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Halle Berry has been an eternal superhero, with or without her Catwoman costume. Her short hairstyles, Oscar dresses and powerful characters has turned a million heads as well as brought home recognition and respect from all quarters. As she celebrates her 47th birthday today, we bring you 10 fascinating facts about the star you never knew!
Halle was originally named Maria Halle Berry. Her parents changed her name to Halle Maria Berry whenshe turned five years old. Her father is African – American and her mother is Caucasian. She is estranged from her older sister Heidi. Notably, Berry attended a nearly all-white public school, and as a result was subjected to discrimination at an early age. Her early bouts with racism greatly influenced her desire to excel.
She has donned many hats by producing films and television shows and working as the executive producer on Introducing Dorothy Dandridge’ in 1999 and Lackawanna Blues’ in 2005.
Halle Berry wore a traditional Indian sari and pulled it off nicely, amidst playing six roles in her 2012 film Cloud Atlas based on David Mitchell’s novel of the same name. The movie owns polarized critics, appearing simultaneously on various Worst Film and Best Film lists.
As of 2013, Halle remains the only African-American actress to have been awarded an Oscar for a leading role, which she won for her role in the 2002 film Monster’s Ball.
Prior to her career as an actress, she entered a number of beauty pageants, emerging as the 1st runner- up in the renowned Miss USA Pageant in 1986. In 1989, Halle Berry was also once diagnosed with Type 1Diabetes.
Halle appeared in the 2004 film Catwoman, for which she received a ‘worst actress’ Razzie award in 2005 for the superhero protagonist. Demonstrating her excellent sense of humor, Halle became only the second actor to have ever appeared at the Razzie awards ceremony to accept the award in person!
For her role in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, the HBO biopic, Halle Berry won a SAG Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy.
Halle has lost a small percentage of hearing in one of her ears due to a physical encounter with a boyfriend in the early 1990s. Actor Wesley Snipes was in turn exposed as the abusive ex-lover of Halle Berry, who struck the actress so hard, the blow left her 80% deaf in the right ear.
Halle’s dress that she wore at the Oscar ceremony in 2002 was voted as the most popular outfit in the first 75 years at Oscars! Halle Berry was a true belle in a sheer Elie Saab gown with embroidered detail.
Halle tied the knot with noted amateur pugilist Olivier on July 13, 2013 at the fairytale Chateau des Conde, in the Burgundy countryside. In April the couple had revealed they are expecting a son, with Berry saying it was the biggest surprise of her life.