Halle Berry

Halle Berry, who was born in Cleveland on Aug. 14, 1966, began her career in beauty pageants, winning the Miss Teen All-American Pageant in 1986. She went on to modeling and then turned to television work in "Living Dolls" and "Knots Landing."

Director Spike Lee cast Berry in her first movie in Jungle Fever (1991) and she's been working steadily ever since, alternating lighthearted fare such as The Flintstones (1994) with serious roles such as a crack-addicted young mother in Losing Isaiah (1995).

The made-for-cable film Introducing Dorothy Dandridge garnered Berry an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe in 1999. One of her greatest triumphs has been her heartbreaking performance in Monster's Ball (2001), which made her the first African-American actress to win a Best Actress Oscar. In 2010, Berry earned a Golden Globe nod as Best Actress for her riveting turn in the psychological thriller Frankie & Alice.

Filmography