Posted on January 28, 2005

Halle Berry: Hollywood Is Racist

FemaleFirst.co.uk, Jan. 25

Halle Berry has launched a savage attack on Hollywood — saying the film industry is full of racists.

As a black actress, the beautiful star says she struggles to find work and is now being forced to make and star in her own films to survive.

The screen beauty — whose string of lead roles in major movies includes ‘Catwoman’ and ‘Monster’s Ball’ — says she has resorted to buying the rights of books to develop into films and has four such projects in development.

She confessed: “I’ve been called a nigger straight to my face. but there’s also much more subtle insidious ways that racism occurs here in Hollywood.

“I don’t care what anyone says — they may think it doesn’t exist but it’s usually those who aren’t black. The struggle for a woman of colour to find good material is still very present, and it’s a struggle I fight every day.

The 38-year-old star condemned the world’s greatest film producers and directors ahead of today’s (25.01.05) announcement of the Academy Award nominations — in which no woman from an ethnic minority is expected to be in the running for Best Actress and Supporting Actress.

The world’s highest-paid Black actress added: “I try to make the best out of what comes to me but it’s going to be about making my own reality really.”