Did Berry’s historic Oscar win really mean ‘nothing’?
Actor speaks out about industry’s lack of diversity
It’s i mpossible to f orget Halle Berry’s iconic 2002 Oscar win for her moving performance in Monster’s Ball, from her dress to her tearful speech, when she became the first black woman to win for Best Actress.
In her s peech, Berr y opened: “This moment is so much bigger than me. This moment is for Dorothy Dandridge, Lena Horne, Diahann Carroll. It’s for the women that stand beside me, Jada Pinkett, Angela Bassett, Vivica Fox. And it’s for every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”
Fifteen years later, Berry r emains t he only black woman to have won the award, and in a new inter- view with Teen Vogue, she recalled the 2016 Oscar nominations, when no actors of colour were included and how it reminded her of her 2002 speech.
“I don’t even remember where that speech came from, because I didn’t have a speech, just what was ruminating in my spirit during that whole process.”
Upon noticing the lack of progress years later, “I sat there and I really thought, ‘ Wow, that moment really meant nothing. It meant nothing. I thought it meant something, but I think it meant nothing.’”
The 2016 nominations led to the #OscarsSoWhite backlash and, Berry said, “probably one of my lowest professional moments.”
“I was profoundly hurt by that, and saddened by that,” she continued. “It inspired me to try to get involved in other ways, which is why I want to start directing. I want to start producing more. I want to start making more opportunities for people of colour. I have conversations more deeply with Academy members, and I’m trying to figure out how to help and add more diversity to the Academy.
“These kinds of groups have to start changing and have to become more conscious and more inclusive. I think black people ... people of colour ... only have a chance to win based on how much we’re allowed to put out.
“That says to me that we need more people of colour writing, directing, producing — not just starring. We have to start telling stories that include us.”
Since Berry’s historic win, eight women of colour have been nominated in the best actress category. And as the Academy begins to make more of an effort to include a diverse range of voices, earlier this week, it announced its 2017 members, with people of colour making up 30 per cent of the new invitees.
According to Variety, the number of minority voices in the Academy have tripled since #OscarsSoWhite.