2022 NAACP Image Awards: 5 of Halle Berry’s Most Outstanding Performances
Halle Berry has an acting career some could only dream about. Having starred in over 50 different movies ranging from drama, comedy, and action, Berry elevated her status after becoming the first and only Black woman to have won an Oscar for “Best Actress” for her role in Monster’s Ball.
At 55, Berry is now making her presence known behind the camera with feature films like Bruised, which earned the actress two nominations at the 53rd annual NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Independent Motion Picture and Actress in a Motion Picture. As we gear up to honor outstanding performances in film, television, theater, music, and literature, here’s a look back at Berry’s five most astounding roles.
Angela Lewis – Boomerang
Berry stars as Angela, a fierce ad executive with a cavalier attitude about romance in this 1992 classic romance comedy alongside a star-studded ensemble cast that included Eddie Murphy, Eartha Kitt, Grace Jones, and Martin Lawrence. Berry later teamed up with the multi-talented Lena Waithe for a television series of the same name, which served as a sequel to the iconic movie.
Jordan Turner – In The Call
Berry stars as Jordan, a veteran operator at a California 911 call center, who’s still reeling in the aftermath of a botch 9-1-1 has her typical day bulldozed by a call from a young girl abducted a man who fits the same M.O. of the predator above.
Leticia Musgrove – Monster’s Ball
The film earned the veteran star her first Oscar award, making her the first Black woman and still, at the time of this publication is, the only Black woman to win an Oscar for “Best Actress” at the Academy Awards.
Berry plays the complex role of Leticia Musgrove, a struggling working-class single mother who loses her son. She later begins a romantic relationship with a man, played by Billy Bob Thorton, who turns out to be the corrections officer that executed her husband.
Vivian – Jungle Fever
The actress made her film debut in a minor yet memorable role in Spike Lee’s 1991 romantic drama Jungle Fever as a dope fiend named Vivian. The film also stars Wesley Snipes, Annabella Sciorra, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Samuel L. Jackson, and John Turturro.
Frankie/Alice – Frankie & Alice
Berry is on double-duty in this truly underrated Geoffrey Sax-directed film. Berry gives a stunning performance for a script far inferior to her talents. Still, the role earned the actress a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama at the 2011 Golden Globes.
Watch the NAACP Image Awards on Saturday, February 26, 2022, at 8/9c.
