Name	Golden Raspberry Award
Caption	John Wilson at 29th Golden Raspberry Awards
Description	Worst in film
Presenter	Golden Raspberry Award Foundation
Country	United States
Year	1981
Website	http://www.razzies.com/

A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day. The term in the name is used in its irreverent sense, as in "blowing a raspberry". The awards themselves typically cost $4.97 each, in the form of a "golfball-sized raspberry" which sits atop a Super 8 mm film reel, the whole of which is spray-painted gold.

History

Foundation

American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson traditionally held potluck dinner parties at his house in Los Angeles on the night of the Academy Awards. In 1981, after the 53rd Academy Awards had completed for the evening, Wilson invited friends to give random award presentations in his living room. Wilson decided to formalize the event, after watching a double feature of Can't Stop the Music and Xanadu. He gave them ballots to vote on worst in film.

Approximately three dozen people came to the 1st Golden Raspberry Awards. Wilson commented to the author of Blame It on the Dog: "When I registered the term with the Library of Congress in 1980, they asked me, 'Why raspberry? What's the significance of that?' But since then, razz has pretty much permeated the culture. We couldn't have done it without Hollywood's help."

Format

Awarding process

Paid members of the Golden Raspberry Award Foundation vote to determine the winners; For the 29th Golden Raspberry Awards in 2009, award results were based on votes from approximately 650 journalists, cinema fans, and professionals from the film industry. Voters hailed from 45 states in the United States and 19 other countries.

Ceremony

at 28th Golden Raspberry Awards in 2008.]] at 29th Golden Raspberry Awards]]

The ceremony, typically held one day before the Academy Awards, is modelled after the latter but "deliberately low-end and tacky". Worst Reckless Disregard for Human Life and Public Property (1997), Most Flatulent Teen-Targeted Movie (2002), Worst Excuse for an Actual Movie (All Concept/No Content!) (2003), Most Tiresome Tabloid Targets (2005), Worst Excuse For Family Entertainment (2006), Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie (2007), and Worst Eye-Gouging Misuse of 3D (2010).

Other types of awards

Over the years, the Golden Raspberry Awards have awarded special awards next to the actual Razzie Awards as well.

Worst Career Achievement Award

This award has been given only five times, in 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, and 2009 to Ronald Reagan, Linda Blair, Irwin Allen, "Bruce the Rubber Shark" from Jaws and director Uwe Boll who received his for his achievement as "Germany's answer to Ed Wood".

Governor's Award

This is a special award given by Razzie Award Governor John Wilson to an individual whose achievements are not covered by the Razzie's other categories. It was awarded in 2003 to Travis Payne for "Distinguished Under-Achievement in Choreography" in the film From Justin to Kelly.

See also

Academy Award

Bad Sex in Fiction Award

Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year for odd book titles

Ig Nobel Prizes for questionable scientific achievements

List of films considered the worst

List of people who have accepted Golden Raspberry Awards

Stella Awards for outrageous lawsuits

Stinkers Bad Movie Awards

The Golden Turkey Awards

References

External links

Golden Raspberry Official Website

Razzie Awards page on the Internet Movie Database

Razzie channel on YouTube

Category:Ironic and humorous awards Category:American film awards Category:Awards established in 1981 Category:Lists of worsts

Caption	Bullock at the premiere for The Proposal in June 2009.
Birth name	Sandra Annette Bullock
Birth date	July 26, 1964
Birth place	Arlington County, Virginia, U.S.
Nationality	American
Years active	1985–present
Spouse	Jesse G. James (2005–2010)
Children	Louis Bardo (2010)
Residence	New Orleans, Lousiana
Alma mater	Washington-Lee High School
Parents	John BullockHelga Meyer (deceased)
Occupation	Actress, producer

Sandra Annette Bullock (; born July 26, 1964) is an American actress and producer who rose to fame in the 1990s after roles in successful films such as Speed, A Time to Kill, and While You Were Sleeping. She continued with films such as Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, and Crash, the third of which received critical acclaim. In 2007, she was ranked as the 14th richest female celebrity with an estimated fortune of US$85 million. In 2009, Bullock starred in the most financially successful films of her career, The Proposal and The Blind Side. Bullock was awarded a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role, and the Academy Award for Best Actress, for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy in The Blind Side.

Early life

Sandra Annette Bullock was born in Arlington, Virginia, daughter of John W. Bullock (born 1925), an United States Army employee and part time-voice coach from Birmingham, Alabama, and his wife Helga D. Meyer (1942–2000), a German opera singer and voice teacher. Bullock's maternal grandfather was a rocket scientist from Nuremberg, Germany. John Bullock, then in charge of the Army's Military Postal Service in Europe, was stationed in Nuremberg when he met his wife. They married in Germany, soon moving to Arlington, where John Bullock worked with the Army Materiel Command, before becoming a contractor for The Pentagon.

Bullock frequently accompanied her mother on her opera tours throughout Europe. She spent time in Salzburg and Nuremberg, where she stayed with her aunt and grandmother and became fluent in German. Bullock studied ballet and vocal arts as a child, taking small parts in her mother's opera productions.

Bullock attended Washington-Lee High School, where she was a cheerleader and performed in high school theater productions. After she graduated in 1982, she entered East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. However, she dropped out in her fourth year in spring of 1986, just three credits short of graduating, to become an actress. She moved to Manhattan and supported herself as a bartender, cocktail waitress, and coat checker. She later completed her coursework and graduated from East Carolina University.

Acting

in 2011. The previous year she won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her work in The Blind Side.]] While in New York, Bullock took acting classes with Sanford Meisner. She appeared in several student films, and later landed a role in an Off-Broadway play No Time Flat. Director Alan J. Levi was impressed by Bullock's performance and offered her a part in the TV movie Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman (1989). Afterward, she was cast in a series of small roles in several independent films as well as in the lead role of the short-lived NBC television version of the film Working Girl (1990). She later appeared in several films, such as Love Potion No. 9 (1992), The Thing Called Love (1993) and Fire on the Amazon. A prominent supporting role in the science-fiction/action movie Demolition Man (1993) led to her breakthrough performance in Speed the following year. She became a movie star in the late 1990s, carrying a string of successes, including While You Were Sleeping, and Miss Congeniality in 2000. Bullock received $11 million for , which she agreed to star in for financial backing for her own project, Hope Floats, and has revealed she regrets making the sequel. She later received $17.5 million for .

Bullock was selected as one of People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World in 1996 and 1999, and was also ranked #58 in Empire magazine's Top 100 Movie Stars of All Time list. She was presented with the 2002 Raúl Juliá Award for Excellence for her efforts, as the executive producer of the sitcom George Lopez, in helping expand career openings for Hispanic talent in the media and entertainment industry. She also made several appearances on the show as Accident Amy, an accident-prone employee at the factory Lopez's character manages. In 2002, she starred opposite Hugh Grant in Two Weeks Notice and in the film Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

In 2004, Bullock had a supporting role in the film Crash. She received positive reviews for her performance, with some critics suggesting that it was the best performance of her career. In 2005, she was a co-recipient of the Women in Film Crystal Award.

Bullock later appeared in The Lake House, a romantic drama also starring her Speed co-star, Keanu Reeves; it was released on June 16, 2006. Because their film characters are separated throughout the film (due to the plot revolving around time travel), Bullock and Reeves were only on set together for two weeks during filming. The same year, Bullock appeared in Infamous, playing author Harper Lee. Bullock also starred in Premonition with Julian McMahon, which was released in March 2007. 2009 proved to be especially good for Bullock, giving the actress two record highs in her career, as earlier in the year she released The Proposal, with co-star Ryan Reynolds, a huge hit that took in more than $314 million at the box office worldwide, making it her most successful picture to date.

In November 2009, Bullock starred in The Blind Side, which opened at #2 behind New Moon with $34.2 million, making it her highest opening weekend ever. The Blind Side is unique in that it had a 17.6% increase at the box office its second weekend, and it took the top spot of the box office in its third weekend. The movie cost $29 million to make according to the Box Office Mojo. It has grossed over $250 million to date, making it her domestic highest grossing film and the first movie in history to pass the $200 million mark with only one top-billed female star. She won the award for Best Actress at the Golden Globes, Academy Awards, and the Screen Actors Guild Award for her performance in The Blind Side. Bullock had initially turned down the role three times due to a discomfort with portraying a devout Christian. Winning the "Oscar" also gave her another unique distinction — since she won two "Razzies" the day before, for her performance in All About Steve, she is the only performer ever to have been named both "Best" and "Worst" for the same year. Sandra was asked to return her 2009 "Worst Actress of the Year" Razzie award; however, this wasn't because of a change of heart for Bullock's performance but because Bullock personally accepted her Razzie and accidentally took the original one-of-a-kind prototype Razzie, as opposed to the cheap trinket normally handed out to celebrities.

Recognition

.]]

As of 2009, Bullock's films have grossed over $3.1 billion worldwide. According to The Numbers, her total domestic gross stands at $1.7 billion, placing her among the Top 100 Stars at the Box Office.

Critics, while praising her screen persona, have been less receptive to her films. As of the 2009 release of The Proposal, Mark Kermode said she's made only three "good" films in her career—Speed, While You Were Sleeping, and Crash, and says "she's funny, she's gorgeous, it's impossible not to love her and yet she makes rotten film after rotten film after rotten film." As of December 2009, Bullock has appeared on three Entertainment Weekly covers. She was selected by People Magazine as its "Woman of the Year" for 2010. She was ranked #12 on People's Most Beautiful 2011 list.

Entrepreneurship

Bullock runs her own production company, Fortis Films. Bullock was an executive producer of The George Lopez Show, which garnered a lucrative syndication deal that banked her some $10 million (co-produced with Robert Borden). Bullock tried to produce a film based on F.X. Toole's short story, Million-Dollar Baby, but could not interest the studios in a female boxing drama. The story was eventually adapted and directed by Clint Eastwood as the Oscar-winning film, Million Dollar Baby (2004). Bullock's production company, Fortis Films, also produced All About Steve, which was released in September 2009. Her father, John Bullock, is the company's CEO, and her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, is the former president.

Since November 2006, Bullock founded a popular Austin, Texas, restaurant, Bess Bistro. She later opened another business across the street in a building she extensively renovated downtown called Walton's Fancy and Staple a bakery, upscale restaurant and floral shop that also offers services such as event planning.

Personal life

Relationships and children

Bullock was once engaged to actor Tate Donovan, whom she met while filming Love Potion No. 9; their relationship lasted four years. She previously dated football player Troy Aikman, Austin musician Bob Schneider (for two years), and actors Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Gosling.

Bullock married motorcycle builder and Monster Garage host Jesse James on July 16, 2005. They first met when Bullock arranged for her ten-year-old godson to meet James as a Christmas present.

In November 2009, Bullock and James entered into a custody battle with James' second ex-wife, former pornographic actress Janine Lindemulder, with whom James had a child. Bullock and James subsequently won full legal custody of James' five-year-old daughter.

accepting her Razzie for "Worst Actress" for All About Steve]] In March 2010, a scandal arose when several women claimed to have had affairs with James during his marriage to Bullock. Bullock cancelled European promotional appearances for The Blind Side citing "unforeseen personal reasons". On March 18, 2010, James responded to the rumors of infidelity by issuing a public apology to Bullock. He stated, "The vast majority of the allegations reported are untrue and unfounded" and "Beyond that, I will not dignify these private matters with any further public comment." James declared that "There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me", and asked that his wife and children one day "find it in their hearts to forgive me" for their current "pain and embarrassment". However on April 28, 2010, it was reported that Bullock had filed for divorce on April 23 in Austin. Their divorce was finalized on June 28, 2010, with "conflict of personalities" cited as the reason.

Bullock announced on April 28, 2010, that she had proceeded with plans to adopt a baby boy born in January 2010 in New Orleans. Bullock and James had begun an initial adoption process four years earlier. The child began living with them in January 2010, but they chose to keep the news private until after the Oscars in March 2010. However, given the couple's separation and then divorce, Bullock continued the adoption of the baby, named Louis Bardo Bullock, as a single parent.

On April 18, 2008, while Bullock was in Massachusetts shooting the film The Proposal, she and her then-husband were in an SUV that was hit head-on (driver's side offset) at moderate speed by a drunken driver. Vehicle damage was not major and there were no injuries.

Legal matters

In October 2004, Bullock won a multimillion-dollar judgment against Benny Daneshjou, the builder of her Lake Austin, Texas home; the jury ruled the house was uninhabitable. It has since been torn down and rebuilt.

Stalking

On April 22, 2007, Marcia Diana Valentine was found lying outside James and Bullock's Southern California home in Orange County. When James confronted the woman, she ran to her 2004 silver Mercedes, got behind the wheel, and tried to run over James. The woman is said to be an obsessed fan of Sandra Bullock. The woman was charged with one felony count each of aggravated assault and stalking, while Bullock obtained a restraining order to bar Valentine from "contacting or coming near her home, family or work for three years." Valentine pleaded not guilty to charges of aggravated assault and stalking. Valentine was subsequently convicted of stalking and was sentenced to three years of probation.

Charity work

Bullock has been a public supporter of the American Red Cross, having donated $1 million to the organization at least four times. Her first public donation of that amount was to the Red Cross's Liberty Disaster Relief Fund. Four years later, she sent money in response to the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunamis. In 2010, she donated $1 million to relief efforts in Haiti following the Haiti earthquake, and again donated the same amount following the 2011 Japan Earthquake.

Along with other stars, Bullock did a PSA urging people to sign a petition for clean-up efforts of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Filmography

{| class="wikitable sortable" |+ Feature films |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1987 | Hangmen | Lisa Edwards | |- | 1989 | Religion, Inc. (aka "A Fool and His Money") | Debby | |- | 1989 | Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman | Kate Mason | |- | 1989 | Who Shot Patakango? | Devlin Moran | |- | 1989 | | Stacy | |- | 1990 | Lucky/Chances | Maria Santangelo | |- | 1992 | Who Do I Gotta Kill? (aka "Me and the Mob") | Lori | |- | 1992 | When the Party's Over | Amanda | |- | 1992 | Love Potion No. 9 | Diane Farrow | |- | 1993 | | Diane Shaver | |- | 1993 | | Linda Lue Linden | |- | 1993 | Demolition Man | Lt. Lenina Huxley | Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress |- | 1993 | Fire on the Amazon | Alyssa Rothman | |- | 1993 | Wrestling Ernest Hemingway | Elaine | |- | 1994 | Speed | Annie Porter | Saturn Award for Best ActressMTV Movie Award for Best Female PerformanceMTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Duo (with Keanu Reeves) MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Keanu Reeves) |- | 1995 | While You Were Sleeping | Lucy Moderatz | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Most Desirable Female |- | 1995 | | Angela Bennett/Ruth Marx | |- | 1996 | Two If by Sea | Roz | |- | 1996 | | Ellen Roark | Blockbuster Entertainment Awards for Favorite Actress Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance |- | 1996 | In Love and War | Agnes Von Kurowsky | |- | 1997 | | Annie Porter | Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst ActressNominated—Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Jason Patric) |- | 1997 | Making Sandwiches | Melba Club | Debut—Sundance Film Festival; also writer, director, and producer |- | 1998 | Hope Floats | Roberta "Birdee" Pruitt | |- | 1998 | Practical Magic | Sally Owens |Co - Producer |- | 1998 | (animated film) | Miriam | (Voice) |- | 1999 | Forces of Nature | Sarah Lewis | |- | 2000 | Gun Shy | Judy Tipp | |- | 2000 | 28 Days | Gwen Cummings | |- | 2000 | Miss Congeniality | Gracie Hart/Gracie Lou Freebush | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Also Producer |- | 2002 | Murder by Numbers | Cassie Mayweather/Jessica Marie Hudson | |- | 2002 | Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood | Siddalee Walker | |- | 2002 | Two Weeks Notice | Lucy Kelson | |- | 2004 | Crash | Jean Cabot | Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Gotham Awards for Best Ensemble |- | 2005 | Loverboy | Mrs. Harker | |- | 2005 | | Gracie Hart |Producer |- | 2006 | | Kate Forster | Teen Choice Award for Best Liplock (with Keanu Reeves) |- | 2006 | Infamous | Nelle Harper Lee | |- | 2007 | Premonition | Linda Hanson | |- | 2009 | | Margaret Tate | Teen Choice Award for Best Dance (with Betty White)Teen Choice Award for Best Romantic Comedy ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or ComedyNominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Chemistry (with Ryan Reynolds) Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Summer: Movie Star—FemaleNominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Liplock (with Ryan Reynolds) Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Ryan Reynolds) Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance Nominated—People's Choice Award for Favorite On Screen Team (with Ryan Reynolds) Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Producer |- | 2009 | All About Steve | Mary Horowitz | Razzie Award for Worst ActressRazzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Bradley Cooper) Producer |- | 2009 | | Leigh Anne Tuohy | Academy Award for Best Actress Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (tied with Meryl Streep) Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Teen Choice Award for Best Actress Drama MTV Generation Award Nominated—Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Denver Film Critics Award for Best Actress Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best ActressNominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance Nominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Films Critics Association for Best Actress |- | 2011 | Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close | | Post-production |- | 2012 | Gravity | | Filming |- |}

References

External links

Sandra Bullock at Yahoo! Movies

Sandra Bullock: 2010's Triumphs – slideshow by Life magazine

Category:1964 births Category:Living people Category:20th-century actors Category:21st-century actors Category:Actors from Virginia Category:American film actors Category:American film producers Category:American people of German descent Category:American philanthropists Category:American television actors Category:American television producers Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:East Carolina University alumni Category:Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre alumni Category:Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:People from Arlington County, Virginia Category:People from Austin, Texas Category:People from Fürth Category:Waldorf school alumni

Alt	Head and shoulders shot of a smiling Berry facing the camera.
Caption	Berry in February 2007
Birth date	August 14, 1966
Birth place	Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Birth name	Maria Halle Berry
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1989–present
Spouse
Partner	Gabriel Aubry (2005–10)Olivier Martinez (2010–present)
Children	Nahla Ariela Aubry

Halle Berry (; born August 14, 1966) is an American actress, a former fashion model, and beauty queen. Berry received an Emmy, Golden Globe, SAG, and an NAACP Image Award for Introducing Dorothy Dandridge She has been involved in the production side of several of the films in which she performed.

Before becoming an actress, Berry entered several beauty contests, finishing as the 1st runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant (1986), and coming in 6th place in the Miss World Pageant in 1986. Berry's parents selected her middle name from Halle's Department Store, which was then a local landmark in her birthplace of Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother, Judith Ann (née Hawkins), who is Caucasian, was a psychiatric nurse. Her father, Jerome Jesse Berry, was an African American hospital attendant in the same psychiatric ward where her mother worked; he later became a bus driver. Berry's maternal grandmother, Nellie Dicken, was born in Sawley, Derbyshire, England, while her maternal grandfather, Earl Ellsworth Hawkins, was born in Ohio. Berry's parents divorced when she was four years old; she and her older sister Heidi were raised exclusively by her mother. noting in 1992, "I haven't heard from him since [he left]. Maybe he's not alive." She was the 1986 Miss USA first runner-up to Christy Fichtner of Texas. In the Miss USA 1986 pageant interview competition, she said she hoped to become an entertainer or to have something to do with the media. Her interview was awarded the highest score by the judges. She was the first African-American Miss World entrant in 1986, where she finished sixth and Trinidad and Tobago's Giselle Laronde was crowned Miss World.

Acting career

1989–2002

In the late 1980s, Berry went to Illinois to pursue a modeling career as well as acting. One of her first acting projects was a television series for local cable by Gordon Lake Productions called Chicago Force. In 1989, Berry landed the role of Emily Franklin in the short-lived ABC television series Living Dolls (a spin-off of Who's the Boss?), during the taping of which she lapsed into a coma and was diagnosed with diabetes. She went on to have a recurring role on the long-running primetime serial Knots Landing. In 1992, Berry was cast as the love interest in the video for R. Kelly's seminal single, "Honey Love".

New York 2006]] Her breakthrough feature film role was in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever, in which she played a drug addict named Vivian.

Playing a former drug addict struggling to regain custody of her son in Losing Isaiah (1995), Berry tackled a more serious role, starring opposite Jessica Lange. She portrayed Sandra Beecher in Race the Sun (1996), which was based on a true story, and co-starred alongside Kurt Russell in Executive Decision. Beginning in 1996, she was a Revlon spokeswoman for seven years and renewed her contract in 2004.

In 1997, Halle starred alongside Natalie Deselle Reid in the comedy film, B*A*P*S. Although panned by critics, it showed Halle's acting versatility.In 1998, Berry received praise for her role in Bulworth as an intelligent woman raised by activists who gives a politician (Warren Beatty) a new lease on life. The same year, she played the singer Zola Taylor, one of the three wives of pop singer Frankie Lymon, in the biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love. In the 1999 HBO biopic Introducing Dorothy Dandridge, she portrayed the first black woman to be nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award.

Berry portrayed the mutant superhero Storm in the film adaptation of the comic book series X-Men (2000) and its sequels, X2: X-Men United (2003) and (2006). In 2001, Berry appeared in the film Swordfish, which featured her first nude scene. At first, she refused to be filmed topless in a sunbathing scene, but she changed her mind when Warner Brothers raised her fee substantially. The brief flash of her breasts added $500,000 to her fee. Berry considered these stories to be rumors and was quick to deny them.

In 2001, Berry appeared as Leticia Musgrove, the wife of an executed murderer, in the film Monster's Ball. Her performance was awarded the National Board of Review and the Screen Actors Guild best-actress prizes; in an interesting coincidence she became the first African-American to win the Academy Award for Best Actress (earlier in her career she portrayed Dorothy Dandridge, the first African-American to be nominated for Best Actress). The NAACP issued the statement: "Congratulations to Halle Berry and Denzel Washington for giving us hope and making us proud. If this is a sign that Hollywood is finally ready to give opportunity and judge performance based on skill and not on skin color then it is a good thing." Her role also generated controversy. Berry's graphic nude love scene with a racist character played by co-star Billy Bob Thornton was the subject of much media chatter and discussion among African-Americans. Many in the African-American community were critical of Berry for taking the part. Her win at the Academy Awards led to two famous "Oscar moments." In accepting her award, she gave an acceptance speech honoring previous black actresses who had never had the opportunity. She said, "This moment is so much bigger than me. This is for every nameless, faceless woman of colour who now has a chance tonight because this door has been opened." One year later, as she presented the Best Actor award, winner Adrien Brody ran on stage and, instead of giving her the standard peck on the cheek, planted a long kiss on Berry.

2002 – present

As Bond girl Giacinta 'Jinx' Johnson in the 2002 blockbuster Die Another Day, Berry recreated a scene from Dr. No, emerging from the surf to be greeted by James Bond as Ursula Andress had 40 years earlier. Lindy Hemming, costume designer on "Die Another Day", had insisted that Berry wear a bikini and knife as an homage. Berry has said of the scene: "It's splashy", "exciting", "sexy", "provocative" and "it will keep me still out there after winning an Oscar." According to a ITV news poll, Jinx was voted the fourth toughest girl on screen of all time. Berry was hurt during filming when debris from a smoke grenade flew into her eye. It was removed in a 30-minute operation.

After Berry won the Academy Award, rewrites were commissioned to give her more screentime for X2.

In November 2003, she starred in the psychological thriller Gothika opposite Robert Downey Jr., during which she broke her arm in a scene with Downey, who twisted her arm too hard. Production was halted for eight weeks. It was a moderate hit at the United States box office, taking in $60 million; it earned another $80 million abroad. In 2004, Berry was voted fourth of Empire magazine's 100 sexiest film stars of all time poll.

Berry received $12.5 million for the title role in the film Catwoman, a $100 million movie; it grossed $17 million on its first weekend. She was awarded a "worst actress" Razzie award in 2005 for this role. She appeared at the ceremony to accept the award in person (making her the third person, and second actor, to ever do so) with a sense of humor, considering it an experience of the "rock bottom" in order to be "at the top". Holding the Academy Award in one hand and the Razzie in the other she said, "I never in my life thought that I would be here, winning a Razzie. It's not like I ever aspired to be here, but thank you. When I was a kid, my mother told me that if you could not be a good loser, then there's no way you could be a good winner."

Berry next appeared in the Oprah Winfrey-produced ABC TV movie Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005), an adaptation of Zora Neale Hurston's novel, in which Berry portrayed Janie Crawford, a free-spirited woman whose unconventional sexual mores upset her 1920s contemporaries in a small community. She was nominated for an Emmy for this TV film. Meanwhile, she voiced the character of Cappy, one of the many mechanical beings in the animated feature Robots (2005).

]] In 2006, Berry, Pierce Brosnan, Cindy Crawford, Jane Seymour, Dick Van Dyke, Tea Leoni, and Daryl Hannah successfully fought the Cabrillo Port Liquefied Natural Gas facility that was proposed off the coast of Malibu. Berry said, "I care about the air we breathe, I care about the marine life and the ecosystem of the ocean." In May 2007, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed the facility. Hasty Pudding Theatricals gave her its 2006 Woman of The Year award.

Berry is involved in production of films and television. She served as executive producer on Introducing Dorothy Dandridge in 1999, and Lackawanna Blues in 2005. Berry both produced and starred in the thriller Perfect Stranger with Bruce Willis and in Things We Lost in the Fire with Benicio del Toro. Berry then starred in the film Frankie and Alice, in which she plays Frankie Murdoch, a young multiracial American women with dissociative identity disorder struggling against her alter personality to retain her true self. She was awarded the African-American Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress and also was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama.

Berry is one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood, earning $10 million per film.

Berry has served for many years as the face of Revlon cosmetics and also as the face of Versace. The Coty Inc. fragrance company signed Berry to market her debut fragrance in March 2008. Berry was delighted, saying that she had created her own fragrances at home by mixing scents. in San Diego, CA]]

Personal life

Family and relationships

, 27 February 2011]] Berry has been married twice. Her first marriage was to former baseball player David Justice, shortly after midnight on January 1, 1993. The couple separated in 1996 and their divorce was finalized in 1997. Berry has stated publicly that she was so depressed after her breakup with Justice that she considered taking her own life, but she could not bear the thought of her mother finding her body.

Berry married Eric Benét in early 2001 on a beach in Santa Barbara. Berry credited Benét with support after she was involved in a February 2000 traffic collision, in which she left the scene of the accident. Some in the media complained that her misdemeanor hit and run charge was preferential treatment; she had also been the driver in an alleged hit and run incident three years earlier in which no charges were filed. The incident became fodder for comedians. Berry pled no contest, did community service, paid a fine and was placed on three years' probation. A civil lawsuit was settled out of court.

The couple separated in 2003. While married to Benét, Berry adopted his daughter, India. Benét – who admitted to being unfaithful to Berry – married Prince's ex-wife, Manuela Testolini, on 31 July 2011.

In November 2005, Berry began dating French-Canadian supermodel Gabriel Aubry, nine years her junior. The couple met at a Versace photoshoot. After six months with Aubry, she stated in an interview, "I'm really happy in my personal life, which is a novelty to me. You know, I'm not the girl that has the best relationships."

At one point, Berry had indicated that she planned to adopt children, After initially denying rumors, she confirmed in September 2007 that she was three months pregnant. Berry gave birth to a girl named Nahla Ariela Aubry on March 16, 2008, at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Nahla means "honeybee" in Arabic; Ariela is Hebrew for "lion for God". Berry hired security guards after receiving racist threats to her unborn baby from a stalker, who said her child will be "cut into hundreds of pieces".

At one time, Berry indicated that she did not intend to marry again, insisting the couple's life was already complete without the need for a marriage. She stated that she hoped to have a second child right away. Aubry told In Touch magazine, "I'd like Nahla to have a sibling in 2009."

On April 30, 2010, it was reported that Berry and Aubry had separated. Several days later, Berry's representative confirmed the relationship had ended, saying, "They have been split for some time, but remain friends and committed parents to their daughter." They worked out a financial and 50/50 custody deal with a family lawyer, but TMZ reported that it was not final. Aubry filed documents with the Los Angeles Superior Court on December 30, 2010, asking the court to formally recognize his paternity and grant a court order giving him and Berry joint legal and physical custody over their daughter. On January 31, 2011, Berry's representative told People that Berry had pulled out of the film New Year's Eve to make time for custody litigation because the actress "has serious concerns for her daughter's well-being while in the care of her father for any extended period of time and is prepared to take all necessary steps to protect her". The publicist claimed that Berry "has attempted to resolve these custody issues amicably with her daughter's father...directly, but given his lack of cooperation, Halle has no choice but to seek swift judicial intervention." The following day, Aubry responded by saying through his representative that he was "disappointed in Halle's decision to falsely malign him publicly and for her own purposes", calling himself "a caring father who shares custody of Nahla". Aubry further stated that "he refuses to be pulled into her dispute over a canceled film production" and "also refuses to air their issues in the press as he believes this may ultimately harm their daughter". Parade, Cambridge, MA in February 2006]]

In the media

Berry has stated that the manner in which people have reacted to her because of her racial background is often the result of ignorance. Her own self-identification has been influenced by her mother. She is quoted as saying:

After having many talks with my mother about the issue, she reinforced what she had always taught me. She said that even though you are half black and half white, you will be discriminated against in this country as a black person. People will not know when they see you that you have a white mother unless you wear a sign on your forehead. And, even if they did, so many people believe that if you have an ounce of black blood in you then you are black. So, therefore, I decided to let folks categorize me however they needed to.

While taping the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on October 19, 2007, Berry displayed a distorted image of her face, remarking: "Here's where I look like my Jewish cousin!" During the editing of the program, the comment was obscured by a laugh track. Berry later stated "What happened was I was backstage before the show and I have three girls who are Jewish who work for me. We were going through pictures to see which ones looked silly, and one of my Jewish friends said [of the big-nose picture], 'That could be your Jewish cousin!' And I guess it was fresh in my mind, and it just came out of my mouth. But I didn't mean to offend anybody. I didn't. I didn't mean any harm. – and after the show I realized it could be seen as offensive, so I asked Jay to take it out, and he did.'"

Berry took part in a nearly 2000-house party cell-phone bank campaign for Barack Obama in February 2008, and said that she will "collect paper cups off the ground to make his pathway clear."

In October 2008, Berry was named Esquire Magazine's "Sexiest Woman Alive", about which she stated "I don't know exactly what it means, but being 42 and having just had a baby, I think I'll take it."

Filmography

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" |- ! scope="col" | Title ! scope="col" | Year ! scope="col" | Role ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | Notes |- ! scope="row" | Living Dolls | 1989 | Emily Franklin | TV (canceled after 13 episodes) |- ! scope="row" | Amen | 1991 | Claire | TV series, episode: "Unforgettable" |- ! scope="row" | | 1991 | Jaclyn | TV series, episode: "Love, Hillman-Style" |- ! scope="row" | They Came from Outer Space | 1991 | Rene | TV series, episode: "Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow" |- ! scope="row" | Knots Landing | 1991 | Debbie Porter | TV (cast member in 1991) |- ! scope="row" | Jungle Fever | 1991 | Vivian | Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting ActressNominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Most Promising Actress |- ! scope="row" | Strictly Business | 1991 | Natalie | |- ! scope="row" | | 1991 | Cory | |- ! scope="row" | Boomerang | 1992 | Angela Lewis | |- ! scope="row" | Alex Haley's Queen | 1993 | Queen | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special |- ! scope="row" | CB4 | 1993 | Herself | Cameo |- ! scope="row" | Father Hood | 1993 | Kathleen Mercer | |- ! scope="row" | | 1993 | Autumn Haley | |- ! scope="row" | | 1994 | Sharon Stone |- ! scope="row" | Their Eyes Were Watching God | 2005 | Janie Starks | Nominated—Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Miniseries or Television FilmNominated—NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic SpecialNominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie |- ! scope="row" | Robots | 2005 | Cappy | (Voice) |- ! scope="row" | | 2006 | Ororo Munroe/Storm | |- ! scope="row" | Perfect Stranger | 2007 | Rowena Price | |- ! scope="row" | Things We Lost in the Fire | 2007 | Audrey Burke | |- ! scope="row" | Frankie and Alice | 2010 | Frankie/Alice | African-American Film Critics Association for Best ActressNAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion PicturePRISM Award for Best Performance in a Feature FilmNominated—BET Award for Best ActressNominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama |- ! scope="row" | Dark Tide | 2011 | Kate Mathieson | |- ! scope="row" | New Year's Eve | 2011 | | filming |- ! scope="row" | Movie 43 | 2012 | | filming |}

Awards

{| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Award ! Category ! Film ! Result |- | 1995 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Alex Haley's Queen | |- | 2000 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or Movie | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | |- | 2000 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Miniseries or TV Movie | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | |- | 2000 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or TV Movie | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | |- | 2000 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actress in a TV Movie/Mini-Series | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | |- | 2000 | NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Introducing Dorothy Dandridge | |- | 2001 | Academy Award | Best Actress | Monster's Ball | |- | 2001 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Best Actress – Motion Picture | Monster's Ball | |- | 2001 | British Academy of Film and Television Arts | Best Lead Actress | Monster's Ball | |- | 2001 | Golden Globe Award | Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama | Monster's Ball | |- | 2001 | NBR | Best Actress | Monster's Ball | |- | 2002 | Black Reel Awards | Best Actress | Monster's Ball | |- | 2002 | NAACP Image Award | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Swordfish | |- | 2002 | BET Awards | Best Actress | | |- | 2002 | Women in Film Crystal + Lucy Awards | Crystal Award for Outstanding Woman who have helped expand the role of women in Entertainment | | Recipient |- | 2003 | BET Awards | Best Actress | | |- | 2003 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress | Die Another Day | |- | 2004 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Actress | Gothika | |- | 2004 | BET Awards | Best Actress | | |- | 2004 | Golden Raspberry Awards | Worst Actress | Catwoman | |- | 2005 | BET Awards | Best Actress | | |- | 2005 | Primetime Emmy Award | Outstanding Lead Actress – Miniseries or a Movie | Their Eyes Were Watching God | |- | 2006 | NAACP Image Award | Outstanding Supporting Actress – TV series | Their Eyes Were Watching God | |- | 2006 | Golden Globe Awards | Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Mini-series or Motion Picture Made for Television|Best Actress – Miniseries or TV Movie | Their Eyes Were Watching God | |- | 2007 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite Female Action Hero | | |- | 2008 | BET Awards | Best Actress | | |- | 2009 | Spike Guys' Choice Awards | Decade of Hotness Award | | |- | 2011 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama | Frankie and Alice | |- | 2011 | NAACP Image Awards | NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture | Frankie and Alice | |}

References

Further reading

Banting, Erinn. Halle Berry, Weigl Publishers, 2005 – ISBN 1-59036-333-7

Gogerly, Liz. Halle Berry, Raintree, 2005 – ISBN 1-4109-1085-7

Naden, Corinne J. Halle Berry, Sagebrush Education Resources, 2001 – ISBN 0-613-86157-4

O'Brien, Daniel. Halle Berry, Reynolds & Hearn, 2003 – ISBN 1-903111-38-2

Sanello, Frank. Halle Berry: A Stormy Life, Virgin Books, 2003 – ISBN 1-85227-092-6

Schuman, Michael A. Halle Berry: Beauty Is Not Just Physical, Enslow, 2006 – ISBN 0-7660-2467-9

External links

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:People from Cleveland, Ohio Category:Actors from Ohio Category:African American film actors Category:African American television actors Category:American female models Category:American film actors Category:American people of English descent Category:American television actors Category:Best Actress Academy Award winners Category:Best Miniseries or Television Movie Actress Golden Globe winners Category:Emmy Award winners Category:Miss USA 1986 delegates Category:Miss World 1986 delegates Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners