Halle Berry says historic ‘Best Actress’ Oscar win means ‘nothing’

Berry said the fact that she is still the only Black actress to have received the "Best Actress" award proved to her that her win means "nothing."

TheGrio Staff

Jun 29, 2017

During the 74th Academy Awards in 2001, Halle Berry made history when she became the first Black actress to take home an Oscar for best actress in a leading role. But in a recent interview with Teen Vogue, Berry said that the fact that she is still the only Black actress to have received the award proved to her that her win means “nothing.”

The 50-year-old actress said that her enthusiasm and hope for her fellow Black actresses after her historic win took a real hit in 2016, when the acting nominees were all white for the second year in a row.

“I sat there and I really thought, ‘Wow, that moment really meant nothing,” Berry told Editor-in-Chief Elaine Welteroth. “It meant nothing. I thought it meant something, but I think it meant nothing.'”

She described it as one of her “lowest moments,” realizing that after fifteen years, she remained the only Black actress to take home the award.

“It’s troubling, to say the least,” she added.

It’s quite the turnaround from the hope that she displayed in 2001 when she accepted the award and gave a speech saying that her award was for “every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”

But Berry said that she would not be still or silent but would get out there and make a difference.

“I want to start producing more,” she said. “I want to start making more opportunities for people of color. I have conversations more deeply with Academy members, and I’m trying to figure out how to help and add more diversity to the Academy.”