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Halle Berry’s beauty held her back in Hollywood. You would think Halle’s beauty would be an asset but instead the actress tells W Magazine it hindered her.”I came from the world of beauty pageants and modeling and right away when people heard that, I got discounted as an actor. So, I had the job of trying to eliminate that part of my persona. And I took on roles early on that really didn’t rely on my physical self at all, and that was a good way to sort of get some credibility within my industry.”
Halle had to fight to get a role as Vivian, a drug addict in 1991’s Jungle Fever. “I read that part fine enough, but then I said to Spike, ‘You know, I really am eyeing this crack ho role, can you please let me audition for that?’ And he said, ‘No, no I don’t see you as the crack ho.’ I said, ‘I am the crack ho. Really, deep down I’m the crack ho!'”
Halle continued, “And I said, ‘Let me go in the bathroom, wash all this makeup off; you will see the crack ho.’ So, he let me do that and I came back out and I got to read the crack ho, and I got the part of the crack ho. And it was an amazing way to start my career, playing a crack ho and be directed by Spike Lee. It was major for me.”
And the 10 years later, Halle still had to fight deeper acting parts. She had to convince director Lee Daniels to see her for 2001’s Monster’s Ball — and guess what she won the Best Actress Oscar for in 2002 for the role.
Photo from PR Photos
