Halle Berry Questions Oscar Win 23 Years Later—‘Did It Matter?’
Halle Berry Questions Her Best Actress Oscar 23 Years Later As The Lone Black Winner — ‘Did It Matter?’
Halle Berry made history in 2002 as the first Black woman to win the Oscar for Best Actress. More than 20 years later, Berry still holds that distinction, as no other Black actress has earned the award since.
Despite having initial joy and emotion of the groundbreaking win, the Bruised star has since vocalized her disappointment that no other Black women have experienced the same accomplishment. She addressed it again in the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, released March 28.
“It’s forced me to ask myself, did it matter?” she said. “Did it really change anything for women of color? For my sisters? For our journey?” Berry attained the award for her starring role in the film Monster’s Ball. Although there were 15 nominations, no other Black actresses have won. Even Cynthia Erivo had the opportunity twice. She was up for the award in 2020 for Harriet and in 2025 for her starring role in Wicked. Had she won either year it also would have made her the youngest person to obtain an EGOT.
In 2021, Berry thought that may have been the year a Black woman was sure to win. Both Andra Day and Viola Davis were nominated for their respective roles in The United States vs. Billie Holiday and Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Frances McDormand ultimately beat them out.
Berry said, “For equally different and beautiful reasons, they both deserved it, and I thought for sure.” Year after year, the prestigious award show overlooked Black women, prompting the 58-year-old to come to a new realization.
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“The system is not really designed for us, and so we have to stop coveting that which is not for us,” she said. “Because at the end of the day, it’s ‘How do we touch the lives of people?’ And that fundamentally is what art is for.”
Not everyone in the Black community celebrated Berry’s Oscar win. Some criticized her character’s sex scenes with a racist white man, played by Billy Bob Thornton. Thornton’s character was a prison guard and helped carry out the execution of Berry’s husband, who was a prisoner. The moment was a bittersweet one for Black viewers, including some of her peers, who found it challenging to be fully happy for Berry.
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