Halle Berry’s daughter had bold questions after that steamy lesbian scene in 'Bruised': "How do you...?"
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry, 55, opened up about a candid moment involving her 13-year-old daughter, Nahla, during an early screening of her 2020 Netflix film, 'Bruised'. In the movie, Berry portrays Jackie Justice, a mixed martial arts fighter who becomes romantically involved with her trainer, Bobbi "Buddhakan" Berroa, played by Sheila Atim.
During the screening, Nahla was taken aback by the intimate scenes between her mother and a male and a female co-star. Berry recounted the experience, "So Nahla watches the love scene [with a man]. She's looking at me and she's like, 'Oh, whoa, mum. Really? Wow!'" The situation was even more surprising when the editor requested to view the second love scene, which involved a woman. Berry continued, "My daughter's like, 'Whoa, mum, we need to have some conversations. You didn't tell me,'" as per The Express.
This unexpected reaction led to an open discussion between Berry and her daughter about the nature of acting and the distinction between on-screen performances and real life. Berry explained, "It started a conversation, really for the first time, about what I do and about playing characters and what's real and what's not real." Nahla's curiosity prompted questions such as, "How do you do that?" and "How does it make you feel?"
Berry addressed these questions by acknowledging the challenges actors face during intimate scenes, describing them as "some of the hardest scenes actors do, the most awkward. It's not always fun." This reportedly also sparked a conversation about sexuality as Berry emphasized the importance of such discussions, stating, "I had a real conversation with my daughter about that, about my sexuality, about my work in the business and how hard I had to fight to do the film," as reported by The Sun.
'Bruised' marks Berry's directorial debut, where she also starred as the lead character. The film follows Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter striving for redemption while managing personal struggles. A significant subplot involves a brief romance between Jackie and her trainer, Buddhakan, played by Sheila Atim. Atim, a British actress known for her theater work, took on the role of Buddhakan, bringing depth to the character's relationship with Jackie. Reflecting on the experience, Atim said, "It really is just two people connecting above anything else," as reported by Entertainment Weekly.
Berry shares Nahla with her ex-boyfriend, Canadian model Gabriel Aubry. She also has an eight-year-old son, Maceo, from her previous marriage to French actor Olivier Martinez. Despite the film's mature content, Berry felt it was important for Nahla to see her work, stating, "I asked Nahla, 'Would you please come to my film? You may never see it on the big screen because it's on Netflix. So I'd really love you to see what I did.'" In addition to her professional achievements, Berry expressed contentment in her personal life, "Now, in my 50s I've got my babies, my career, and finally have love in a real, meaningful way," as reported by The Sun. Currently, she's in a relationship with musician Van Hunt and has spoken about finding balance in her 50s.