Halle Berry Says Her Historic Oscar Win Didn’t Change Hollywood Like She Hoped

Halle Berry is once again speaking honestly about what it really meant to win an Oscar — and why she warned fellow actress Cynthia Erivo not to expect the award to change her life.

In a new interview with The Cut, Berry reflected on her career ahead of the release of her upcoming thriller Crime 101. During the conversation, she revealed advice she once gave Erivo, who has earned two Oscar nominations for Harriet and Wicked.

Berry famously made history in 2002 as the first Black woman to win best actress at the Academy Awards for Monster’s Ball — and she remains the only Black woman to have won in that category.

But Berry says the moment didn’t bring the industry-wide change she hoped for.

“That Oscar didn’t necessarily change the course of my career,” Berry said. “I thought there would be scripts showing up at my door. But I was still Black the next morning.”

She explained that Hollywood executives continued to question casting Black women in leading roles, often worrying it would limit a film’s global appeal.

Because of that experience, Berry offered Erivo a reality check as her career gained momentum.

“You deserve it,” Berry told her. “But I don’t know that it’s going to change your life. It can’t be the validation for what you do.”

Berry has spoken openly for years about her disappointment that her win did not open doors for other Black actresses. In a 2024 interview with Marie Claire, she said she is “eternally miffed” that no Black woman has followed her as a best actress Oscar winner.

She pointed out that many performances deserved recognition, naming Erivo, Ruth Negga for Loving, Andra Day for The United States vs. Billie Holiday, and Viola Davis for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Berry said the lack of progress remains one of the most painful parts of her Oscar legacy.

“I thought I was chosen to open a door,” she said. “And then no one came behind me. I still ask myself, was it an important moment for the industry — or just for me?”

Despite the heartbreak, Berry says she continues to push forward, hoping real change will eventually follow.

“Just because I won an award didn’t mean there was suddenly a place for me,” she said. “I was still forging a way out of no way.”

Her words highlight an ongoing conversation in Hollywood — about recognition, opportunity, and how far the industry still has to go.