Halle Berry Is ‘Drained’ of Being the Solely Black Lady to Win Finest Actress Oscar

With 2025 marking 23 years since Hollywood legend Halle Berry obtained her historic Finest Actress Oscar, she admits she’s “drained” of being the one Black Lady to obtain the accolade. Whereas she’s grateful to have “opened that door,” the acclaimed actor desperately desires one other Black feminine to win the Academy Awards’ prime prize.

Talking on Trevor Noah’s What Now? podcast (through Folks), Berry delved into her Oscar win for her efficiency in Monster’s Ball and what her victory means many years later. Although Berry stays grateful to have made historical past on the Academy Awards, she hopes Depraved‘s Cynthia Erivo ends the lengthy watch for a Black Finest Actress winner as she does not wish to be “occupying that house alone” anymore. “I hope this 12 months somebody stands subsequent to me,” Berry mentioned. “This 12 months, I hope it occurs as a result of I am bored with occupying that house alone.”

Erivo is the one Black nominee within the Finest Actress class this 12 months, battling Karla Sofia Gascon (Emilia Pérez), Demi Moore (The Substance), Mikey Madison (Anora) and Fernanda Torres (I am Nonetheless Right here) for the celebrated honor. Since Berry’s victory in 2002, six Black girls have been nominated for the Finest Actress Oscar with out success, together with Erivo for Harriet and Viola Davis twice (The Assist, Ma Rainey’s Black Backside).

Berry knew successful the Finest Actress Oscar was one thing “larger than me” and believes her win served a objective, saying that “in that second, [destined] to be a beacon of chance. And I do suppose it served that objective.” She additionally claims she and different Black girls in Hollywood have needed to work considerably more durable to get acknowledged and develop into a constant Hollywood presence, one thing she’s spoken about earlier than, claiming she does not have the posh of ready for main alternatives like her counterparts.

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“Being born a Black girl, I really feel like I’ve all the time felt like I sat on the backside of society,” she mentioned. “White man, Black man, white girl, Black girl. So I’ve all the time felt on the backside, by no means feeling like I used to be defeated as a result of I used to be on the backside, by no means feeling like I could not dream massive as a result of I used to be on the backside, by no means feeling like I wasn’t worthy or succesful as a result of I used to be on the backside. However I all the time have identified that I will should work 10 instances more durable than all people else to get wherever.”

The most recent feedback from Berry echo sentiments she shared final September, when she intimated she was “eternally miffed” with being the one Finest Actress winner. The 58-year-old actor hasn’t been nominated for an Academy Award since her unprecedented win, although she’s earned Golden Globe and Emmy nods.

Halle Berry Continues to Be Very Energetic

Berry continues to be very energetic within the movie business, along with her most up-to-date options being alongside Mark Wahlberg in Netflix’s motion comedy, The Union, and main the Lionsgate horror film, By no means Let Go. She is subsequent set to seem within the upcoming Amazon thriller, Crime 101, alongside Chris Hemsworth and Mark Ruffalo.

The 97th Academy Awards premiere through ABC and Hulu on Mar. 2 at 8 p.m. ET.

Supply: What Now? through Folks