HALLE BERRY
A Star Makes Her Directorial Debut
Halle Berry made history in 2002 when she became the first, and so far only, Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar at the Academy Awards. She won for her performance in the romantic drama Monster’s Ball. In the movie, she portrayed Leticia Musgrove, the wife of a death row inmate who ends up becoming intimate with the prison deputy warden who took part in her husband’s execution. Since her historic Oscar win, Berry has continued to work consistently, with roles in major franchises such as X-Men, Kingsman, and John Wick, to smaller dramas like Things We Lost in the Fire and Frankie & Alice.
Of course, Berry started acting well before making history with Monster’s Ball. She got her start with a small role in Spike Lee’s 1991 drama Jungle Fever, before getting a co-starring role in Strictly Business the same year. Now, Berry is making her directorial debut with the feature film Bruised. In addition to directing the movie, Berry also stars as Jackie Justice, a disgraced MMA fighter who is given an opportunity for redemption. It’s not only back in the ring where she will have to prove herself though, she must also contend with the return of her 6-year-old son, on whom she walked out years prior.
While no trailer has been released, a few production images have emerged. We can tell that Berry trained extensively for such a physical role. It’s also fair to say, do not expect this to be a glamorous movie. Michelle Rosenfarb wrote the script for Bruised, which was initially to be directed by John Cassavetes and star Blake Lively before Berry took over both jobs. The movie will also star Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto, Sheila Atim and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Bruised will have its world premiere this September at the Toronto International Film Festival.
