What did Halle Berry win an Oscar for? Let’s rewind to 2002

When it comes to the most successful actresses, Halle Berry definitely comes to mind.

Halle, who made her acting debut in 1991, has starred in many popular films such as Gothic, cat womanand the X-Men Series. The mother of two has also racked up a slew of awards for her work.

In 2002 she won her first Oscar, presented to her by Russell Crowe at the 74th Academy Awards. Now, over 20 years later, Halle will take the stage to present this award to this year’s winner during the 95th Annual Academy Awards. What did Halle win an Oscar for in 2002? Let’s take a look back in time.

In 2002, Halle won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in monster ball. She played a waitress who had an affair with her convicted husband’s executioner in the 2001 film.

Also nominated in the category were Nicole Kidman for Moulin RougeJudi Dench for irisSissy Spacek for In the bedroomand Renee Zellweger for The Diary of Bridget Jones.

This was Halle’s first Oscar nomination. This was also the seventh time a black actress has been nominated for this prestigious award. When Halle won, she became the first (and so far only) black actress to ever win an Oscar for Best Actress.

Fast forward to 2023 and Halle still holds that title. It was only eight years later that a black woman (Gabourey Sidibe for Valuable 2010) was even nominated again for best actress.

As Halle told him New York Times Last year, her landmark victory “didn’t open the door” for change. “The fact that there is no one standing next to me is heartbreaking,” she continued.