Halle Berry thought she paved way for diversity at Oscars

Image
IANS Los Angeles
Last Updated : Feb 03 2016 | 2:42 PM IST

Actress Halle Berry believes that she had paved the way for diversity for Academy Awards when she bagged the Best Actress Award in 2002.

The 49-year-old actress, who won the Best Actress Award for her role in the 2001 film "Monsters Ball", says it's heartbreaking not to see another woman of colour receiving the award since then, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Speaking about the controversy surrounding this year's ceremony because of the lack of black actors nominated in any of the categories, she said: "I believed that in that moment, that when I said in my acceptance speech, 'The door tonight has been opened', I believed that with every bone in my body that this was going to incite change because this door, this barrier, had been broken.

"And to sit here almost 15 years later, and knowing that another woman of colour has not walked through that door, is heartbreaking. It's heartbreaking because I thought that moment was bigger than me. It's heartbreaking to start to think maybe it wasn't bigger than me. Maybe it wasn't. And I so desperately felt like it was."

The actress also insisted that actors and filmmakers have a "responsibility" to look at the wider picture and not forget the "importance and the involvement" of people from all races and backgrounds in making history and being a part of American culture today.

"It's really about truth-telling. And as filmmakers and as actors, we have a responsibility to tell the truth. And the films, I think, that are coming out of Hollywood aren't truthful," the "Catwoman" actress said.

"The reason they're not truthful, these days, is that they're not really depicting the importance and the involvement and the participation of people of colour in our American culture," she added.

*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Feb 03 2016 | 2:30 PM IST

Next Story