Why is Halle Berry Complaining Again? She’s got it better than every other actress of colour in Hollywood?

I read an interview on Reuters website yesterday with Halle Berry. Once again, Berry is complaining about the struggles she still has with finding quality work. I was stunned and shocked. Berry has an Oscar, SAG awards, a Golden Globe, a Silver Bear, and an Emmy. She is also the “only” “black” female celebrity other than Beyonce that is always profiled in the mainstream media. If you need a translation let me be blunt. Berry and Beyonce right now are the only light skinned black women that have white features that are celebrated by white Hollywood. Berry and Beyonce’s success has as much to do with their talent but also with their Eurocentric appearances. If Berry was extremely dark, and didn’t have white features she simply wouldn’t be getting the film roles she gets right now.

Berry’s life is constantly in the news in the mainstream media and the black media. Halle Berry is a crossover actress. What about darker skinned black women? You know black women that actually look black? Where are they? Where are Angela Bassett’s leading lady roles? Where are Whoopi Goldberg’s leading lady roles?

Angela Bassett and Whoopi Goldberg in my mind are superior actresses to Halle Berry. Please go see “What’s Love Got To Do with It” or “The Color Purple” as proof. Where are Angela and Whoopi’s best actress Oscars? Whoopi managed to win an Oscar to her credit but Angela Bassett has not. And the question is why? Angela Bassett is beautiful and very talented but she doesn’t have the white features or light skin that mainstream North America and Hollywood favors. Halle Berry has the “right look” she’s making serious cash, she also is the “only” “black” actress that Hollywood considers bankable.

Now some people may think talking about pop culture isn’t important but I believe it is. Popular culture shapes, transmits, forms, and creates, messages through images. Movies aren’t just entertainment they are dialogues between the society and the viewing audience. What are the messages the movies really sending to the African Diaspora? What does it mean in the year 2007 that there is only “one” leading black actress in Hollywood and she’s over the age of 40? What does this say to younger black men and women that are actors or want to become actors?

Let me provide an example, lets say someone wanted to make a serious dramatic film about a famous black woman in history. The first person the studio executives would call is Halle Berry. It doesn’t matter that Berry does not look similar or have the range necessary for the role. In Hollywood Halle Berry would be “first choice” because they consider her the only true A list black actress. Now if Berry doesn’t want a role then the studios pass it over to Queen Latifah and if she doesn’t want it well it the role is up for grabs for all the other black women in Hollywood.

I am sure Halle Berry fans will rake me over the coals for saying this but why isn’t Berry more grateful? Why does she always utilize the same sales tactic to garner media attention for her films? Every time Halle Berry has to promote a movie Halle always plays the victim.Halle is at the top along with Denzel Washington and Will Smith lets call these three the trinity they are the top three black actors in Hollywood. I don’t hear Washington or Smith complain about how hard they got it every single time they are promoting a movie. Is there racism in Hollywood? Of course there is. Is it harder for Berry because she’s a black woman? Of course it is. I just find it derivative that she doesn’t even seem to realize how many opportunities she has compared to every single other actress of colour in Hollywood.

Does anyone care about Parminder Nagra? I do. I think Parminder Nagra is a talented young British actress. Parimnder was the star of “Bend It Like Beckham” yet the white British actress Keira Knightley her co star in the movie is now a major star. I am not going to knock Keira Knightley I mean its not her fault that Hollywood recognized her for her performance in “Bend It Like Beckham”. Keira Knightley has been in the Pirates of the Caribbean series, Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, she is a rising star.

Where is Parminder? Oops I forgot? Parminder is on ER on NBC. Yes the star of “Bend It Like Beckham” you see on Prime Time television. Parminder is not white or light skinned so she isn’t going to be offered any big movie roles. You would of thought that Parminder proved she had an audience with her international hit movie. The attitude of Hollywood remains the same they favored Keira her costar over the real star of “Bend It Like Beckham”.

I am sure Pariminder is pleased she has a steady pay cheque working on a major American TV network. However, I think ER is limiting to Parminder’s talent and that’s just my personal opinion. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see Parminder sink her teeth into a dramatic movie role?

Did you know Halle Berry’s next movie “Tulia” is about an Indian American woman Vanita Gupta! Last time I checked Halle Berry is not Indian American. Parminder isn’t Indian American either she’s a British South Asian woman. However, Parminder would make perfect sense for this role. Now why did the studios ignore Parminder for this role and pick Halle Berry? Parminder would of been perfect for the part!

Aishwariya Rai and Shilpa Shetty are attractive but I am not sure they are as talented as Parminder Nagra? Halle Berry does not have Indian heritage and its insulting that she’s taking this role. Yes Hollywood is about box office but what about having some cultural and racial sensitivity? Berry’s being hypocritical here she’s complaining about how bad she’s got it but she doesn’t have a problem taking a role meant for an South Asian or Indian American actress.

Here you have Halle Berry saying she has it so rough yet she doesn’t mind taking a role that was meant for another actress of colour. I don’t understand Halle Berry? I find Berry to be so pretentious. I am cognizant of the fact that the film industry is about making money and is profit driven.

I wonder what the other black women in Hollywood are thinking when they hear Halle Berry using this same pattern over and over again about how hard she’s got it? Halle Berry has so many fans especially in the black community a lot of black movie fans would become outraged if another famous black actress dared to speak out against her. However, I bet the other black women in Hollywood are even more frustrated then Halle Berry. Where is Angela Bassett these days? I believe Bassett is a superior actress to Halle Berry. When was the last time you saw Angela in a quality film that was a major success? When was the last time Angela Bassett had a leading lady role? Whoopi Goldberg is on television right now because the film roles simply aren’t there for her. I admire and respect both Whoopi and Angela because I believe they were the ones that really broke down the colour barrier in Hollywood in terms of making quality films.

In Halle Berry’s last film “Perfect Stranger” she had to once again exploit her sexuality to garner media attention. “Perfect Stranger” of course bombed at the North American box office grossing only $23 million dollars. I think Halle Berry should be counting her blessings that at least she has options and choices. At least Halle has a choice. Gabrielle Union and Sanaa Lathan I believe are just as beautiful as Berry but you see Sanaa and Gabrielle don’t have the “white” look. Sorry did I write that? I mean to say Sanaa and Gabrielle don’t have the “right” appearance to appear in major leading lady mainstream roles.

Its tiring and annoying that summer passed and there wasn’t one movie at the multiplex that I wanted to watch. I don’t only watch black movies I like watching good movies. I like character driven movies. However, it would nice not to have to wait until the “end” of the year to finally see some serious dramatic films with black actors.

Berry is promoting her new film “Things We Lost In A Fire” directed by the Danish woman Suzanne Bier. Bier is a well respected director and from what I have read the movie looks like its a comeback role for Berry. I really do hope this movie is a success for her. Berry said she had to “fight” for that role well at least she was “offered” an audition for that role. I doubt Gabrielle Union, Sanaa Lathan, or Kimberly Elise would be considered for that part.

I definitely agree with Halle Berry that an Oscar winning actress that is an A list star, shouldn’t have to “fight” for roles. Halle Berry is paid several million dollars per movie she’s the highest paid actress of colour in Hollywood. Berry is at the very top of the Hollywood ladder then other respected women of colour in entertainment around her age such as Jennifer Lopez, Queen Latifah, and Lucy Liu. What about Asian women or South Asian women or hispanic women in Hollywood? Other women of colour got it much harder then Halle Berry. Yet I don’t hear Jennifer Lopez, or Lucy Liu, or Queen Latifah complain about how hard they got it? And I think other black, South Asian, hispanic, and East Asian actresses would have more valid arguments about the entrenched racism and sexism they encounter. Where is Parminder Nagra’s big movie role?

Where is Sandra Oh’s Oscar? Sandra Oh is on Grey’s Anatomy and that is a big deal. Grey’s Anatomy is one the top shows on television and Sandra has won a Golden Globe award and a SAG award. Sandra has been recognized by Hollywood for all her hard work. However, when was the last time you saw an Asian Canadian or Asian American woman the main star of a studio film? Where are Sandra’s leading lady roles? Sandra has often been in “secondary” roles in motion pictures such as the film “Sideways” or she’s either the white girl’s best friend or somebody’s “friend” but never the main star. At least Halle Berry gets to be the “star” of her movies.

Has anyone ever heard of Rachel Crawford? Rachel Crawford is a very talented black Canadian actress she was in the lesbian film “When Night Is Falling” twelve years ago in 1995. Rachel is a solid actress she’s has had work on Canadian and American television. Where is Rachel’s Emmy?

Now Berry, Latifiah, Lopez, and Liu are the top four women of colour working in Hollywood today. If Halle Berry has it so bad what about people like Parminder Nagra, Sandra Oh, Sanaa Lathan, Gabrielle Union, Kimberly Elise, Kerry Washington, and even the women of colour below them? How must they feel when they read Halle Berry complaining about how hard she’s got it?

Berry not only gets top salary, endorsements, international fame, leading lady roles, magazine covers, TV show interviews, always a guest on Oprah. Wow how hard does Halle Berry got it? It must be so hard cashing multi millon dollar cheques and being the “only” leading black lady in Hollywood.

Last time I checked Queen Latifah is stuck in mammy roles such as “Hairspray” as Motormouth Mable due to her size. Latifah only had one serious dramatic role this year Life Support but it was a TV film on HBO. Union can’t seem to get anything outside of the black romantic comedy genre, Washington is still in secondary roles in films such as “The Fantastic Four” or smaller films such as “The Dead Girl” and Liu is on TV. I am not trying to downplay the frustration Halle Berry has when she says she has to “fight” for movie roles because I am sure she does. I am a bit cynical and a bit irritated whenever she has a movie to promote she complains about how hard she’s got it. Halle has endorsements with Versace, Revlon, and numerous other companies she’s an international superstar. Meanwhile, Kimberly Elise was fired from the CBS show “Close to Home” last season she no longer will the the white girl’s “best friend” this season. I think Elise is a better actress then Berry but Elise doesn’t have “the look.” Elise has even said this in media reports in interviews with Ebony magazine and NPR and other outlets.

Another thing I have noticed is how racially segregated the movies still are. Why is it a black actor has to be in a film with a white actor in order for the film to have critical acclaim? Has anyone else noticed this disturbing pattern? Tyler Perry has a movie out this weekend “Why Did I Get Married?” Perry’s film was not screened for critics because he did not like how the critics bashed his first film “Diary of a mad black woman.” “Why Did I Get Married?” is also the only movie out this weekend with an all black cast but its considered a “romantic comedy.” Is Tyler Perry all we got?

Now Tyler Perry has a right to make the films he wants to make because he is his own artist. Every single artist has a right to his or her’s own artistic vision. I just find Perry’s movies didactic, boring, and not stimulating. Now this is my personal opinion. Also, the black community is not a monolithic group. Just because I don’t find Perry’s movies interesting doesn’t mean other black people agree with me. There should be a place for Tyler Perry’s films we all need to a good laugh at the theatre sometime. My complaint is Tyler Perry at the moment appears to be the “only” black filmmaker at the moment that has clout with the mainstream studios. And I see this as a quandary. I believe there just needs to be more diversity.

In the month of October 2007 only two movies will be theatres that have blacks in leading roles and that’s it. Of course black movie goers can see other films because its our choice. However, why are our choices so limited? I am drawn to black films because I want to see movies about the black experience on the screen. My complaint is the lack of quality choices to choose from.

Link to Berry’s interview about Racism in Hollywood: http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN1027845720071011