Halle Berry was one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood during the 2000s and has been involved in the production of several of the films in which she performed. Berry is also a Revlon spokesmodel.Before becoming an actress, she started modelling and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the 1st runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant and coming in 6th place in the Miss World Pageant in 1986.Her breakthrough film role was in the romantic comedy Boomerang (1992), alongside Eddie Murphy, which led to roles in films such as the comedy The Flintstones (1994), the political comedy-drama Bulworth (1998) and the television film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), for which she won the Primetime Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie, among many other award
In 1989, Halle Berry was living in a homeless shelter in New York City. In 1991, she made her big screen debut in Spike Lee's critically acclaimed Jungle Fever, and in 2002, she became the first black woman to win the Academy Award for best actress for her mesmerising turn in the slow burn Southern drama Monster's Ball. At the age of 36, Berry was sitting firmly at the top of her profession. So with her acting prowess and a seemingly long career ahead, where did it all go wrong? Let's take a deep dive into why Hollywood isn't infatuated with Berry anymore
HALLE BERRY'S ROLE IN GOTHIKA
halle berry played a few a few supporting roles in studio release films, Berry's first leading role following Monster's Ball was as a psychiatrist accused of murder in the psychological horror thriller Gothika. Although it made a respectable $141.6 million at the box office, the movie was a critical disaster.
Empire called it an "overwrought horror movie that lavishes budget and production design on a screenplay that should never have seen the light of day."
Okay, so she made a bad movie, but who hasn't? At this point, it seemed like Berry simply needed to pick better projects, right?
THE FAMOUS CAT WOMAN MOVIE
"Catwoman" is the story of shy, sensitive artist Patience Philips (Halle Berry), a woman who can't seem to stop apologizing for her own existence. She works as a graphic designer for Hedare Beauty, a mammoth cosmetics company on the verge of releasing a revolutionary anti-aging product. When Patience inadvertently happens upon a dark secret her employer is hiding, she finds herself in the middle of a corporate conspiracy. What happens next changes Patience forever.
Making just $40 million domestically on a $100 million production budget, Catwoman was ripped to shreds by critics, nominated for seven Razzies, and made studios scared to pull the trigger on a female-lead superhero movie for almost 15 years. In a 2016 Facebook Live interview with Business Insider, Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins (who pitched her 2017 superhero film to Warner Bros. in 2007) was asked why her girl power blockbuster took so long to get made. Spoiler: Catwoman was referenced.
The only good thing for Berry to come out of Catwoman was her $14 million salary. We hope that cushioned the blow.
HALLE BERRY HAVENT BEEN SCANDAL FREE ALL THIS TIME
this former bond girl After doing voiceover in 2005's animated Robots and dplaying a superhero suit for the last time in 2006's X-Men: The Last Stand, it felt like the timing was right for Berry to return to the screen as a leading lady again. Alas, that didn't work out. At all.
What followed instead was a series of downfalls. In 2007, it was Perfect Stranger, in which "Berry does her utmost to maintain poise while treading around the mess," per Empire. Also that year, she starred in Things We Lost in the Fire, which grossed only $3.2 million domestically. In 2010's Frankie & Alice, Berry plays a stripper with multiple personality disorder. That flick earned only $695,000 domestically. The year 2012 was no better for Berry: Dark Tide made $432,000 on a $25 million budget, and Cloud Atlas was considered one of the biggest flop of the year. The next year, Berry appeared in Movie 43 and The Call, which also failed to make a mark.
Needless to say, that was not a great run. Even though reviews for the aforementioned films often didn't place the blame squarely on Berry, the end results certainly didn't do her any favours in Hollywood.
A TWIST IN HALLE'S PERSONAL LIFE
Her personal life has been a source of main stream fodder for years. Her marriage in 1993 to baseball player David Justice ended with her almost commiting suicide, and her marriage to popular singer Eric Benet ended with him checking into rehab for sex addiction. Her relationship with French model Gabriel Aubry concluded with a tumultuous child custody battle that put Berry on the hook for $20,000 a month in child support. Her third marriage to actor Olivier Martinez also ended in divorce after two years.
While plenty of celeb relationships spawn messy headlines, Berry's personal drama may have overshadowed her professional pursuits and made some studios hesitant to work with her.
THIS ONE TIME BOND GIRL HAS NOW SETTLED FOR LOW BUDGET MOVIES
Halle berry has been a formidable force in hollywood since the early 90’s, it's frustrating to see Berry flounder in mediocre roles such as 2013's The Call and 2016's Kidnap.
"These sort of tacky, exploitative films used to star white women in the '70s and '80s, so it represents some sort of progress that Berry can portray them now, but this type of genre needs a good director with a strong point of view coupled with an excellent script to rise above genre clichés," wrote Ira Madison in a Daily Beast article titled "Make Halle Berry Great Again." According to Madison, she's "making low-budget schlock that studios hope they can pump out to rake in a few dollars in the waning days of summer."
It's hard to argue with that sentiment. These just aren't projects for an Oscar-winner. However, it isn't too late to turn it all around.
THE NEXT LEVEL FOR THIS DWINDLING STAR
She has gone through career challenges and are most likely a combination of poor personal choices and systematic issues within the industry as a whole, but where there's a will, there's a way, and Berry may have found the way forward.
In 2014, she co-founded 606 Films, a production company that could be the change she wants to see in Hollywood. According to Variety, the company is named after California Senate Bill 606, which strengthened protection for celebrity children from aggressive paparazzi. Berry "fought so hard for" that legislation "when no one believed it could be achieved," business partner Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas told Variety. "It truly informs the spirit of our company — making dreams possible, one bill at a time."