Halle Berry "profoundly hurt" her Oscar "meant nothing"
It's been 15 years since Halle Berry won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in Monster's Ball.
She was the first black person to scoop the Academy Award in the category, but since her 2002 win, no lead actress of colour has managed to emulate her achievement – something which has "profoundly hurt" her.
Even worse, for two consecutive years (2015 and 2016), all 20 acting nominees were Caucasian, leading to the hashtag #OscarsSoWhite.
"I sat there and I really thought, 'Wow, that moment really meant nothing. It meant nothing. I thought it meant something but I think it meant nothing,'" Berry told Teen Vogue. "I was profoundly hurt by that, and saddened by that.
"It inspired me to try to get involved in other ways, which is why I want to start directing. I want to start producing more. I want to start making more opportunities for people of colour."
Berry continued by saying that Hollywood needs to have more diversity not just in front of the camera but behind the scenes, too.
"We need more people of colour writing, directing, producing – not just starring," she said. "We have to start telling stories that include us."
In 2002, Berry said during her acceptance speech that her Oscar win was for "every nameless, faceless woman of colour that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened".
Although diverse winners have been lacking in the Best Actress category, Viola Davis did win Best Supporting Actress at this year's Oscars for her incredible performance in Fences.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.
You Might Also Like
