By Wonderwall.com Editors
12:06am PST, Nov 29, 2016
Halle Berry is playing the role of a mother who will stop at nothing to recover her kidnapped son in "Kidnap," which hits theaters on Dec. 2, 2016. In honor of her new movie, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at Halle's real-life highs and lows. Keep reading to see the biggest ups and downs in her career and personal life!
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In 1989, Halle Berry got her first big gig on a sitcom about four models who lived together: She played Emily Franklin on "Living Dolls." While this seemed like an initial career high, it became a low when the show did not take off and was canceled after just 12 episodes. In spite of the setback, Halle did not give up and went back to auditioning.
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Halle Berry received her first big break in the film world in 1991 when she starred as a drug addict named Vivian in "Jungle Fever." The film was directed by Spike Lee, but Halle almost didn't get the part. She told W Magazine, "Spike wanted me to read for the part of [Wesley Snipe's] wife and I read that part fine enough, but then I said to Spike, 'You know I really am eyeing this crack ho role, can you please let me audition for that?' And he said, 'No, no I don't see you as the crack ho.' I said, 'I am the crack ho. Really deep down I'm the crack ho!' And he was like, 'No, I don't see it.' And I said, 'Let me go in the bathroom, wash all this makeup off; you will see I am the crack ho.'" Luckily for Halle, he believed in her after she washed that makeup right off.
Halle Berry was feeling low when she was fired by the first director in "Strictly Business." This experience turned into a high though, because just two days later, she was hired back again after the first director left and Kevin Hooks took over. Kevin kept her for the part of Natalie, a club-hopping hipster with a super-short hairdo. Halle's Natalie haircut became one of her most memorable looks and had women running to cut off their locks. She made the role so sexy that on-screen love Joseph C. Phillips couldn't even handle it. "She keeps kissing me for real," he told their co-star Tommy Davidson. "It's throwing me off."
Halle Berry first developed a crush on Atlanta Braves right fielder David Justice after seeing him play at an MTV celebrity baseball game in February 1992. She then gave her number to a reporter who passed the digits to David. The phone number pass-along trick worked, one thing led to another, and she married David on New Year's Eve 1993 after just a few months of dating.
Halle Berry was able to profit from her beauty when she became a spokeswoman for Revlon in 1996. She signed a seven-year contract with the cosmetics company and has been one of the brand's best-paid and best-known faces ever since.
Halle Berry and David Justice's marriage came to an end in 1997. "For four years, David was part of my life, every day, every hour," she told People magazine soon after the split. "I do keep telling myself that this is one of life's lessons and as long as I can learn something from it, then all the pain will be worth it." When they divorced, Halle was granted a temporary restraining order against him after alleging he'd lingered outside of their home for four hours and demanded entry to get some of his things. But this wasn't the last time we'd hear about Halle and David. In 2015, David talked to People about how he dealt with fans accusing him of domestic abuse in the relationship after Halle spoke out about an ex-boyfriend who caused permanent hearing loss in her left ear. Though Halle never accused David of abuse, many assumed she was talking about him. "Over the past 20 years, I've heard people saying, 'Isn't that the dude who hit Halle Berry in the head?'" he told People. A source further told the mag, "Halle and David haven't spoken for years and when they did last, there was no animosity between them whatsoever. They were really friendly."
Halle Berry faced legal trouble in February 2000. After causing a late-night collision in West Hollywood, Halle pleaded no contest to charges of leaving the scene of a car accident. She was sentenced to three years' probation, fined $13,500 and ordered to perform 200 hours of community service. After the accident, Halle needed 22 stitches to close a gash in her forehead. Thankfully, she had new boyfriend Eric Benet by her side to help her get through the difficult time. As seen in this photo, the singer-songwriter consoled the actress as they left Halle's lawyer's office on Feb. 29, 2000.
Halle Berry was a big award winner in 2000. For her portrayal of Dorothy Dandridge in HBO's "Introducing Dorothy Dandridge," she won her first Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards. In 1954, Dorothy became the first African-American performer to be nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category. "Wherever Dorothy Dandridge is right now, I know she's standing tall and proud and smiling," Halle said when she accepted the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie.
After being together for two years, Halle Berry and Eric Benet had a secret beachfront wedding ceremony in January 2001. However, their marriage turned into a low time for Halle. Just four years later, they finalized their divorce on Jan. 3, 2005. Eric admitted to cheating on Halle and then checked himself into rehab for sex addiction in 2002. "We all know I cheated. It was out there. It's a betrayal. But I never did have sexual intercourse with anyone while I was with Halle," he told People magazine in 2005. "Going into rehab was presented to me by her mother that in order for the marriage to have a shot, this is what you need to do… But I'm not a sex addict. I wanted to save my marriage and do anything necessary to do that. I went and heard other people's stories and realized this is really not my struggle." Although they tried, they were never able to fully reconcile.
Halle Berry made history in 2002 when she became the first African-American woman to win the Best Actress Oscar. She took home an Academy Award for her portrayal of Leticia Musgrove in "Monster's Ball." She could barely get through her speech because the tears were flowing. "This moment is so much bigger than me," she said. "This is for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door has opened."
In 2002, Halle Berry became a Bond girl. She played NSA Agent Jinx Johnson opposite Pierce Brosnan's James Bond in "Die Another Day." In November 2015, Halle expressed how thrilled she feels to have been a Bond babe. "To be a part of this legacy is a huge honor," she said at the Black Women of Bond Tribute. "It's a highlight of my career."
Halle Berry played the title role of Patience Phillips/Catwoman in the 2004 film "Catwoman," which was panned by critics and audiences alike. "Catwoman" had a budget of $100 million but only grossed $82 million at the global box office. And Halle won the Razzie for Worst Actress for her performance, though she took the dig in stride: She actually showed up to accept the Razzie (with her Oscar in tow!) and said, "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."
After meeting at a Versace photo shoot in 2005, Halle Berry and French-Canadian model Gabriel Aubry began dating. A few years later in March 2008, they welcomed daughter Nahla. At the time of her pregnancy, Halle was 41 years old. She opened up to Oprah Winfrey about her struggle to get pregnant. "Don't ask! I don't know why, but I did," she said. "After about 35 tests, we finally got a positive test."
Halle Berry received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on April 3, 2007. Her star was the 2,333rd to grace the sidewalk, and she was so excited about the honor that she kissed it. "I am so emotional. As soon as I saw the crowds of people and friends here, I started to cry," she said at the time.
Halle Berry and Gabriel Aubry, who never married, split in 2010. Unlike her previous relationship breakups, this one hit Halle especially hard because of Nahla. "It's not like a relationship with a man — they come and they go," Halle told Penelope Cruz during Oprah Winfrey's Oscars Special in 2010. "You may be with someone forever, you may not. I will always be her mother and she will always be my daughter, and nothing ever changes that." Halle and Gabriel fought bitterly during their custody battle. After she got together with French actor Olivier Martinez, Halle wanted to move to France with Nahla, but a judge denied her request in November 2012. Less than two weeks later, drama unfolded at her home over Thanksgiving when Olivier and Gabriel threw punches at one another. Both had to go to the hospital; Gabriel was arrested. A judge then issued a temporary emergency protective order, which required Gabriel to stay 100 yards away from Halle, Olivier and Nahla. After putting this holiday nightmare behind them, Halle and Gabriel were able to reach a 50/50 custody agreement in court. In 2014, Halle was ordered to pay Gabriel $16,000 per month to support their daughter until she turns 19 or graduates from high school. The court also awarded Gabriel $115,000 in retroactive support.
French actor Olivier Martinez and Halle Berry met and fell in love while filming "Dark Tide" in South Africa in 2010. They tied the knot in 2013 in front of 60 guests in a village church in France's Burgundy region.
Halle Berry was 47 when she announced that she was expecting her second child — and first with Olivier Martinez — in April 2013. The news came as a shock to Halle. She told Ellen DeGeneres in May 2014 that she didn't think she could have any more children. "They call it a geriatric pregnancy," she said. "I was, you know, on my way… this is probably way TMI, but I was really, you know, kinda premenopausal, so to have this happen was a huge [blessing]." Halle and Olivier welcomed son Maceo-Robert on Oct. 5, 2013.
After two years of marriage, Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez called it quits in October 2015. "It is with a heavy heart that we have come to the decision to divorce," the couple said in a joint statement. "We move forward with love and respect for one another and the shared focus of what is best for our son. We wish each other nothing but happiness in life…" Although they filed for divorce, the two also later tabled it. According to a September 2016 TMZ report, "Halle isn't convinced she wants a divorce." The site further reported that Halle "believes Olivier might change, especially in the anger management department, and if he does she thinks the marriage could work."
