Halle Berry said she is “tired” of being the only Black woman to have taken home the Oscar for Best Actress, and expressed her hope that another Black performer will be recognized in the category this year.
Berry appeared on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast last week to discuss where she has found purpose in life over the years — she’s now taken on menopause care advocacy work.
Check out the full interview below:
“Like, winning that Oscar at that time, I was chosen to do that, to open that door. I knew it was bigger than me,” Berry told hosts Trevor Noah and Christiana Mbakwe Medina.
“I hope this year someone stands next to me. This year, I hope it happens because I’m tired of occupying that space alone,” Berry continued. “I hope this is the year, but even if it’s not, I was chosen in that moment to be a beacon of possibility. I do think it served that purpose, and I think I’m sitting in this moment also talking about menopause and telling my own story and being bold and bolder.”
It’s true — in all 96 years of the Academy Awards, Berry is the only Black actress who has been awarded the honor of Best Actress. Berry took home the gold in 20o2 for her performance in the 2001 thriller “Monster’s Ball.” That year she was up against Nicole Kidman (“Moulin Rouge!”), Judi Dench (“Iris”), Sissy Spacek (“In the Bedroom”) and Renée Zellweger (“Bridget Jones’s Diary”).
This year, the only Black actress nominated for Best Actress is Cynthia Erivo. The “Wicked” star is battling it out with fellow nominees Fernanda Torres (“I’m Still Here”), Demi Moore (“The Substance”), Mikey Madison (“Anora”) and Karla Sofía Gascón (“Emilia Pérez”).
The 97th Academy Awards will take place on Sunday, March 2 at 4 p.m. PST.
You can watch the full “What Now?” episode here.
