10 Things You Didn’t Know About Halle Berry

“Halle Berry you jazzy, that’s way past fine. Girl you look like something that ‘posed be on the dance line.”

Celebrated for her beauty, style and diverse creative talents,” Halle Berry has transcended racial and social barriers going from a pace-setting pageant girl, to model, to Academy Award winning Actress for her stunningly raw performance alongside Billy Bob Thorton in “Monsters Ball.”

Berry is most commonly know for her blockbuster role as the weather manipulating mutant godess Storm, her iconic fashion sense and some of her most-prominent cinematic blunders, such as “Catwoman” and “Gothika.” Berry’s rarely rivaled beauty has also been the source of inspiration for recent chart-topping pop songs, such as “Halle Berry” by Hurricane Chris, but there is a lot more to Berry than her looks and IMDB profile.

Here are ten things you probably didn’t know about Halle.

10. 1st Black American to compete in the Miss World Competition.

Before becoming a household name as a Hollywood bombshell, Berry competed in several beauty pageants, finishing as the 1st runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant and coming in 6th place in the Miss World Pageant in 1986. She was the 1st African American to ever participate in Miss World and, although she did not walk away in the top three in 1986, Berry did pave the way for future African American models trying to break into the pageant circuit.

9. 1st African American actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Make me feel good.

“Monster’s Ball” is a 2001 American romantic drama film helmed by director Marc Forster and starring Halle Berry, Billy Bob Thornton and Heath Ledger. This raw and emotional film tells the story of Leticia Musgrove a poverty stricken Southern woman who, after the execution of her husband (Sean “Puffy” Combs), falls for a widowed prison-guard (Thorton). Berry’s brilliant, and at times naked, performance earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress, the 1st Academy Award received by a African American actress.

8. 2nd Bond Girl to Win an Academy Award.

After Kim Bassinger, Berry is the 2nd Bond girl to have won an Academy Award.

In the 2002 James Bond release, “Die Another Day,” 007 is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul who is funding the development of an international space weapon. What Bond (Pierce Brosnan) finds is a stunning young woman (Berry) who happens to also be a covert CIA agent on the same case.

Of the 23 James Bond feature films, Halle Berry is the 4th black actress to portray a Bond girl. Including the most recent Bond Film, there have been only five black bond women including: Naomi Harris in “Skyfall” (2012); Halle Berry in “Die Another Day” (2002); Grace Jones in “A View To A Kill” (1985); Gloria Hendry in “Live And Let Die” (1973); Trina Parks in “Diamonds Are Forever” (1973).

7. 1st actress to star as two different Super-hero characters for two different Comic Companies.

In 2000, Berry linked up with a relatively new to film Marvel Studios to bring audiences “X-Men.” In this action film revolving around a private academy for mutants that doubles as a superhero team recruitment office, Berry brings Ororo Monroe’s weather channeling abilities to the bring screen. The critical success of early Marvel films such as “Blade” and “X-Men” definitely helped pave the way for the super-hero centric box-office we have come to know and love.

Four years later in 2004, Berry did what no actress has done before and crossed Comic companies to join DC’s attempt at “Catwoman.” The film’s loose basis on the DC Comics character of the same name, who is traditionally an anti-heroine and love interest of the superhero Batman, was sound on paper. The problem was that Berry’s beauty was not enough to carry this awkward and gimmick littered cinematic presentation. The filmed bombed at the box office and also garnered Berry a Razzie for Worst Actress in 2005.

6. 1st Academy Award winner to show up in person to accept Razzie for Worst Actress.

In 2005 Halle Berry made history, but not in the most prestigious way. After a collectively loathed “Catwoman” garnered Berry the pride eroding Razzie award for Worst Actress, she did something that would stun the Hollywood community and set a historical precedent. Berry attended the Razzie award
ceremony and personally accepted the Razzie award, making her the 1st Academy Award winning actress to do so, and also reminding us all why we all love Halle Berry.

“I want to thank Warner Bros. for casting me in this piece-of-sh–, god-awful movie.”

5. Turned down role of Annie Porter in Speed

Some things just work out for the best, such as when Berry turned down the role of Annie Porter in Speed (1994), which went to Sandra Bullock. “Speed” helped to effectively launch the careers of both Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves to Hollywood royalty status.

4. Has starred in 6 movies with Hugh Jackman.

Berry has a serious penchant for performing with the adamantium laced Aussie, having starred in six movies with Hugh Jackman: X-Men (2000), Swordfish (2001) X-Men 2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006), Movie 43 (2013) and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014).

3. 1 of only 4 Women to win both Academy Award for Best Actress and Razzie for Worst Actress.

Is one of only four actresses, along with Sandra Bullock, Faye Dunaway and Liza Minnelli, to win both the Academy Award for Best Actress and the Razzie Award for Worst Actress.

2. Starred alongside Sharon Stone a decade after playing a Character Named Sharon Stone.

In 1994, Berry played a character named Sharon Stone in “The Flintstones” live action film. Exactly one decade later, Berry played alongside the actual Sharon Stone in a DC movie. Too bad that DC movie was “Catwoman” and mind-numbingly awful. No amount of sexy was able to salvage that feline on it’s 10th life.

1. She is SMOKING HOT… okay you might have already known that.