Halle Berry Reflects on Her Historic Oscar Win
Halle Berry Reflects on Being the Only Black Best Actress Oscar Winner
Halle Berry Reflects on Being the Only Black Best Actress Oscar Winner
Halle Berry reflects on being the only Black woman to have won the Oscar for best actress in the history of the Academy Awards in the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet. Despite her win in 2002 for Monster’s Ball, no other Black actress has taken home the award, prompting Berry to question its impact on women of color.
“It’s forced me to ask myself, did it matter?” Berry asks. “Did it really change anything for women of color? For my sisters? For our journey?”
The documentary highlights the lack of Black best actress Oscar winners, with actresses like Taraji P. Henson and Whoopi Goldberg expressing disbelief over the situation.
“Wait a minute, none of us were good enough?” Goldberg asks. “Nobody? In all of these people, nobody?… What are we missing here? This is a conversation people have every year.”
Goldberg is one of 10 Black women who have won the Oscar for best supporting actress. Henson has a theory about why there are more supporting actress wins for Black women.
“I don’t think the industry really sees us as leads, you know?” she says in the documentary. “They give us supporting [actress awards] like they give out candy canes. That just — I don’t know what to do with that. Because what are you saying to me?”
The system’s lack of recognition for Black actresses as leads is discussed, with more wins in the supporting actress category for Black women.
