In 2002, Halle Berry became the first Black woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Actress. In the 22 years since, no other Black woman has been awarded the Best Actress Oscar, which is, frankly, unconscionable. While speaking to Marie Claire in a wide-ranging interview, Berry addressed the fact she remains the only Black actress to hold the prestigious accolade.
"I'm still eternally miffed that no Black woman has come behind me for that best actress Oscar, I'm continually saddened by that year after year," she explained. "And it's certainly not because there has been nobody deserving." The Catwoman star also pointed to Andra Day and Viola Davis as performers who should have triumphed in the category in recent years.
Berry, of course, won her Oscar for her performance in 2001's Monster's Ball. While the history-making moment was a huge milestone in Berry's life, she knows there's more to her work than winning awards. During her Marie Claire interview, Berry revealed, "Would I rather have awards or a kickass, robust, soaring career as a Black woman? I’d take the kickass, soaring career over an award any day."
Movements such as #OscarsSoWhite, which was founded by writer April Reign, have sought to counteract the glaring lack of diversity often found in industry award ceremonies. However, as evidenced by the lack of another Black Best Actress winner since Berry's triumph in 2002, "change has been slower to unfurl," the BBC wrote.
In the same interview, Berry talked about her romance with musician Van Hunt. "It was the first time I was madly in love before I had sex," she explained. "That has never happened to me, ever." She continued, "Talk about one of those life-changing, beautiful experiences. It was magical, just magical."
Since going public with their relationship in 2020, Hunt and Berry have remained solid. "It took me a minute to get it right," Berry explained. "But the nature of the way this happened, I have a real belief that this is it. This is my person."
