of Hiding"
'Awards Chatter' Podcast: 'Sopranos' Creator David Chase Finally Reveals What Happened to Tony (Exclusive)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival Canceled Due to Weather
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has been canceled due to severe weather concerns. The festival announced the news in a Friday Instagram post after issuing a series of weather delays and an evacuation notice earlier in the day. Thursday marked the first official day of the event at the Bonnaroo Farm in Manchester, Tennessee, that was set to last through Sunday, with only one of the four headliners, Luke Combs, delivering a performance before the event was canceled. More from The Hollywood Reporter K-pop Stars Enhypen on 'Desire : Unleash,' Coachella Debut and What to Expect on Their U.S. Tour Kanye "Ye" West Makes Brief Appearance at Sean "Diddy" Combs Trial Hollywood's Top Marketers of 2025 'Today, the National Weather Service provided us with an updated forecast with significant and steady precipitation that will produce deteriorating camping and egress conditions in the coming days,' Bonnaroo wrote in their post. 'We are beyond gutted, but we must make the safest decision and cancel the remainder of Bonnaroo.' Bonnaroo, too, revealed that they would be issuing refunds to all 1-Day Friday, Saturday and Sunday admission tickets purchased via Front Gate Tickets, though those who purchased 4-day admission tickets and camping accommodations via the ticketing service will only receive a 75% refund. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bonnaroo (@bonnaroo) Alongside Combs, Tyler, the Creator, Olivia Rodrigo and Hozier were set to headline Bonnaroo, though those performances have been called off. Additional slated performers included Vampire Weekend, GloRilla, Tyla, Raye, Avril Lavigne, Queens of the Stone Age, John Summit, Justice, Dom Dolla, Glass Animals and The Red Clay Strays. 'The number one thing we need from the Bonnaroo community is patience. Some of your fellow campers' sites are in rough shape,' they added in their statement. 'The rain has settled in areas and made certain parts of Outeroo difficult to manage. We'd like to prioritize getting those folks as well as those with accessibility needs off The Farm as soon as possible this evening.' 'We have put our hearts and souls into making this weekend the most special one of the year, and cannot express how crushed we are to have made this decision,' the statement concluded. 'Thank you in advance for your patience, your positivity and your unfailing Bonnaroovian spirit.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter Most Anticipated Concert Tours of 2025: Beyoncé, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Sabrina Carpenter and More Hollywood's Most Notable Deaths of 2025 Hollywood's Highest-Profile Harris Endorsements: Taylor Swift, George Clooney, Bruce Springsteen and More
Black America Web
an hour ago
- Black America Web
Famous People Who Attended Tennessee State University
Jason Kempin HBCU Pride will always be one of the cornerstones here at Black America Web , and we get much joy in highlighting the contributions of historically Black colleges and universities in any way possible. This time around, we're putting a spotlight on the prestigious Tennessee State University as they celebrate over a century of being one of our culture's go-to institutions for a higher education. We join all Tigers, Lady Tigers, current students, alumni and alumnae alike in giving a huge milestone anniversary shoutout to Tennessee State University! RELATED: Famous People Who Attended Alabama A&M University What proves to be more impressive than TSU's immense century of culture are the extensive amount of famous faces who once walked those historic halls. The amount of college athletes who went on to become Olympic medalists, NBA icons and an almost unbelievable sum of NFL legends is astonishingly impressive to say the least. Oh, and then there's Oprah Winfrey — what else is there to say?! Having the Queen Of Media as an alumna clearly comes with its advantages, and the Class of 2023 got a lesson in that when Lady O spoke at their commencement ceremony. Lucky! Take a look below at an excerpt from her speech that really stood out to us, via Oprah Daily : 'I don't care how hard life after college gets—and it's gonna get hard—we need you to dream big! We need audacious thinkers. Use my example; I was one good TSU teacher—Mr. Cox—and one timely phone call away from a career that would absolutely change my life. That story's not just my own. What dream are you one or two steps away from? We also need generosity of spirit; we need high standards and open minds and untamed imagination. That's how you make a difference in the world. Using who you are and what you stand for to make changes big and small. And there will be times when making the next right decision will be scary. I'll tell you a secret: That's how I've gotten through every challenge without being overwhelmed. By asking what is the next right move. You don't have to know all the right moves—you just need to know the next one.' SEE ALSO Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Judge moves toward nixing juror in Sean 'Diddy' Combs trial over 'lack of candor'
The judge in Sean "Diddy" Combs' sex-crimes trial moved closer to dismissing a juror, two days after prosecutors raised issues about the man's alleged "lack of candor with the court." U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian indicated he would be ordering for Juror No. 6's removal from the 12-person jury on Friday, June 13. Six alternates have been on the sidelines in the trial, which is wrapping its sixth week in Manhattan federal court. In court, Subramanian said, "Removal of the juror is required" and added, "The juror will be dismissed." The reason was "several inconsistencies" in the man's answers regarding where he lives. Subramanian continued, "The juror is unable to answer simple questions. … There are serious questions about the juror's candor and ability to follow instructions." Though it "seems like a trivial matter," it "goes to a juror's basic criteria to serve," he said. Because of the "changing answers and inconsistency," Subramanian said it brings up questions about whether the juror was truthful in responding to other questions more directly related to the case. Defense attorney Xavier Donaldson objected to the juror's dismissal. Subramanian responded that he would continue to take the issue under consideration over the weekend. Diddy on trial newsletter: Step inside the courtroom with our daily updates. According to the judge, Juror No. 6 offhandedly told a member of the jury department that he had recently moved in with his girlfriend in New Jersey, where he had been staying most of the time. June 13 in court: Ye makes appearance, assistant says he 'slipped and fell' from baby oil cleanup When asked where he lived during jury selection in early May, he'd said he was living in the Bronx with his fiancée and baby daughter, Subramanian said. In yet another interview, Juror No. 6 allegedly said he stayed four to five nights each week in an apartment in New York, where he worked and completed jury responsibilities. He'd also mentioned living with his aunt in New York. Before the jury entered the courtroom June 11, prosecutors reportedly asked the judge to oust one of them, known as Juror No. 6, according to outlets including NBC News and CNN. Per NBC News and The Washington Post, Assistant U.S. Attorney Maurene Comey told Subramanian she saw "what appeared to be a lack of candor with the court" from Juror No. 6 "that raises serious issues." Alexandra Shapiro from Combs' team reportedly pushed back against the request, calling it "a thinly veiled effort to dismiss a Black juror, The Post and ABC News reported. Combs, 55, was arrested in September and charged with sex trafficking, racketeering and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty. Contributing: Patrick Ryan, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Diddy trial's Juror No. 6 could be dismissed 6 weeks into trial
