Halle Berry says she thinks she's 'ugly'

Knight Ridder ^

[Pokey78]

Halle Berry solidified her place as one of the world's sexiest women with her role as Bond girl Jinx in "Die Another Day."

But the Oscar-winning actress (Monster's Ball) says she still doesn't see herself as a beautiful star.

"To be totally honest, most of the time I think I'm ugly," she told the German magazine Journal fur die Frau. "I see myself without makeup every morning and that's why I don't have illusions anymore. I certainly don't feel like a big star."

Berry added that being black still hinders her progress in Hollywood.

"For many film studios and directors skin color remains a problem. They don't believe that the audience will accept a black actor in the main role. These narrow-minded people underestimate the public and prevent advancement in the industry."

Berry's next film will be "X-2," the sequel to "X-Men" slated for a May 2 release.

[FirstTomato]

What Halle said is a very common ploy among beautiful women to get compliments. She says she's ugly, and suddenly she gets lots of attention and adoration, proclaiming her beauty.
I was once a student in a modeling school, not because I was beautiful, but because my father insisted I go, and since he had the money, I was accepted, beautiful or not. I remember the absolutely stunning creatures I met there, who would constantly be fishing for compliments. "Oh dear!" they would exclaim, "how fat I am!" as I strained my eyes to see the non-existant fat. "My nose is too long!" another would pout, as I stared at a nose which was a perfect little inverted arch. "Eek! My legs are soooo fat!" another would exclaim to our walking teacher (yes, you read that right)as I stood dazed by the incongruity of what I heard from her, and what I saw, the student's long legs gracefully stepping like a cats, no imperfection in sight.

I finally left the school, explaining to my heartbroken father that his daughter was not 5'9" and not destined to be a world famous haute couture runway model. But all was not lost, because for my father's money I had discovered that beautiful women like to be constantly reassured of that fact. And that women without any visible fat on their bodies will stand in front of a mirror wailing that they are soon to be placed in the circus freak show as the fat lady, if they gain another ounce. I also learned how to walk down a runway gracefully and without falling, although I've yet to discover a use for that handy skill.

I also learned some other things about beautiful women, but since none are as complimentary as those above, I'll quit reminiscing.

[Age of Reason]

Okay I give up! You'll never tell

And the only skin she's showing in that most beautiful of portraits is on her face: Even her hands are gloved.

And no makeup whatsoever.

Beautiful.

(sigh)

But now it's past my bedtime.

Good night.

[Windcatcher]

(shrug) Maybe she's ashamed of her father (God knows, I would) and this is a reaction? Maybe she's afraid to show that she's ashamed of him? Maybe she's reacting to the fact that he was black as well (even though that probably has no bearing on anything)? Who knows? Like someone else said, she's one screwed up young lady and should get counseling. I still submit that she needs to get out of Hollywood. Maybe move back to Ohio and live near her mother. For that matter, does she have any other extended family she can go to for moral support? Old (non-Hollywood) friends?

[babaloo999]

http://www.grrl.com/lookalike.html

[Skywalk]

Yeah

It was a much better world when no beautiful Asian, black, Indian or Latina women were on screen. </sarcasm>

[babaloo999]

As I have stated in previous posts, allegedly, she should just be handed over to me for safekeeping.

[Windcatcher]

I guess it all comes down to what people want in life. I'm only average-looking. but my biggest asset was brains (graduated tops in high school, full scholarship to college, yada-yada-yada). Which master does a person serve? If it's just looks and nothing else, IMHO that's a losing proposition, since looks fade, and those with good looks still have to be able to look themselves in the mirror when the makeup isn't on. If all a person wants out of life is to be physically beautiful, I pity that person--there is so much more that life offers in addition, if one is but willing to serve a different master.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Wow! I am impressed with your research skills! How did you find that pic??? You're great! My hat's off to you!

[Fraulein]

Sorry that you missed the point.

[I_Love_My_Husband]

Why play the race card? She was saying something a million people say. Nothing in her post said anything about race, but it's weird that you had to put that in about race.

[cyborg]

Her mother raised her to think of herself as half white at home but out in the world she's black. Although I bet with Tiger Woods, Mariah Carey, and other multiracial people not taking this attitude she's changing her mind I'm sure. The healthiest way of raised mixed race children to present their heritage as both, instead of this schizophrenia her mom induced. Also, I've learned it doesn't matter what other people think about my so-called race, and if you base your identity on what other people think well I feel sorry for my friend. That's what I would say to a lot of people,esp. Halle Berry. But this is HOLLYWOOD where you sometimes base your life on what people think about you. I would not want that kind of life.

[Skywalk]

I'm sorry, except for the 2nd picture of that Romy person, she looks like a passable transvestite/transgender.

I think a lot of the women in the 40s,50s and 60s had healthier and more appealing frames(though I like all kinds of women) but there is a VASTLY superior variety available.

Give me the influx of beautiful diversity rather than everyone try to look like the mediocre Betty Grable.

Does that mean that every pop icon is beautiful? Heck no, but the same could be said of any era. Not to mention the film/video of today is far more revealing than the black and white favorable lighting that made every woman in the 40s/50s look like she had PERFECT skin.

[MarkL]

You know, I've always thought that casting Halle Berry as Storm in X-Men was wrong. Don't get me wrong here: I love looking at Halle (almost as much as Belly Girl!), but I just didn't think that she was quite right for the part. Too cute/beautiful. I guess I always though of Storm's looks being more "regal" and angular. I thought that maybe Iman, or even Grace Jones would have been better.

Still, I think that she's a good actress, and as I said before, quite wonderful to look at. And I am looking forward to X-2!!!

Mark

[Windcatcher]

I think that's a central advantage of us normal folks. IMHO we're more likely to be judged on what we DO, not what we look like. Do we produce? How good of a job do we do? I know, I'm being idealistic here, but the point is, it's at least more likely. In her like of work it's all looks and that can't be healthy for her psyche.

[Fraulein]

You might like this thread. :)

[Windcatcher]

Good actress? Surely you jest! I'll give her "attractive" any day of the week, perhaps even "stunning" given the right makeup, but "good actress"?!

(falls over dead from the irony)

[reg45]

My black great-great grandmother married her former owner in the Anglican church, but no children.

That does not compute - if your great-great-grandmother had no children, how could she be anyone's great-great-grandmother.

[cyborg]

I think that may have been said because all the actresses were white back then. Hollywood only gave mammy roles to black women and white women played the leading,glamorous roles. I didn't read race into that statement either though at first.

[Skywalk]

I'm not saying that Fraulein meant that in her post, but I'm pointing out that some of us prefer a variety of looks, beauties unavailable to us in the "good ol' days."

As I said above, I do think the focus on rail-thin frames has gotten out of control, but I like the variety of attractive women available today.

It's too easy to get nostalgiac about the past and talk about how "classy" the old actors/actresses were(which is QUITE debatable, honestly.) I like the fact that Kelly Hu or Jessica Alba can be leading actresses. Otherwise it'd be an endless stream of N. European faces with the occasional Sophia Loren as a break in that pattern.

To deny that the offerings of years past were more limited is to deny reality.

[FirstTomato]

Oh, believe me, the girls that could make it as runway models could earn so much money that when their looks faded they could simply retire.

Don't feel sorry for the really beautiful women, honey. They've got it made: the men flock to them like bees to a flower, people make special allowances for them, fuss is generally made over them, their beauty is often equated with goodness so they are often assumed to have above average characters, and they look great in clothes. What's to feel sorry for? And don't be fooled--lots of those women are smart, too.

They got handed a pretty good deck of cards from the Card Dealer in the sky, lol.