Halle Berry was born in Cleveland, Ohio to U.S. African father Jerome Berry, a former hospital attendant, and U.S. European mother Judith Berry, a retired psychiatric nurse. Halle also has an older sister named 'Heidi Berry' (qv). Halle first came into the spotlight at seventeen years when she won the Miss Teen All-American Pageant, representing the state of Ohio in 1985 and, a year later in 1986, when she was the first runner-up in the Miss U.S.A. Pageant. After participating in the pageant, Halle became a model. It eventually led to her first weekly TV series, 1989's _"Living Dolls" (1989)_ (qv), where she soon gained a reputation for her on-set tenacity, preferring to "live" her roles and remaining in character even when the cameras stopped rolling. It paid off though when she reportedly refused to bathe for several days before starting work on her role as a crack addict in 'Spike Lee' (qv)'s _Jungle Fever (1991)_ (qv) because the role provided her big screen breakthrough. The following year, she was cast as 'Eddie Murphy (I)' (qv)'s love interest in _Boomerang (1992)_ (qv), one of the few times that Murphy was evenly matched on screen. In 1994, Berry gained a youthful following for her performance as sexy secretary "Sharon Stone" in _The Flintstones (1994)_ (qv). She next had a highly publicized costarring role with 'Jessica Lange (I)' (qv) in the adoption drama _Losing Isaiah (1995)_ (qv). Though the movie received mixed reviews, Berry didn't let that slow her down, and continued down her path to super-stardom. In 1998, she received critical success when she starred as a street smart young woman who takes up with a struggling politician in 'Warren Beatty (I)' (qv)'s _Bulworth (1998)_ (qv). The following year, she won even greater acclaim for her role as actress 'Dorothy Dandridge' (qv) in made-for-cable's _Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) (TV)_ (qv), for which she won a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series. In 2000, she received box office success in _X-Men (2000)_ (qv) in which she played "Storm", a mutant who has the ability to control the weather.
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Halle Berry
- On 'Dorothy Dandridge' (qv): "...You have to find a way to be sad on every day, in every scene, in every moment. And always try to hide the sadness. And (then) you'll get the essence of who she was."
- "This moment is so much bigger than me, This moment is for 'Dorothy Dandridge' (qv), 'Lena Horne' (qv), 'Diahann Carroll' (qv)... It's for the women that stand beside me, 'Jada Pinkett Smith' (qv), 'Angela Bassett' (qv), 'Vivica A. Fox' (qv)... and it's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance, because the door tonight has been opened." - During her Oscar acceptance speech.
- On choosing both serious and popcorn-movie roles: "There's art and there's commerce. You have to find a way to mesh the two. It's important to do the little movies just for the love of the art. But it's those big movies that take you around the world and make you globally famous."
- I'll never get married again, and I always hate to say never to anything, but I will never marry again.
- I was black growing up in an all-white neighborhood, so I felt like I just didn't fit in. Like I wasn't as good as everybody else, or as smart, or whatever.
- Blackness is a state of mind and I identify with the black community. Mainly, because I realized, early on, when I walk into a room, people see a black woman, they don't see a white women. So out of that reason alone, I identify more with the black community.
- I spent a lot of time with a crown on my head.
- The worst thing a man can ever do is kiss me on the first date.
- I don't see a white woman. I see a black woman, even though my mother is white [her father Jerome is black]. Knowing that has made my life easier, I think.
- I want to be the next 'Spike Lee' (qv). I want to help other black folks to get into Hollywood and be successful in Hollywood.
- What is my real purpose here? I've looked at what I do. I make believe and make movies. I entertain people and get paid for it. Sometimes it seems like such a shallow existence. How insignificant in the scheme of life.
- When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser, then there's no way you could be a good winner. And I hope to God I never see these people again. - on accepting her Razzie Award for Worst Actress.
- I never wanted to be a model. My modeling career was nothing but a stepping stone to my acting career and that's all I ever saw it as. A pointless rock in the river that has to be stepped on in order to get to the meaningful oasis of acting.
- I guess you could say I have bad taste in men. But I no longer feel the need to be someone's wife.
- (On receiving a film festival award while pregnant) I am three times the girl I used to be. This is the second red carpet where I didn't have to think about sucking in my stomach - because I can't!
- You think you know what love is - until you have a child and discover that unconditional mother love.
- I once was stupid enough to say, in a previous relationship, 'I'm going to be with this person forever,' and realised, as I grew, that I don't know if forever is possible.
- Humor is always part of the best hours in life.
- When you have children, you get to see things all over again. So I've never laughed as hard, I've never done more silly things. And I go to great lengths to make my daughter laugh.
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