How Halle Berry transformed for MMA role
Actress became a fighter for ‘Bruised.’
To pack a punch with her directorial debut, Halle Berry knew she needed to think like the gritty mixed martial artist at the center of her movie.
The Oscar winner embraced the challenge of directing “Bruised” and starring as a washed-up fighter seeking redemption in her sport.
“I was walking like a fighter, talking like a fighter,” Berry told the Daily News. “My thoughts were what I would imagine, if I were a real fighter, I’d be thinking about. I’d gone through all the injuries of a fighter. I kept going, and I was also learning about myself through the fight game.
“I think that’s what a lot of fighters do,” said Berry, who broke two ribs during production. “You find out what you’re made of when you start fighting, and you’re challenging yourself mentally and physically.”
The film, released Nov. 17 on Netflix, introduces Berry’s Jackie Justice as a former MMA standout who hasn’t fought in four years following a disastrous bout. Her personal life is crumbling, too, as she struggles to pay bills and unexpectedly takes on custody of her estranged son.
Berry, a longtime fan of boxing movies and MMA fighting, was immediately drawn to the
“Bruised” script and came up with a vision to connect with the story even further.
“It was written for a white Irish Catholic woman, so I knew that if I were to do it, I would have to reimagine it into a world that I could fit in,” Berry, 55, said. “Once I was allowed to do that, and create these fractured characters that I understood, I knew that this was something I had to do.”
Berry was already thinking about “Bruised” as she trained for the 2019 action film “John Wick: Chapter 3.” She continued working with the same training staff once that movie was complete.
“I knew that I couldn’t become an MMA fighter overnight, or appear to look like one overnight, so I knew I would have to put in the time,” Berry said.
“I started first with wrestling and judo, and then I went to jujitsu, and then I started working on some Muay Thai, working on my kicks. Then I started boxing and kickboxing. I got to do it little by little, and I got to work with some of the best trainers, the best fighters, former MMA fighters.”
Among those who trained with Berry was Valentina Shevchenko, the current UFC flyweight champion, who also stars in “Bruised” as Jackie’s opponent, Lady Killer.
“I felt how strong Halle was,” Shevchenko told The News. “I would say that if Halle would step into the cage for a real fight, she would bring a lot of trouble to many girls.”
Shevchenko, 33, admired how
Berry succinctly communicated her ideas to the cast, and praised the message of resilience in the movie, which is playing in limited theaters.
“It’s about the power of character,” Shevchenko said. “No matter what, no matter how hard your life is gonna be, you will find a way to happiness, but you will have to struggle.”
Berry, who won best actress at the 2002 Academy Awards for “Monster’s Ball,” is proud of her first experience as a movie director.
“In many ways, it was very familiar. I’ve been on movie sets for 30 years. But in many other huge ways, it was a huge difference and a huge challenge, mainly because I had such a heavy acting role,” Berry said.
“There were days when it seemed like I had bitten off more than I could chew, I would tell you honestly. Those were hard moments . ... And then I would quickly remind myself of why I wanted to do it, and get my thoughts together and keep pushing.”