Halle Berry Bio

Halle Berry is an American actress and former model who became the first and only woman of African American descent to have won the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Halle Berry Bio

Halle Berry (Maria Halle Berry) was born on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio. After Berry's parents divorced when she was just four, she and her older sister was raised exclusively by their mother. In the 1980s, Berry entered several beauty contests, winning Miss Teen All-American in 1985 and Miss Ohio USA in 1986. In the 1986 Miss USA pageant, Berry said she hoped to become an entertainer one day. That same year, she became the first African-American entrant to the Miss World pageant.

Towards the late 1980s, Berry moved to Chicago for to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. After working on a local television show, she moved to New York in the hopes of getting better work. In 1989, she was cast in the role of model Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series 'Living Dolls'. After that show got cancelled, Berry moved to Los Angeles and bagged a recurring role in the hit drama 'Knots Landing'. Berry's big breakthrough came in 1991, when she starred in the Spike Lee-directed 'Jungle Fever'. The following year, she starred as Eddie Murphy's love interest in the hit romantic comedy 'Boomerang'. More box office success followed in 1994 when Berry starred as a seductive secretary in 'The Flintstones'. Beginning in 1996, she was a spokesmodel for cosmetic giant Revlon, a brand she continues to endorse even today. In 1998, Berry received praise for her role in 'Bulworth,' starring opposite Warren Beatty. In the 1999 HBO biopic 'Introducing Dorothy Dandridge,' Berry portrayed the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award, and the TV film was the first project that she co-produced. Berry's performance was recognized with several awards, including an Emmy and a Golden Globe.

In 2000, Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm in 'X-Men' and its two sequels. The next year, Berry co-starred as John Travolta's assistant in the action film 'Swordfish,' which featured her first topless scene. In 2001, Berry received accolades for her role as a wife of an executed murderer in 'Monster's Ball'. Her performance won her many prestigious awards, including the Academy Award for Best Actress, making her first African-American to win an Oscar in that category. In her tearful Oscar speech, Berry honored previous black actresses who never had the opportunity to win. Berry had another 'Oscar moment' the next year when she presented the Best Actor award to winner Adrien Brody, who ran on stage and planted a long kiss on Berry.

Berry became a Bond girl in 2002's 'Die Another Day,' the last James Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan. She was named number one in FHM's 2004 edition of the 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll. By now Berry was one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood and in 2005, she received $12.5 million for the title role in the film 'Catwoman'. The $100 million film was rated one of the worst films that year and flopped at the box office. Berry won the 'worst actress' Razzie award in 2005, and with a sense of humor, attended the event to accept the award, the only second actor to do so.

Despite her recent films faring poorly at the box office, Berry remains one of Hollywood's highest paid actresses. Her personal life also received much attention in the past decade, first for her divorce from singer Eric Benet, whose daughter she then adopted. She then dated French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry, with whom she had her daughter named Nahla Ariela Aubry, born on March 16, 2008. Berry is currently engaged to French actor Oliver Martinez.

Halle Berry Stats

Halle Berry is 5 feet 6 inches tall and has dark brown eyes. Her measurements are 36C-22-37.