Halle Berry Takes Control
A Fighter Fiercely Seeks Redemption
Halle Berry made history in 2002 when she became the first, and still only, Black woman to win the Best Actress Oscar at the Academy Awards, 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 and Alice.
Berry 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. To get into the role, Berry trained extensively to build the physique of an MMA fighter.
Michelle Rosenfarb wrote the script for Bruised, which was initially to be directed by Nick Cassavetes and star Blake Lively before Berry took over both jobs. According to Berry, the lead role was originally written to be played by a mid-20s white, Irish-American before she was able to convince Rosenfarb to let her adapt it to a middle-aged Black woman. The movie also stars Shamier Anderson, Adan Canto, Sheila Atim and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Bruised had its world premiere on September 12, 2021 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix acquired the distribution rights to the picture and will release it on the platform on November 24, 2021.
