Halle Berry

Halle Berry is a Grammy Award-winning American actress, singer, and producer. She rose to prominence in the early 1990s as the first black American woman to become a global pop superstar. Since then, she has appeared in several comedy films and television shows. In 2018, she starred in the TV series The Bold Type, which follows the lives of six influential women in New York City.

Early Life And Education

Barry (Halle Berry) was born on April 29, 1966 in Monte Carlo, Monaco. Her father, Harry Berry, is an English billionaire and head of the Swiss-based H. Berry and Company. Her mother, Elena, is Spanish. She has an older brother, Harry, and a younger sister, Cheryl. She was educated at the exclusive London Marylebone school and then went on to study acting at the prestigious Beverly Hills High School.

Career

Before turning professional, Berry performed in several British series and television movies. In 1989, she made her feature-film debut as one of the leads in the comedy-drama The Boy Who Can’t Cook. Three years later, she starred in the sci-fi thriller, Mars Awaits, which was followed by the comedy-drama The Family Stone in 1993.

Berry then took a five-year break from the big screen. She starred in the made-for-television film One Christmas Eve, and had a supporting role as Tina Turner in the drama Maximum Conviction. In 1998, she made her Broadway debut as Lola in the hit musical, Damn Yankees. The following year, she starred opposite Cuba Gooding in the feature film adaptation of Joe William Buckley’s 1996 novel, Harlem Heroes.

In 2001, Berry returned to the big screen in a major way with two back-to-back hit movies; the romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and its sequel, 10 Things I Hate About You. For the former, she received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. The following year, she was nominated for another Oscar for Best Actress for her portrayal of Annie Taylor in the historical drama, A Beautiful Day

Ten years later, Berry won her first Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the song “Exotic.” This was followed by another win in 2019 for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the song “Famous.”

Personal Life

Berry began dating English actor Olivier Martinez in 2006. The couple became engaged in 2012 and were married in a secret ceremony in January 2014. The reception was held at the Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President. The couple have a son, Luca (born in 2015).

In early 2019, Berry revealed that she had contracted the COVID-19 virus. She attributed this to her “immaturity” as an individual and a celebrity. “I had never wanted to be a burden to my family and friends, especially my son, and so I kept my distance,” she said. “I think the virus coursed its course through my body and left me weaker than before. I was never truly well. I was just fortunate to have survived.”

While in recovery, Berry began filming the television series The Bold Type, which was based on the popular blog of the same name. The series focuses on the professional and personal relationships of six women working in New York City. The first season was released on Netflix in September 2018.

Awards And Nominations

While winning awards and being nominated for them has always been a part of Berry’s career, it was not until the early 1990s that she started to become more widely known for her achievements. In 1991, she won her first Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama for her performance in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. A year later, she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Annie Taylor in A Beautiful Day. In 1994, she won a Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the song “Conversations With My Father.” Four years later, she won another Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Performance for the song “Faces.”

In 2019, Berry won her first Emmy for her performance in The Bold Type. The same year, she also received her first Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play for her performance in the Broadway musical, If/Then. In 2020, she was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for her performance in the play Disrespect.

Filmography

Here is a list of some of Halle Berry’s films and television shows:

  • The Boy Who Can’t Cook (1989)
  • Mars Awaits (1992)
  • The Family Stone (1993)
  • Harlem Heroes (1998)
  • A Beautiful Day (1999)
  • How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (2003)
  • 10 Things I Hate About You (2003)
  • Curse of the Pink Panther (2004)
  • The Call (2004)
  • Surrender (2005)
  • The Confession (2006)
  • Domestic Goddess (2011)