From insecure actress to Cannes Film Festival jury member, Halle Berry is the star who stands up for her age and wants to be seen for her commitment.
PHOTO STÉPHANE FEUGÈRE, CHOPARD

NO ONE LIGHTS UP a glittering red carpet event better than Halle Berry. The woman who won already in her teens beauty pageants back home in Ohio has impressed for several decades with its fantastic
acting credits in more than 40 films and television series. Her most notable role was in Monster's Ball, 2001, for which she was awarded the an Oscar for Best Actress. A couple of years ago she made her directorial debut with the Netflix film Bruised. Earlier this year she was one of the influential
members at the Cannes Film Festival.
– It was an honor to be a member of the jury, Halle said at a press conference in Cannes. I learned so much from my colleagues on the jury, not least from the president of the jury, Juliette Binoche, who is an actress I admire very much.

I OFTEN NOTE THAT I AM THE OLDEST IN THE ROOM, BUT I THINK IT IS A NICE FEELING. I NO LONGER HAVE TO FEEL INCONVENIENT OR WORRY THAT I MAY NOT 'BE GOOD'‘

THE DIFFICULT YEARS
When Halle gets praise for her outstanding work as an actor, director and model she gets happy, but she is always careful to comment that she didn't get anything for free. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, was tough and fraught with bullying. When she moved to New York to seek her fortune as an actress, she was so broke that she sometimes lived like a homeless person. Her private life has also taken a beating over the years. Halle has had several difficult relationships and divorces behind her. She has previously said that she doesn't really know how she got through those difficult years. But today, as she approaches 60, she feels that things are finally starting to land.
“Age is a number we are given at birth,” Halle Berry said earlier this year in an interview with Marie Claire. We women are haunted by our age much more than men – that we should do a lot of things that are adapted to how old we are. She also says that she sometimes reflects on the fact that she often hangs out with and works with younger people.
– I often notice that I am the oldest in the room, but I think it is a nice feeling. I no longer have to feel insecure or worry that I may not be 'good enough'. I know that I am good enough, that I am good at what I do. I can be myself, say what I think and be confident in it. I feel a zest for life that has in many ways deepened over the years. I am finally more confident in myself.
But Halle hasn't always been confident. The first time we met was in the mid-90s, in Florida at a big press event for the film The Flint family, where Halle played the seductive Miss Stone. I remember Halle being shy and insecure, and she spoke quietly. She said she felt a bit lost in the Hollywood PR machine. The next time we met was in 2006 when she played Bond girl Jinx opposite Pierce Brosnan in The James Bond movie Die Another Day. Then it was a completely different Halle I met. A confident and nice woman who looked me in the eye and spoke clearly without an ounce of uncertainty in her voice. I remember her telling me that her philosophy of life is to treat others as you would like to be treated and that if you are a good person who cares about others, you will get something good in return.

BEAUTY AND AGE
In interviews, Halle is constantly reminded of her age and that the clock is ticking, as well as that she is aging in appearance. But she chooses not to care.
– You can be beautiful according to what is considered beauty, she said recently in an interview with Vanity Fair, but it has to come from within. You need to feel fresh and it doesn't have to be about youthful beauty. I hope and believe that the standard changes so much that the world appreciates the appearance of women of all ages. We shouldn't have to lift ourselves and have surgical procedures to look good in the eyes of the outside world. I take care of my health, but I can't turn back time. You have to take advantage of what you have and do the best you can today. She continues:
– It can feel nice when others look at you and think you are beautiful, but there is a kind of emptiness in that too because it is only on the surface. Underneath that is 'me', the person who has fought for many years to be listened to, to be taken seriously. I feel that has changed the older I get. I want to be seen because I am a good mother, a good actor and filmmaker, good at spreading important messages through my charity work – all the things I have developed and fought hard to become. I have
created and shaped my career, no one else has done that for me. Now I feel like I have found a good place in life, I understand myself better and am in a good place where I feel safe. Whatever life has in store for me, I feel ready to handle it without worry.

IN THE ROLE AS A JURY MEMBER
Tribute to actor, director and producer Halle Berry, who was awarded an Oscar for her
role in Monster's Ball, was one of the jury members at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Swiss brand Chopard, known for its creativity, cutting-edge technology and the virtuosity of its craftsmen, once again dazzled Cannes with its annual gala evening. An evening that this year took place in a converted airport hangar in Cannes – a fitting place for an evening called Universe. Cannes airport became the starting point for a different evening, this time an immersion into Caroline Scheufele's personal cosmos – a world as multifaceted as the creative force behind both the Maison's 2025 Red Carpet Collection.

HALLE BERRY
Age: 59
Boron Los Angeles
Family Two children from a previous marriage, boyfriend Van Hunt, musician.
Occupation: Actor, director, producer.
Background in brief: Won beauty pageants in the US during her teens. Worked as a model before getting the role opposite Eddie Murphy in Boomerang in 1992. Has played several major and notable roles, in films such as the James Bond film Die Another Day, the X-Men films and John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum.
Her biggest role was in Monster's Ball, which in 2001 earned her an Oscar for Best Actress.
actress. In 2020, she made her directorial debut with the Netflix drama Bruised.
Currently This winter, Halle Berry is in the new film Crime 101. The film is about a polished jewel thief (Chris
Hemsworth) whose heists have baffled the Los Angeles police for years. As he plots his biggest heist, he crosses paths with a disillusioned insurance agent (Halle Berry) who is at a crossroads herself. A stubborn detective (Mark Ruffalo), convinced he has found a pattern, is hot on their heels and the stakes rise. As the heist approaches, the line between hunter and hunted begins to blur, and all three are faced with life-changing choices - and the realization that there is no turning back.
Crime 101 will be released in theaters on February 13, 2026.