Halle Berry made history at the Academy Awards 22 years ago — and still remains the only winner
Halle Berry made history at the Academy Awards in 2002. For her moving performance in Monster's Ball, she won the Oscar for Best Actress and became the first Black woman to achieve the honor. 22 years later today, this moment cuts deep as Berry is still the only Black actress to accomplish the feat in nearly a century.
22 years ago, halle berry became first black woman to win the oscar for 'best actress', to this day she remains the only black woman to have won in said category 😵💫 pic.twitter.com/E82W0Y5By3
— Pop & Hot Culture (@notgwendalupe) March 10, 2024
Monster's Ball presented Berry with a challenging role that many had warned her against taking. The film revolves around the complex relationship between a guard from the prison and the wife of an executed prisoner. The film bears themes of responsibility, feelings of guilt, and the flaws of the American justice system. Berry's raw portrayal of the same, had critics hailing it as one of her most moving performances. Her decision to take on the controversial role ultimately proved transformative for her career.
"It felt so much bigger than me, mainly because I knew others should have been there before me and they weren't," Berry said in an interview with Variety, as she reflected on her win. The achievement extended far beyond personal success— it was meant to signal a change in Hollywood. However, contrary to belief it didn't catalyze change within the industry as many in the business had hoped.
While in the years that followed, many deserving Black actresses earned nominations for the Academy Awards, none joined Berry in the elite circle. Viola Davis has been nominated twice for Best Actress for The Help and Ma Rainey's Black Bottom. Other nominees have included Cynthia Erivo for Harriet, Andra Day for The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and Ruth Negga for Loving. Each of those performances was critically acclaimed, yet the Oscar remained elusive.
This has left Berry 'eternally miffed'. In a conversation with Variety, she expressed her disappointment and pain over the failure to nominate and award Black actresses, especially the likes of Erivo and Negga. Berry opined they "could have, should have" won because both women "had a really good shot." Looking back at the complicated legacy of her win, according to Screen Rant, she asked, "Was that an important moment, or was that an important moment for me?" In another interview with Marie Claire, she stressed, "I’m continually saddened by that year after year...it’s certainly not because there has been nobody deserving.”
The way forward remains upstream. Since Hattie McDaniel became the first Black person to win an Oscar in 1940, progress has been achingly slow. Berry's singular achievement in 2002 underlined both how far Hollywood had come and how far it still needed to go. More than two decades later, her status as the only Black Best Actress winner serves as a stark reminder of the barriers that persist against Black artists in the film industry.