Halle Berry: My historic 2002 Oscar win ‘didn’t open the door’ for black actresses

Fans might think it's hard for a seasoned, award-winning and beloved actor like Viola Davis to be shaken by any role, but the  star isn't afraid to admit that her most recent project was a little nerve-wracking.In fact, the actress called portraying Michelle Obama for Showtime's scripted anthology series, , «absolutely terrifying.» Davis spoke with ET's Nischelle Turner ahead of the premiere of the non-fiction series alongside her co-stars Michelle Pfeiffer and Gillian Anderson, who star as Betty Ford and Eleanor Roosevelt, respectively. The show’s first season, directed and executive produced by Susanne Bier, follows the three former first ladies for «a revelatory reframing of American leadership, told through the lens of the women at the heart of the White House.»Set in the East Wing,  will show how «many of history’s most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America's charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies.» The show, set to premiere on April 17, will go into the personal and political lives of three such «unique, enigmatic women,» recounting their journeys from wife to Washington.Davis noted that the scariest aspect of portraying Obama was the idea that she was someone whom «everyone has ownership over.»«You’re terrified whenever you start a job because you are afraid you are going to be found out — that’s big imposter syndrome.

, which will go inside the lives of three influential first ladies of the United States. The show’s first season, which will be directed and executive produced by, will star as Michelle Obama, as Betty Ford, and as Eleanor Roosevelt.“It’s one of those jobs where you almost have to say yes before you think about it too much because if you think too much you might actually say no out of fear or being absolutely terrified,” Anderson told ET about joining the series and taking on the daunting task of portraying such an iconic figure, with Davis adding that it was “absolutely terrifying” taking on someone like Obama, whom “everyone has ownership over.”“Once I realized the scope of this character, it was terrifying,” Pfeiffer said of joining the series, noting that she didn’t “want to let anyone down” with her portrayal.That said, they all came to slay.

Halle Berry doesn’t have to do much to get people talking, and her latest social media post is proof of just that.Over the weekend, the actress took to Instagram to post her latest photoshoot, posing on the beach in a bikini along with some interesting accessories. While her swimsuit seems to be a basic black two-peice, on top, Berry is wearing a sheer black trenchcoat along with some black lace fingerless gloves.Her hair is black with some light blonde/grey streaks throughout, which she wore in a beachy up-do. Halle accessorized with some gold bracelets and a pair of studded cat-eye sunglasses.A post shared by Halle Berry (@halleberry)In her caption, the actress wrote, “Nisi all grown up #BAPSvibes,” referencing her role on the 1997 show B.A.P.S.

Viola Davis did speak with Michelle Obama before she played her in Showtime’s upcoming The First Lady, but she is reluctant to share much of what they talked about in their private conversation.

Hoooo boy.) If you haven't reached that point yet, you may feel a certain misplaced freedom to mock your elders' former hair looks — especially with decades of very publicly documented 'dos. But as one Twitter user found out, Halle Berry is ready to defend her styling choices of yesteryear.On Tuesday, April 5, Twitter user Xay Yarbroux posted a photo of taken at an event in Las Vegas in 1998.

City Girls have teamed up with Fivio Foreign for their first single of the year, ‘Top Notch’.The new cut sees Yung Miami and JT rapping over trappy production courtesy of AXL Beats. It’s full of the duo’s typical bravado, with lines like “I just got my hair did to shit on hoes like it’s a hobby / Every bitch that hate on me got an ugly face and a botched body” from JT.Fivio’s verse echoes the sentiments, rapping: “Go to the hood and the topic is me / When I was down, I was broke but I told ’em I knew I’d be rich by the top of the week.”‘Top Notch’ arrives alongside a Ben Marc-directed video that sees City Girls and Fivio partying in the streets of New York.

It has been 20 years since Halle Berry became the first black woman to win the Best Actress award at the Oscars and every winner since then has been a white woman.

(CNN)Halle Berry didn't believe she was going to win the best actress Academy Award in 2002 for her performance in "Monster's Ball.""Back in those days, if you didn't win the Globe, you really didn't get the Academy Award," Berry, who lost the Golden Globe to Sissy Spacek that year, recently told the New York Times. "So I'd pretty much resigned myself to believing, 'It's great to be here, but I'm not going to win.'"Now there is disbelief that she is still the only Black woman to win the best actress Oscar."It didn't open the door," Berry said.

Halle Berry is looking back at a historic moment in her career.

Halle Berry is looking back at the special night at the 74th Academy Awards, when she received the Best Actress award for her performance in ‘Monster’s Ball,’ revealing she was not expecting to win after being nominated for the first time.“Back in those days, if you didn’t win the Globe, you really didn’t get the Academy Award,” The actress explained, “So I’d pretty much resigned myself to believing, ‘It’s great to be here, but I’m not going to win.’”Competing against Nicole Kidman for ‘Moulin Rouge,’ Judi Dench for ‘Iris,’ Sissy Spacek for ‘In the Bedroom,’ and Renée Zellweger for ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ Halle was the seventh Black actress ever nominated in this category.Fast forward to one of the most memorable Academy Award moments and an emotional speech, the Hollywood star stated at the time, “It’s been 74 years,” referring to the fact that she was the first Black woman to win the award.Now, 20 years after the special moment, Halle has confessed she is in disbelief that she is still the only Black woman to win the Best Actress award, “It didn’t open the door,” she explained, “The fact that there’s no one standing next to me is heartbreaking.”During her speech Halle told the crowd, “It’s for every nameless, faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.”Reflecting on the meaning behind the Awards the actress says today, “Awards are the icing on the cake — they’re your peers saying you were exceptionally excellent this year — but does that mean that if we don’t get the exceptionally excellent nod, that we were not great, and we’re not successful, and we’re not changing the world with our art, and our opportunities aren’t growing?”

Oscar win “didn’t open the door” for more Black female actors.Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2002 for her role in Monster’s Ball making her the first Black female actor to win the Oscar in history.

Halle Berry is still the only Black woman to ever win Best Actress at the Oscars despite over 90 years of the Academy Awards.

Zack Sharf Jack Nicholson wanted to stage a boycott against the 2003 Academy Awards due to the Iraq War, revealed Adrien Brody in a recent interview with the Sunday Times (via Yahoo). The United States’ invasion of Iraq began just days before the 2003 Oscars ceremony. According to Brody, Nicholson invited all of the 2003 best actor nominees over to his house to discuss how they should respond to the war.

Halle Berry has a tall teenager on her hands! On Wednesday, the “Bruised” actress shared a rare photograph of her daughter in honour of her 14th birthday.

Halle Berry has a tall teenager on her hands! On Wednesday, the actress shared a rare photograph of her daughter in honor of her 14th birthday.«14 years ago, I was blessed to give birth to an 'Earth Angel' and I named her Nahla Ariela! Humbled by your presence and overjoyed at the same time,” the 55-year-old star wrote. “Happy Birthday, Nahla boo! ❤️”Next to the sweet message was a picture of Berry and Nahla walking side-by-side on the beach, with their heads turned away from the camera.Nahla also got birthday wishes from some of her mom’s famous friends.