By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry has managed to secure steady work in Hollywood over the years, but she feels that the industry still isn’t fair to people of color.
She tells the Guardian:
“I’m disappointed. I’m inspired though, when I see how many people of color are doing such good work out there. The quality and value of our work isn’t determined by an award. I would like to see more of them recognized, absolutely, but we all need to find the win in the work, and doing our craft. The real win is when we’re not just selling stories of color, that people of color can be in everyday stories. Where we’re not saying: ‘These are the movies for black people.'”
Halle then says that in most cases, winning an Oscar actually hurts careers. And in her case, she feels things started to get harder after she received the award:
“Everybody talks about the Oscar curse. People win Oscars, and then it seems like they fall off the planet. And that’s partly because a huge expectation walks in the room and sits right down on top of your head. The moment I won the Oscar, I felt the teardown the very next day. I thought, If I’m going down, I’m going down taking chances and daring to risk.”
Well the Oscar curse is real. That’s why I don’t understand why black people want Oscars so bad. If I was an actor i wouldn’t want one.
I think we just need to focus more on increasing the number of black writers and directors in the industry. That’s the only way black actors and actresses have a chance of getting more quality roles. But we need to have the courage to step back from the slave and civil rights movies. We’ve made too many of those films.
She made the right move by being one of the first big name black actresses to make the move to tv series. Hopefully, they’ll keep writing shows for our black actors that are outside the norm.
“The real win is when we’re not just selling stories of color, that people of color can be in everyday stories. Where we’re not saying:These are the movies for black people.” Preach Halle!
Love her.
She’s right and I hope more black actors speak up so we can put the pressure on racist Hollywood.
She said nothing but the truth.
Stay woke Halle.