‘The Fight Has Been Consistent’: Halle Berry Opens Up About Having to ‘Prove’ Herself In Hollywood

Halle Berry has been in the acting industry for over two decades. In that time, she’s had an illustrious career filled with historical moments, several prestigious awards, and has even been mentioned in over 1,000 rap songs. However, during a recent appearance on “Soul of Nation’s” series, the 55-year-old recalled having to “prove” herself in Hollywood.

During the six-part television documentary titled “Soul of a Nation Presents: Screen Queens Rising,” airing Thursday, February 3, on ABC, Berry, alongside other actresses including Debbie Allen, Jackée Harry, Tessa Thompson, and Marla Gibbs, spoke about their journeys as Black women in the industry.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 06: Halle Berry
accepts the Career Achievement Award during the Fourth Annual Celebration of Black Cinema & Television, presented by the Critics Choice Association at Fairmont Century Plaza on December 06, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images for the Critics Choice Association)

In a preview look obtained by People, Berry recalled feeling like someone “who is always asked to prove themselves, over and over and over and over again.” She added, “I’m always having to prove.”

The “Bruised” star and director felt she often faced difficulties during her tenure in the movie, telling correspondent Deborah Roberts “The fight has been consistent. Obstacle after obstacle, fight every single day.”

Her peers echoed those statements, including Thompson, who noted that Black women in Hollywood were “constantly fighting for recognition.” At the same time, Allen inserted that it had been “a long chain of hard work, pain, joy, success, failure.”

The network described the series as an examination of “how Black actresses of Hollywood have become power brokers and the iconic moments and roles have paved the way for them today.” The memo stated that it would also focus on the history of Black women in the business and honor “those who blazed the trail.”

The revelation comes nearly two months after the Academy Award-winning actress revealed that after accepting an award for the Worst Actress for the 2004’s action movie “Catwoman”at the Golden Raspberry Awards in 2005, she “set that thing on fire” afterward.

“I went to the Razzie because I feel like we all take ourselves so seriously,” Berry told Vanity Fair. “If we get an award, if we get the Oscar, we somehow are made to feel like we’re somehow better than everybody else, but we’re really not.”

She continued, “You were just chosen that year by your peers, and you were acknowledged for doing what they considered stellar work. … If you find yourself face to face with a Razzie, does that mean you’re the worst actor there ever was? Probably not. You just got the piss taken out on you that year by a group of people that can.”

“If I can show up to collect an Oscar when you’re honoring me, I can certainly show up to collect a Razzie when you say, good try, but do better,” she added.