Halle Berry reflected on the impact of her historic 2002 Oscar win for Monster’s Ball, acknowledging that the system is “not really designed” for Black women in Hollywood.
In the Apple TV+ documentary Number One on the Call Sheet, Berry questioned whether her win truly brought change for women of color in the industry.
“It’s forced me to ask myself, did it matter? Did it really change anything for my sisters, for our journey?” Berry, 58, said. She remains the only Black woman to have won the Best Actress Oscar in the Academy Awards’ 97-year history.
The documentary highlights the lack of recognition for Black actresses, featuring voices like Whoopi Goldberg, Viola Davis, Taraji P. Henson, and Angela Bassett. It also revisits moments when Black actresses lost to white winners, including the 2021 ceremony where Viola Davis and Andra Day were both nominated but lost to Frances McDormand.
Berry emphasized that Black women should stop “coveting” an Oscar, as the system was never built for them. “At the end of the day, it’s about how we touch people’s lives—that’s what art is for,” she said.
Goldberg, who won Best Supporting Actress in 1991 for Ghost, questioned why no other Black actress has won Best Actress since Berry. “None of us were good enough? Nobody?” she asked.
Henson echoed similar frustrations, saying Hollywood still struggles to see Black women as lead actresses. “They give us supporting [actress awards] like they give out candy canes. What are you saying to me?”
Berry previously expressed disappointment that no Black woman has followed in her footsteps for the Best Actress Oscar, telling Marie Claire last year, “I’m continually saddened by that year after year… it’s certainly not because there has been nobody deserving.”
