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Halle Berry

Born 1966-08-14 in Cleveland, OH
An Actor

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In Brief:

Halle Maria Berry (born August 14, 1966) is an Academy Award-winning American actress and former fashion model. In 2002, Berry won Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Monster's Ball.

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Bio:

Berry's parents selected her first name from that of Halle's Department Store, a local landmark in her birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio. She is the daughter of Judith Ann Hawkins, a Liverpudlian, and Jerome J. Berry, who is African American. Berry's maternal grandmother, Nellie Dicken, was born in Sawley, Derbyshire, England, while her maternal grandfather, Earl Ellsworth Hawkins, was born in Ohio. Berry's parents divorced when she was 4 years old and she subsequently was raised by her mother, a psychiatric nurse. Her father was an orderly in the same psychiatric ward where her mother worked. Berry has an older sister, Heidi.

Berry was a popular student at Bedford High School and was a cheerleader, honor society member, editor of the school newspaper, class president and prom queen. She worked in the children's department at Higbee's Department store. She subsequently attended Cuyahoga Community College.

Before becoming an actress, she entered and won several beauty contests, including Miss Ohio USA, Miss Teen All-American, Miss USA (was first runner-up in 1986 to Christy Fitchner of Texas), and Miss World 1986 (as "Miss United States World", she placed sixth in a contest won by Trinidad & Tobago's Giselle Laronde.)

In the late 1980s, she went to Chicago, to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. One of her first acting projects was a television series for local cable by Gordon Lake Productions called "Chicago Force."

Berry auditioned for a role in an updated Charlie's Angels television series by producer Aaron Spelling. At the time, Spelling wanted one of the "Angels" to be an African American woman. She did not get the role (because the project never materialized) but she impressed Spelling with her skills, who encouraged her to continue perfecting her craft.

In 1989, Berry landed the role of brainy Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series Living Dolls (a spin-off of Who's the Boss?). Her breakthrough feature film role was in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever in which she played a drug addict named Vivian. Her first co-starring role was in the film Strictly Business. Another early role Berry played was the villain/friend in the Flintstones movie as "Sharon Stone", in a part rumored to have been intended for Sharon Stone (Berry would later co-star alongside Stone in Catwoman). In 1996, she played the role of Sandra Beecher in Race the Sun, which was based on a true story. The year before, Berry really caught the public's attention with her portrayal as a female biracial slave in the TV adaption of Queen: The Story of an American Family, by Alex Haley.

Berry is also known by many comic book fans for her portrayal of the regal mutant Storm in the movie adaptation of the popular comic book series X-Men (2000) and its successful sequels X2: X-Men United (2003) and X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).

In late 2001, Berry appeared as Leticia Musgrove, the wife of an executed murderer, in the film Monster's Ball. The role earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress.

As Bond Girl Jinx in 2002's Die Another Day she famously re-created the scene from Dr. No, bursting from the surf - scantily clad - to be greeted by James Bond, as Ursula Andress did 40 years earlier.

In late 2003, Berry starred in the psychological thriller Gothika opposite Charles S. Dutton, which was the first film that she "carried," i.e., her role was the most important one in the film. Her next lead role was in the film Catwoman, for which she was awarded a "worst actress" Razzie award in 2005, which she actually accepted in person with a sense of humour and recognition that "to be at the top, you must experience the rock bottom".

She has recently wrapped (2006) filming the thriller Perfect Stranger with Bruce Willis and is next set to star in "Things We Lost in the Fire" with Benicio Del Toro.

Berry is also making a transition to behind the scenes work in film and television. She is working with author Angela Nissel to executive produce an HBO comedy series based on Nissel's two memoirs, The Broke Diaries and Mixed: My Life in Black and White.

Known for her beauty, Halle has served many years as the face of Revlon cosmetics and was recently named the new face of Versace. She is also one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood, commanding $14 million each for Gothika and Catwoman.

Berry has been married twice. Her first marriage in 1992 to pro baseball player David Justice ended in a 1996 divorce due to alleged infidelity and incompatibility. Her second marriage in 2001 to musician Eric Benét has resulted in a 2004 separation (and 2005 divorce) allegedly due to Benét's infidelity. She has publicly stated that she will never marry again, claiming that "men are more interested in my body than my brains." [citation needed] As of 2006, she is currently dating Canadian model Gabriel Aubry. The couple met at a Versace photoshoot.

Berry recently revealed to Extra that she plans to adopt children. "I will adopt if it doesn't happen for me naturally", she said. "I will definitely adopt. And I probably will adopt even if it does happen naturally".

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Awards:

2002 Monsters Ball - Academy Award for Best Actress

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Trivia:

• In 2003, Berry was named No. 1 in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women in the World poll.
• In 2005, She was No.1 on VH1's top 50 Sexiest Bodies countdown.
• She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 1989.
• She acquired a unilateral hearing loss (80% hearing loss in one ear) after being severely beaten by a former boyfriend. Accounts differ as to whether the abusive boyfriend was Wesley Snipes or Christopher Williams.
• Channel 4 reported in 2006 that Berry has 6 toes on her right foot. However, she has since debunked that as the most unusual, and untrue, rumor circulating about her.
• Dated actor Rey-Phillip Santos.
• Dated actor Michael Ealy, her co-star in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
• Her measurements are listed as 36C-22-37.
• In a rare move, Berry accepted her Razzie for Catwoman in person, and in her acceptance speech she said, "I want to thank Warner Bros. for casting me in this piece of shit."
• She had a kissing scene with Limp Bizkit frontman, Fred Durst, in one of their music videos.
• She's a fan of Britney Spears. She almost kissed Britney Spears (referred to the 2003 MTV VMA 'kiss' performance) when they did teaser commercial for SNL. Both of them appeared on the show later that night.
• Halle Berry was considered for roles in Gigli, Speed, Indecent Proposal and What's Love Got to Do with It.

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Filmography:

• X-Men: The Last Stand (2006)
• Robots - Voice (2005)
• Catwoman (2004)
• Gothika (2003)
• Die Another Day (2002)
• Monster's Ball (2001)
• Swordfish (2001)
• Welcome to Hollywood (2000) (documentary)
• X-Men (2000)
• Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999)
• Why do Fools Fall In Love (1998)
• Bulworth (1998)
• BAPS (1997)
• The Rich Man's Wife (1996)
• Girl 6 (1996) (Cameo)
• Race the Sun (1996)
• Executive Decision (1996)
• Losing Isaiah (1995)
• The Flinstones (1994)
• The Program (1993)
• Father Hood (1993)
• CB4 (1993) (Cameo)
• Boomerang (1992)
• The Last Boy Scout (1991)
• Strictly Business (1991)
• Jungle Fever (1991)

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