Halle Berry: My Oscar Win ‘Meant Nothing’

Winning an Academy Award is supposed to be the happiest day in an actor’s life, as it is the ultimate proof that they’ve reached the height of their profession. But Halle Berry, who won her Best Actress Academy Award for her performance in Monster’s Ball, has now admitted that her triumph was ultimately meaningless.

“Wow, that moment really meant nothing. It meant nothing. I thought it meant something, but I think it meant nothing.”

Halle Berry made this declaration when she was interviewed at the Cannes Lion Festival Of Creativity by Teen Vogue‘s Elaine Welteroth. Halle Berry didn’t always feel this way, though. That’s because her acceptance speech at the 2002 Academy Awards when she picked up the Best Actress Oscar was one of the most emotional moments in the history of the ceremony.

It was especially emotional for Halle Berry because by picking up the gong she became the first African-American actress to ever claim the Best Actress Academy Award. At the time Halle Berry believed that her victory would mark an increase in fortunes for African-American actors during awards season.

But, after 15 years, Halle Berry remains the only African-American actress to have won the Best Actress Academy Award, and the lack of an upturn in fortunes is what provoked her change of heart.

During her acceptance speech for her Academy Award, Halle Berry dedicated her triumph to every other woman of color that she now insisted had an opportunity to claim awards of this ilk.

Halle Berry believed that she had opened up the door for them, especially considering that it had taken over 70 years for a black actress to win an Academy Award for Best Actress for the first time.

But while Halle Berry is now more than happy to dismiss her own Oscar success, she isn’t just going to sit around and wallow in despair. That’s because the actress is now taking a more hands-on approach in getting bigger roles for actors of ethnicity.

To do this Halle Berry wants to start directing and producing more projects, and during the above discussion at the Cannes Lion Festival Of Creativity she declared, “We need more people of color writing, directing, producing, not just starring. We have to start telling stories that include us.”

Halle Berry is starting on this venture with Kidnap, which she not only stars in but is also the executive producer on. Kidnap will be released on August 4.

[Featured Image by Lionsgate Films]