Page 83 - Ocean Blue World Magazine - 25th Edition

THE INTERVIEW
“Career is important, but nothing really supersedes my roles as a
mother.”
Berry’s beakout film role was in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever (1991) in which she played the role of Vivian, a crack-addicted prostitute. The play against type was intentional, Berry says, as she
fought to be taken seriously as an actress.
Her talent definitely got her noticed, and she went on to star with Eddie Murphy in Boomerang (1992), then The Flintstones (1994), and Bulworth in 1998, among others. But it was her turn in the title role of Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999), which would prove to be prophetic.
Berry immersed herself in the character of Dandridge, the first woman of color to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her role in 1954’s Carmen Jones, garnering an Emmy and a Golden Globe for her portrayal.
Just three years later, Berry would find herself stepping into her character’s shoes once again as she was nominated for, and won, the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in 2001’s Monster’s Ball, becoming the first and only woman of color to win the Oscar in that category.
Berry’s 2002 acceptance speech noted the groundbreaking moment, which she dedicated to those who had come before her, as well as future generations.
“It's for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened,” Berry said through tears.
Photos Courtesy Of: Getty Images
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