Childhood
Halle Berry was born on August 14, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio, USA to African American father Jerome Berry, a former hospital attendant, and mother Judith Berry, a retired psychiatric nurse.
Halle's father walked out on the family when Halle was only 4 years old.
Halle Berry and her sister were raised by their mother Judith, who managed to move the family out of the inner-city neighborhood and into the suburbs of Cleveland. Because the neighborhood was predominantly white, Halle and her sister were treated cruelly because of their dark skin.
However, the rough start to her life didn't deter her from excelling in all she did.
Halle attended Heskett Middle School in Bedford, Ohio and enrolled at the Bedford High School in Cleveland. Despite being exposed to discrimination in a predominantly white high school, Halle was very active in extracurricular activities, became the school paper editor, class president, lead cheerleader, and also prom queen.
For a short time she attended Cleveland’s Cuyahoga Community College, where she studied broadcast journalism. However, Berry abandoned her idea of a career in news reporting before receiving her degree. Choosing to wholeheartedly devote her time to a career in entertainment, Berry moved to Chicago then New York City, where she found work as a catalog model.
She also achieved the status of Miss Ohio, Miss Teen All-American, and in 1986, was first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant, and the first African-American to represent the U.S. in the Miss World competition in London.
Career
After taking some time to study acting, Berry joined an audition for a role in Charlie's Angels. Though she did not get the part, soap opera director Aaron Spelling suggested she pursue an acting career and Berry finally landed her first acting role on the brief-running series Living Dolls (1989).
Although the show was short-lived, Halle was more determined than ever to become a great actress.
Berry’s first big-screen break came later that year when she was cast as Samuel L. Jackson’s drug-addicted girlfriend in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever. Showing her intense passion for the film, Halle actually interviewed real addicts and stopped bathing 10 days before filming the racially-charged film.
More substantial supporting roles followed, including that of a stripper in the action-thriller The Last Boy Scout (1991), starring Bruce Willis; and as the woman who finally wins Eddie Murphy’s heart in the romantic comedy Boomerang (1992).
1994’s live-action version of The Flintstones featured Berry as a Stone Age seductress.
Berry offered a no-holds-barred performance as a rehabilitated crack addict seeking to regain custody of her son in Losing Isaiah (1995). In the midst of a bitter custody battle with adoptive parents played by Jessica Lange and David Strathairn, Berry was noted for her believable portrayal in the unglamorous role.
During the next years, Halle's acting work continued to flourish. She played roles in several films like the crime-drama The Rich Man's Wife (1996), Executive Decision (1996), the drama Why Do Fools Fall in Love (1998) and in the politic-spoof Bulworth (1998, starring Warren Beatty), for which she gained praise for playing wild, smart girl Nina.
In 1999, Berry released her most passionate project to date, co producing and starring in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, an HBO biopic. Berry was noted for her striking resemblance to the late Dandridge, and for her engaging depiction of the actress’ struggle to succeed in the racially biased industry of 1950s Hollywood. Berry earned both a Golden Globe Award and an Emmy Award for Best Actress in a Television Movie for her role.
Halle was launched toward super stardom when Marc Forster cast her as Leticia Musgrove in his romance-drama Monster's Ball (2001, costarring Billy Bob Thornton). Her outstanding acting netted her an Academy Award for Best Actress and a nomination for a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Drama.
