I’m heartbroken no other black woman has won the Best Actress Oscar in 20 years
Star’s sadness over lack of change
figure how I could cconvince the producers who had the rights to this movmovie that tthehe y shou ldld l et me reimagine it for a mmiddleagedaged black womanawomanand how I could play this fighfighter and how I could tell this story.”s HalHallele came up with a different slant – reshapingres the world it was set in, the characters and neighbourhoodneighbo – and pitched it bback to producers. She was susurprised when they agreed, then tasked her with finding her own ddirector. In the end she trustedtrustedhherself to take that role too.
Hal le plays disgraceddis martial arts fighterfighte Jackie Justice. Her comecomeback is blocked by a fearsomefea opponent known as Lady Killer, played by real-life
UFC women’s f lyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, 32. Kyrgyzstanborn Shevchenko showed Halle the ropes and the pair became great friends. Filming was pretty tough, to say the least.
Halle cracked two ribs when she was f loored by a knee to the chest during a climactic showdown. Mumof-two Halle – who immersed herself in jujitsu, judo, taekwondo and kickboxing for the role – said: “When you do your own stunts as I do, you have to accept there will be accidents.”
Halle launched her own production company in 2014 and hopes young black actresses may take the directorial reins too. Asked what inspired her to take creative control, Halle said: “I’m so inspired to see so many women of colour, black women, writing, producing, directing, telling our own stories from our own guise, our own lands.
“And I’m also inspired by those who aren’t of colour who are supporting those of colour and helpinglping them realise these opportunities.” s.”
X-Men star Halle draws on her own real- life tribulations whenhen playing complex characters.
Divorced three times, shehe has faced lawsuits, custody battless and bitter break-ups.
She said: “Every timeme I get those roles, I have a cathartic artic exper ience and some me healing from my own self. . And I get to share parts of myself that are hidden.”
Her latest role may involve fractures in the most physical sense of the word but if there’s anyone who knows about triumphing against the odds, it’s Halle Berry.
So many have come up to me and said my Oscar win mattered