Halle Berry questions if her Oscar win “really changed anything for women of colour”
Halle Berry has questioned if her Oscar win “really changed anything for women of colour” since no other Black film star has scooped the ‘Best Actress’ award since she took it home in 2002.
Berry has been known for blockbuster roles such as in the X-Men franchise and in James Bond’s Die Another Day, but she has now reflected on her Oscar-winning turn in 2001’s Monster’s Ball in a new Apple TV+ documentary, Number One on the Call Sheet.
The actor became the first woman of colour to win the award 23 years ago, and despite 15 other Black actors being nominated in the same category since then, none have ever taken home the prize.
This has caused Berry to question the impact of the Hollywood awards system, saying: “It’s forced me to ask myself, ‘did it matter? Did it really change anything for women of colour? For my sisters? For our journey?’”
The rest of the documentary examines the role Black women have played in the film industry, and their subsequent lack of recognition in the awards sphere. Reflecting on the losses of both Andra Day and Viola Davis for ‘Best Actress’ at the 2021 Oscars, Berry added: “The system is not really designed for us, and so we have to stop coveting that which is not for us.”
She continued: “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.”
Berry also spoke to Taraji P Henson and Whoopi Goldberg in the documentary, who make up two of the ten Black women to win the ‘Best Supporting Actress’ award at the Oscars. Considering this, Henson said: “I don’t think the industry really sees us as leads, you know? They give us supporting [actress awards] like they give out candy canes.”
Number One on the Call Sheet is now streaming on Apple TV+.
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