Halle Berry Explained Why ‘Struggling’ for Acting Roles Due to Aging Would Feel Normal
Halle Berry knew there was a possibility that the film industry might be less welcoming to her after she reached a certain age. But this wouldn’t be anything new for Berry, who’d already gone through a similar experience during her younger years.
Why Halle Berry wasn’t worried about aging in the film industry
Despite Berry’s success, the actor revealed she only sometimes got top picks for her desired film roles. But she still considered herself overlooked when it came to certain opportunities, which was occasionally because of her skin color.
“I’ve always had a hard time getting roles, being of color, so I’ve got as many available to me as I’ve always had,” Berry once told Us Weekly. “There’s no difference for me. When I was 21, it was as hard as it is now when I’m 48. For me it’s the same.”
Berry noted that this dilemma existed even after winning an Oscar, which should’ve given her more credibility in the film industry.
“The quality and value of our work isn’t determined by an award,” Berry said. “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.'”
But Berry was well-aware that she’d face a similar problem as she got older. Hollywood was once notorious for giving less opportunities to women actors after they reached a certain age. But Berry was already used to having to fight for roles due to her skin color. So fighting for roles due to her age wouldn’t be anything new.
“I started in this business 20 years ago, and I’ve always had to struggle, being a woman of color,” Berry once told Orange County Register. “So the fact that I might have to do that because I’m getting older will feel like normalcy to me. … I will continue on as I’ve been for the first 20 years of my career, fighting to get a good part for a woman like me.”
How Halle Berry wanted to challenge stereotypes about aging in the film industry
Berry has still managed to maintain a solid career in her older years. Now in her late 50s, the X-Men star has been applauded for her approach to aging, which includes maintaining a dedicated fitness regimen for her health’s sake.
Her new lifestyle didn’t only come naturally to Berry, but she revealed they were calculated steps to challenge the stigma behind aging.
“Things like: ‘Your life is over.’ ‘You are disposable.’ ‘Society no longer has a place for you’ ‘You should retire.’ ‘You should pack it up.’ I’m challenging all those stereotypes about how you have to look a certain way or feel a certain way,” she once wrote to Women’s Health. “I’m my best self now that I reached 56 years old. I have the most to offer. I have zero blanks to give anymore. I’m solidly in my womanhood. I finally realize what I have to say.”
What Halle Berry told other women about aging
During her piece, Berry also took the time to share some advice for other younger women. She believed it was a mistake to worry about what their older years had in store for them during their youth. Instead, they should focus on what each decade of their lives might mean for them.
“If you’re in your twenties, own that. Own the era of exploration. Earn the era of real curiosity. Earn the era of trying to figure out who you are. Take your time and figure yourself out. You don’t have to be rushed, you don’t have to be forced. It’s not a race,” she said. “If you’re in your mid-thirties, don’t be bogged down by the idea that you have to have children by a certain age. You decide.”
